kerplush
New Member
Joined: April 2009
Posts: 45
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Post by kerplush on Jul 8, 2009 11:43:44 GMT -5
I've got three days without my children and am trying to go through the piles that still remain (which is amazing to me as we had a yard sale and donation pickup). It seems absolutely endless.
I have another pickup scheduled for tomorrow - but there are still huge piles of "stuff" that will remain. I asked the children (ages 7 and 10) to work with me the two weeks before they left on vacation with their Dad, but they chose to play, make more mess, etc. (I even offered cash for the clean-up).
Really ready to move on - how bad is a big toss? - including the children's rooms - I feel I've given them many opportunities and assistance and time is up. There has to be a limit to all this mayhem..
The other reason is that the house may have to go on the market if I find a job in another location - there is no way a house can be staged in this condition.
Frozen - but ready to be fired up! May have to go the "amnesty" route...
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Post by puppybox on Jul 8, 2009 11:57:19 GMT -5
I hereby grant you amnesty. out, out, *** stuff.
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kerplush
New Member
Joined: April 2009
Posts: 45
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Post by kerplush on Jul 8, 2009 12:09:58 GMT -5
Beautiful - Thank you! I'm off to get some more "contractor" trash bags...!
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Post by AnnieOkie on Jul 8, 2009 12:50:45 GMT -5
Ahhhhh AMNESTY!! One of the finer gifts I have received here at our lovely site! I would definitely go through the kids things while they are gone. If it isn't being played with or they've outgrown it, toss it. They probably won't even notice it's gone. Then work on the other stuff. Good luck!!
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Post by theroyaldump on Jul 8, 2009 13:25:43 GMT -5
You go girl! I would do the same except I have some "keeper"stuff mixed in and it is necessary to find it and put away. Makes for slower going but I would just start tossing blindly if I could!!!
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Blackswan
Banned
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 6,388
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Post by Blackswan on Jul 8, 2009 13:40:03 GMT -5
Amnesty granted!
As the parent, you need to draw the line and get rid of some of that junk, if not ALL!
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Post by grungygeorgie on Jul 8, 2009 13:43:14 GMT -5
Throughout the years I have tossed my kids stuff out,yes,w/out
their permission.Five kids accumulate a lot of crap,most bought
by me.Big heavy contractors garbage bags work great.My most
recent clean out of the girls room was last November while they
had 4 day school holiday & stayed at Aunties.They are little piglets,
but what can I expect?I did not set a good example.I found a
opened applesauce container in the 15 year olds underwear
drawer (oh my!).Good luck & TOSS AWAY!FEELS SOO GOOD!
Then you can continue to concentrate on rest of house.Georgie
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Post by Meme on Jul 8, 2009 14:10:44 GMT -5
you go for it- you gave them the opportunity to do something before they left and their choice was not too - if you leave things as if they were garbage-( alas as we are learning)..... it becomes garbage--. hugs and yes- they will overcome the shock--  |
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Post by 60isolderthanithot on Jul 8, 2009 14:19:02 GMT -5
I do not understand the amnesty thing, what is that?
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Post by puppybox on Jul 8, 2009 14:37:59 GMT -5
dear 60, it is the best thing ever! it means you do NOT have to
sort
save for a family member
donate
recycle
your stuff.
just THROW IT AWAY. once your life is in some sort of order you can resume those things, but if you are in a bad way, you are hereby FREED from the obligation to do any of those things.
EVEN if you think their might be something good mixed in with the crapola. trust those who have done it, it is FREEING. it is awesome. JUST GET RID OF IT NOW.
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Post by moggyfan on Jul 8, 2009 16:25:55 GMT -5
Let the church say Amen, puppybox!
If I had not done the huge toss, all that stuff and more would still be sitting here.
AFTER the Great Clean Up of 2005, I have indeed resumed recycling and donating, but at the time I could not possibly have managed it.
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Post by mellowyellow on Jul 8, 2009 16:39:44 GMT -5
By no means do I mean that she is the epitomy of good mothering... BUT... I remember hearing (maybe 10 years ago??) that Madonna (singer, not mother of Jesus  ) would go to her children's rooms and if there was anything (toys, clothes, etc.) on the floor, she would have it donated to charity. Apparently it took only a few times of her doing that, and the kids no longer left any of their things on the floor. She followed through on her consequences. I remember thinking that was interesting, considering they were very wealthy children with nannies and maids and bodyguards galore. I wonder if the story is true, or just something she would like people to think. Either way, I've always thought that was interesting. Good thing no one does that in my bedroom! |
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Post by Polar Bear on Jul 8, 2009 18:36:34 GMT -5
Hello kerplush,
Amnesty is a great thing! Enjoy it if at all possible and do a big toss!
I moved recently and wished I could do a big toss. Unfortunately, all my stuff was mixed up together in one big pile. Important papers, unimportant papers, photos, books, and random stuff was all churned together. I really, really wanted to just throw it all away, but I couldn't unless I wanted to risk losing financial paperwork and precious photos. I had to sort and sort and sort.
(I remember helping a neighbor move once. He didn't really have a lot of stuff, but he had junk and garbage all over the floor of his apartment. He just gathered it all up and threw it in the trash. He didn't care at all. It looked like so much fun....)
So, if you can do a big toss, do it!!! Have fun!
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Post by Polar Bear on Jul 8, 2009 18:37:41 GMT -5
I hereby grant you amnesty. out, out, *** stuff. Someone here likes Shakespeare.  |
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Post by eagle on Jul 8, 2009 19:21:12 GMT -5
Kerplush, even though the kids might be upset, you have the right and responsibility to take the bull by the horns and start making these decisions. They may be incapable of making them anyway.
A lot of kids have too many toys. So many toys that they don't appreciate most or even any of them. So many that they don't really value them. If you kids might fit into this, well, here's your chance to change that.
It shouldn't be too difficult to determine which ones they've outrown or the ones that are broken. They're easy enough to weed out. But then you'll need to figure out if they have too many after weeding those ones out. If you feel that they have far too many toys at this point, you might start by evaluating their remaining toys based on what you would prefer they play with (educational, fantazy, violence) and rule some out based on your preferences. Of course you might want to take into account the ones you know are special favorites.
And, yes, I've done a major toss. Before moving here. It was huge and it took me months because I had that much time and that much stuff. Better to do it now than at the last minute if you have to move.
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