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Drowning in kids papers



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pizza4




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Oct 17 2019, 8:37 pm
My kids like to hold onto their stuff, forever. I used to just throw out the old papers (until that week's papers) when they weren't around. But booklets, school homework books, reading and writing books, poetry books, coloring books and so many papers! They really don't want to throw out.
Several times, I encouraged them to go through a tall pile each, and see what they don't need to keep anymore. They'd agree to throw out, maybe one paper. I'm embarrassed to say how we keep it, now before yomtov I put it all out of sight so maybe I have a chance to throw it all out without them realizing. They each have a small container to keep prizes and shmunchkes, but nothing ever leaves once in.
Please explain to me how to keep this all in order, how can I make an in and out rotation, they really want to keep everything!
They're little, under 8 years old, if that makes any difference.
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amother
Natural


 

Post Thu, Oct 17 2019, 8:51 pm
You could have been writing about my kids. Lmk if you come up with a solution.
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trixx




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Oct 17 2019, 9:06 pm
Take a picture. Then depending on age or interest :

Make a collage and print
Print 4x6 and put into an album
Make a photo book

Either way. Photograph and trash
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pizza4




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Oct 17 2019, 9:24 pm
trixx wrote:
Take a picture. Then depending on age or interest :

Make a collage and print
Print 4x6 and put into an album
Make a photo book

Either way. Photograph and trash

You don't understand, trix. I'd have a thousand photos! Each precious little booklet, all about me or what I did this summer and honestly they write such cute things! Dd8 loves to look through her books, sing all the songs from past year, plays school with math workbooks etc.
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amother
Smokey


 

Post Thu, Oct 17 2019, 9:33 pm
do what my mother did not. She forced me to get rid of stuff. (all my "junk" was always kept in my shelves. Never lying around. I was just a magpie as a kid collecting pretty things)
In turn I became more of a hoarder until I read Marie kondo as an adult and am slowly learning to minimize. (I read it 4 years ago!)
Teach your kids how to identify what makes them happy. Then let them keep it. Caveat, in a specific location, maybe a bin or something, and if it exceed that size then it infringes on your joy and you can toss it.
If she's using her stuff.. And putting it away.. What's the problem? If the prob is that she's not putting it away focus on that. Every kid should be able to collect their own cherished possessions from childhood. I still remember things from when I was 7 I was made to toss that j wasn't ready to part with.
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mom2mysouls




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Oct 17 2019, 10:16 pm
Try to have a designated place where everyone can put their artwork. Like a container, or empty a drawer specifically for this. Let them know whatever they wanna save, goes there. Anything else flying around, gets thrown out.
Aside of that, it's good to have their own space, if possible, to keep their junk/prizes/trinkets.
I purchased more furniture (second hand, for pennies) with drawers so each child can have their own drawer for socks n underwear. Another drawer for their prizes. Obviously, if you have the room...
Even so, I still find prizes all over the house. It amazes me as much as I throw out, theres always more. It's never ending....
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amother
Olive


 

Post Fri, Oct 18 2019, 2:51 am
Giving them their own designated space is also great because it sets a limit. Once it's full they need to ask themselves what they need to get rid of to fit the new thing. Teaches them priorities and that we can't keep everything etc. etc.

Right now we have a hanger thingie from Ikea for flat projects for viewing pleasure. It's kind of small so I also let them tape things on the porch door too. For both things, once it's full, they have to choose what to throw out.

We're moving soon so I'm planning to phase out the porch door and instead give a binder – they can keep whatever fits into the binder and flip through it when they want. And then once it's full...stuff needs to get tossed.

I also give 1 desk drawer per child for non-flat things like booklets, keychains, project scraps (I'm talking a jewel from a broken headband, gum containers...things they want to keep but don't go in the arts and crafts bin), etc.
Again...once it's full...sensing a theme here?

I love the idea of teaching them what sparks joy.
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Surrendered




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Oct 18 2019, 2:54 am
My kids are also prize and paper keepers.

Ever so often, I go through their possessions and put all the old useless items into a shopping bag, and hide it for a few days.
If they don't remember about it, I trash it.
(If they really need it, they'll ask for it within a few days.)

Someone told me that she made a deal with her kids: all have 1 container of shmoozed, they can only fill up as much as fits in here and throw out the rest.

I don't like the idea of telling kids that they need to loom over and make a decision what to throw out. They have a hard time getting rid and parting with their stuff.
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Oct 18 2019, 4:49 am
pizza4 wrote:
You don't understand, trix. I'd have a thousand photos! Each precious little booklet, all about me or what I did this summer and honestly they write such cute things! Dd8 loves to look through her books, sing all the songs from past year, plays school with math workbooks etc.

A 4" thick binder looseleaf (find something nice) for each kid, with plastic sheet protectors inside. Don't let one kid's stuff get bigger than that. It's just too much. Remove extras as needed. Take pics of kids holding certain items and then throw out the item once the picture has been saved.

All about me booklets may need to be pulled apart and their individual page saved only.

Math workbooks - no way!

If your daughter is a singer and enjoys keeping the lyrics, she may need a second smaller binder for that. She'll love flipping through it!

For class newspaper pictures, cut out the relevant pictures of your dd only and make a collage so that one page has a lot of mileage.

A binder is easy to flip through and enjoy, instead of a portfolio folder or box that is stuffed, where you have to remove everything in order to find what you're looking for. It also sits nicely on a bookshelf.

Do this project with your 8 year old. Excitedly explain that you're making a memory book. Tell her there's only room for 1 binder (plus song binder) and she has to pick out the important stuff.

Help her trim any items that need to be made smaller. Sometimes you need to do that out of sight since they don't realize that the corners are not so important and all they're thinking of is don't cut that.
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amother
Crimson


 

Post Fri, Oct 18 2019, 6:04 am
You need to go through it when they are not around
Throw out all the junk, or what you consider junk.

After that’s done, tell them they can keep 3-5 things from each year.
Label boxes by year, not by child.
Do this every 6 month
Their current box should have only 6 months worth of stuff
But
You must throw out the junk first

I recently moved and had boxes and boxes of DHs stuff. Old mail, cancelled checks(remember those) etc.
32 yrs worth
We shredded almost 30 black garbage bags

It’s an important skill to teach your kids
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amother
Chocolate


 

Post Fri, Oct 18 2019, 6:25 am
Get each kid a shoe box. Spend an afternoon decorating it up the wazoo.
They can fill it, but everything need to fit in there. They need to decide what is worth space and what isn't anymore.
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pizza4




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Oct 18 2019, 7:14 am
I like the binder idea.
Might need to go through the stuff first and see what's really garbage. Then can go through rest with them, make a memory binder...
Also like the idea of putting things out of sight for a bit- problem is if I forget about it they might find it first!
Still not sure where to make the designated space. I have a plastic drawer thing that might work for this.
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