amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,635 
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Post by amom23 on Mar 29, 2015 22:45:56 GMT
The criteria I gave him was to toss anything that didn't fit, that he didn't like and doesn't wear. DS came and asked if it was okay to toss certain things a couple times and I always said yes. He did a good job and brought me a laundry basket full of clothes. Yeah for him! 
My middle DS is really good about purging his closet a couple times a year on his own and my oldest DS and DH will do so if I ask them too a few times a year. No pack rats in this house! |
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Post by aleighl55 on Mar 29, 2015 22:51:19 GMT
I gave my 5 year old ds a small diaper box and asked him to fill it with toys we don't play with or don't want. First he came out with 1 giant exercise bolster that is mine and said that he filled it up. Then he had me go in his room to see that if he emptied all of the toys in 1 drawer on the floor, we could just put them somewhere else to make room for all of DH's old junk that he had pulled out of the garage. The box is still sitting there empty.  ? |
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Post by mrsscrapdiva on Mar 29, 2015 22:55:15 GMT
That is so awesome! Did he do it with no whining or getting distracted?
We have been doing this all weekend. This morning my 5 year old came downstairs and told me he had to "downsize" his book collection. I was cracking up with the terminology he was using. He did a good job and we really did find a lot that he just wasn't interested in (his brother's hand me down books). We have ALOT of books to begin with, but now we have a nice pile for goodwill, donations to school and a few collections to resell.
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Post by twoboyzmom on Mar 30, 2015 0:24:24 GMT
I had to help my 13 yr old today. He is the worst pack rat I've ever seen...like seriously the kid needs intervention or a 10 step program!! I was pulling stuff from corners that I wasn't sure what it was..on top of a gazillion empty bottles, packages and just junk!
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Rainbow
Pearl Clutcher
Where salt is in the air and sand is at my feet...
Posts: 4,103
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Post by Rainbow on Mar 30, 2015 2:20:47 GMT
Good for you! I always feel better after I purge a bunch of stuff and see how much better everything looks!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 21:02:29 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2015 2:22:55 GMT
We purged today too. Ended up at Old Navy and Marshels cause the poor kid didn't have one pair of shorts that fit.
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scrappinwithoutpeas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,215
Location: Northern Virginia
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Post by scrappinwithoutpeas on Mar 30, 2015 2:47:03 GMT
Must be that time of year - we're doing some room purging here too. DS(15) is getting confirmed on Saturday so this weekend I took him to get a suit, along with some other much-needed clothes. On top of that we had switched out his bed, from a loft w/attached desk (a little bit juvenile) to a regular twin bed with drawers for under-bed storage. (No space for dust bunnies to collect!  ) So, between the rearranging, and the new clothes, I had him purge shelves, drawers, & closets. He's more than halfway finished and has a huge pile to give away (with a few sentimental things that I'll stow in the attic for safekeeping). In the meantime, I was at a crop last weekend, so in the process of unpacking all the project stuff I took, I decided I needed to do a bit of reorganizing in my craft room. So we have duel organizing going on. |
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,428
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Post by luvnlifelady on Mar 30, 2015 3:05:30 GMT
14 yo DS needs to do it badly. He's a clothes horse but buys things and then decides he doesn't like them. He has way more clothes than he can possibly wear but everything just winds up on the floor.
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Post by miominmio on Mar 30, 2015 6:04:39 GMT
DS16 needs to do this sooo badly. But I'm not looking forward to all the whining!
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M in Carolina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,128
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Post by M in Carolina on Mar 30, 2015 6:54:05 GMT
Amom23, do you know how lucky you are to have a son that is willing to get rid of stuff?
My dh is the poster boy for pack rats. He refuses to get rid of old, ratty tee shirts and insists on keeping all sorts of electronics, computer equipment, as well as being very sentimental and hanging on to stuff people have given him.
We have a 3 bedroom condo with both extra bedrooms and even part of our bedroom stacked with boxes full of stuff from previous moves. (Everything is in boxes stacked neatly as possible and not the beginnings of an episode of hoarders--my grandmother saved everything as well because of her experiences in the Great Depression, and helping clear out her house after she died made an indelible impression on me.)
I've tried to get dh to let me take his favourite tee shirts that were getting ratty and turn them into a tee shirt quilt, but he insisted on wearing them until they literally fell apart.
I'm going to take inspiration from this thread and plan a weekend of unpacking and decluttering.
I do need to go through my clothing and donate what I don't want. I've been wanting to do this for a while but had to postpone it because of my nasty fall in January. I think that when dh sees me getting rid of stuff that he'll be inspired as well.
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Post by maryland on Mar 30, 2015 10:51:01 GMT
I go through my kids closets every month or so. They are so messy and leave clothes laying all over the floor all the time. If they get dressed, don't like the outfits, they leave them on the floor. I can't stand it! I have no idea what color the carpet is in my daughters bedrooms. haha! So I go through and put stuff they don't wear in the attic. I can't stand all the clutter in the closet, and we keep off season clothes in the attic. I figure the less clothes they have in the closet the less mess they make.
That's great that your son isn't a pack rat! My family is, so we have clutter all over because we don't have enough place to store things. Part of it is laziness and no time to clean up. Part of it is they don't want to get rid of things, even if it means nothing to them. I am all for keeping things that they love!
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Post by threegirls on Mar 30, 2015 12:22:34 GMT
I call the Vets or Lupus Foundation about every 6 weeks for them to come to my house for a pick-up. Our house is small and I can't have outgrown or worn out clothes hanging around. It helps my middle daughter keep organized. She is really messy.
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Post by mikklynn on Mar 30, 2015 14:07:56 GMT
I had to help my 13 yr old today. He is the worst pack rat I've ever seen...like seriously the kid needs intervention or a 10 step program!! I was pulling stuff from corners that I wasn't sure what it was..on top of a gazillion empty bottles, packages and just junk! This would describe my kids at 13, too. It was disgusting! |
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Post by shannoots on Mar 30, 2015 14:21:22 GMT
I need to have all three of mine do this. I'm scared of what I'll find every time I open their closet door!
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Post by Dori~Mama~Bear on Mar 30, 2015 15:09:43 GMT
Good job your son did. When my daughter was 13 I tried to get her to clean her closet a couple times. She always had to have me sit there while she tried on everything. She wouldn't just toss anything without trying it on and she always had to have me yah or nay it.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 21:02:29 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2015 16:21:22 GMT
My 16 year old did this about a month ago. She brought it all out to living room and her younger sister pulled a bunch out.
The rest went to the thrift store.
She then used that money to re-stock a bit, with more current items.
Love when they do it on their own.
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,992
Location: Houston, TX
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Post by smartypants71 on Mar 30, 2015 16:31:16 GMT
I need to have my 13yo do that too, but I'm afraid he would just throw everything he has in the garbage I don't even want to know what he has hidden in his closet. Ignorance is bliss  |
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) So, between the rearranging, and the new clothes, I had him purge shelves, drawers, & closets. He's more than halfway finished and has a huge pile to give away (with a few sentimental things that I'll stow in the attic for safekeeping).
Southern Side eyed Pea 
