Tuesday, January 06, 2009

bigger kids = bigger stuff

Remember how easy it was to take care of babies and toddlers?

I'm not saying it wasn't a lot of work. I know, I have 4 kids.

What I mean is it's different now that they are older and bigger.

When they are small it's easier to keep up with housework. It's easier to breastfeed and change diapers and carry your baby around.

Sure you are sleep deprived, I still don't get as much sleep as I would like.

I guess I am just seeing how much stuff we have and how big the kids are.

There is more dishes and more laundry and more toys and projects and clutter then ever before.

I can't seem to keep up with everything.

I do ask for help, but this goes beyond dishes and laundry and sweeping the floor or feeding the dogs.

We have too much stuff and not enough space.

I have to figure out how to organize and declutter.

We just moved Jared out of our bed and into the boys room, so now there are 3 beds and 3 boys sharing that room.

It is piled with stuff.

Jared's clothes and lots of his toys are in Cassie's room.

I would like to find an easy system of storing stuff so it's easy to take out and put back.

It's just so funny because people used to tell me that it gets easier as they get older.

I guess we trade off the constant physical care of a newborn to the mental energy it takes to parent older children.

My kids are so wonderful, I'm not complaining at all.

I love this life, I'm just overwhelmed with the stuff and need to find a way to fix it.

If anyone has decluttering or storage advice, let me in on it.

4 comments:

MamaLou said...

I'm totally with you on that, I cannot keep up...my kids joke that I fold laundry (with their help...er yah....HELP) once a month, but seriously, I just get breakfast cleared up and they want a smoothie, that's done and something else has to be done, TIME!!!

AMEN to your post, I'm NOT the only one!

Tina said...

I'll tell you (being ahead of you in the kid age department) that I have had less rest, less time and more fun since the kids are teenagers than I did when they were little. We get to have friends over, I get to see love blossom and they actually communicate well.

Seriously, since you know that I am in the decluttering stage, here is how I'm doing it.

I'm leaving the worst room for last.

Pick the easiest room. Start at a corner and go from then there. Decide where to keep, or throw away. Get storage bins for closets, etc. Get shoe hangers for shoes. Pitch and throw away. Rearrange.

Start slow and do about 20 mins or so a day.

I've got 2-3 rooms done now. And I'm feeling motivated.

Just my .02$

Deanna said...

One suggestion is to have a designated amount of space for certain objects and when that space is full you have to get rid of something before bringing in another like object. For instance, if the bookshelves are full, you have to get rid of some before you can buy more. It's way too easy to just allow the stuff to overflow the available space.

I'm in decluttering mode myself so keep an eye on my blog as I document my efforts. Yesterday I posted before and after photos of my gift closet.

Paige said...

"For instance, if the bookshelves are full, you have to get rid of some before you can buy more."

Bite Your Tongue! (Fingers?) lol Getting rid of books? Who could ever!?! I brought home 13 books a cd and a magazine just today. If your bookshelves are full...build MORE! lol

Clothes, now, I can understand getting rid of some before bringing home more. ; )

I'm trying to get through my girl's clothes right now...if something comes out of the laundry stained, torn or no longer fits out it goes! I still have hope....