Control Your Childrens Clutter!!

Ever feel overwhelmed by all the papers, notices, artwork, and other items your kids bring home from school? Don't be a pack rat!! We'll show you how to "Trap the R-A-T" (RETAIN, ACT, THROW)

1. School flyers: Nearly every day, your child brings home flyers announcing some school activity, bake sale, field trip, or other such notices. Unfortunately, these notices tend to pile up unless acted upon. As soon as practicable, read the flyers and perform the following R.A.T. exercise. RETAIN: All school flyers that you need to keep (class lists with phone numbers, emergency procedures, etc.) ACT: Make sure you have your calendar while reviewing the flyers, and mark any important dates. Once you mark the date, you should be able to "throw." THROW: Anything you suspect you won't need in the future. Don't be afraid to throw, as you can always go back to the school and ask about the content of the flyer if necessary. There should be approximately a 4 to 1 ratio of "throw" to "retain."

2. Art Work: While it would be great to be able to keep all of your childrens' artwork in perpetuity, most of us don't have enough room in the house!! I recommend that you follow the 3 "F" rule.

FRAME: Some outstanding pieces of artwork deserve framing. Buy several acrylic frame boxes at The Container Store and hang the framed artwork around your house, in your basement, or in your child's room. Your kids will appreciate the recognition they get when you go the extra mile to frame their art.

FILE: Not all art is frameworthy. But it may not be trashworthy either! Keep those items which demonstrate talent, and you may someday decide to frame. Make a file box for each child, and let them decorate the box. When they bring something home they want to keep, ask them to file it in their very own keepsake box.

FLUSH: No need to keep random scribble, or works that don't meet your standards. There should be a 1 to 3 to 5 ratio of Frame, File and Flush. And don't forget, much of the "filed" art can be used as gifts to relatives. You may also consider taking digital photos of your child's art, and storing it on disk. Although it's not the same as the original, this is a good way to reduce the clutter of the overwhelming amount of art that comes through the door.

3. Art Supplies: To create a masterpiece, your child needs the proper tools. Everything from markers, crayons, paints, and brushes need to be organized or they will quickly overtake your home. Keep everything in a portable box that they can bring from room to room, and separate the crayons, markers and other stuff into baggies. Make it clear that they are responsible for maintaining order for their art supplies. You may also consider purchasing a small "art desk" and a bookshelf so they can have their own area in the house to do artwork. Put the supplies in separate lined baskets in the bookshelf for them to use.

4. Birthday invitations: To keep track of all the birthday parties, it's best to follow the "GO or NO" rule. Once you get invited try to make a decision quickly. Mark it in your calendar and make a birthday invitation file so you can keep the ones you need (i.e. if there's directions you'll need the day of the party). If it's a "NO," respond within a day or two and "flush" the invitation.

These are just a few of the ideas to help kill the clutter. To go the extra mile, a professional organizer can help you meet all of the above challenges, and more.

About The Author

Betsy Fein is the President of Clutterbusters!!, a professional organizing firm based in Rockville, Maryland. For a free evaluation of your home or office, and to review clutterbusting products, go to www.theclutterbusters.com. Copyright 2003

feintimes@aol.com

---

The Balance of Balance

Life is about maintaining a balance of all aspects. At... Read More

Common Clutter Culprits- How to Bust Through Clutter

Paper1. You may already be in the habit of filing... Read More

Three Effortless Ways to Win the Paperwork Battle

Buried under mountains of paperwork from your company? Do the... Read More

Effective Closet Cleaning Tips - Let Go of More Than Skeletons

I know I have a problem when I have to... Read More

The Magnificent 7: Tips for Cleaning Up Clutter

Clutter is postponed decisions®. Here are some suggestions to simplify... Read More

Without a Plan, You?re Doomed to Failure

"My job is an endless series of deadlines, I am... Read More

5 Reasons to Organize Your Home Today

Home organization isn't just for neat-nicks or those drawn toward... Read More

Clutter Is Natural

Nature loves clutter. Just think of all the stuff that... Read More

5 Easy Steps to Making Housework More Manageable

Sometimes the task of keeping a clean, tidy house just... Read More

10 Easy Maintenance Tips vs Piling on the Chaos

Whether you are in your own business or an employee... Read More

Success at Work : Techniques : A Cluttered Desk

I followed my boss to a co-worker's cubicle where my... Read More

Organizing Lessons from a Bookstore

The store reminded me of a well-worn slipper ? tattered... Read More

Getting Organized For The New Year - Part 1

The following procedures will insure an organized and well run... Read More

Balance - And Other Things

The Mexican VillagerThe American investment banker was at the pier... Read More

Four Tips For Clearing The Clutter

Spring?. Fresh breezes through open windows, sleeping trees come awake... Read More

Oh No, Not Another Interuption, How To Deal With Everyday Distractions

Every day I find junk mail waiting for me, whether... Read More

Making Space - Letting Go of Clutter

To make room for new things to come into you... Read More

To Make a Change -- Take a Chance

Life is really all about CHANGE. In order to make... Read More

Digging out of Paper Clutter - part 2

We previously noted that papers must be sorted before they... Read More

Relieve Vacation Stress By Planning Ahead

Cindy looks at the calendar and sighs. Ah, the end... Read More

Breathing Life Into Dead Spaces

"I don't have enough room!" -- this is a common... Read More

Addiction to Clutter

Clutter is a big problem for many people. At a... Read More

Overcoming E-mail Overload Using Microsoft Outlook

Do you feel like you just get too much e-mail?... Read More

Four Easy Steps to An Organized Closet

The National Association of Professional Organizers has dedicated January to... Read More

Declutter for Sucess

Finish each day and be done with it. You have... Read More