If you feel like your house is always a mess and you can’t seem to declutter properly, you’re not alone. Parents everywhere struggle with clutter, no matter how many times they tidy up. The reason? Kids. Between overflowing toy bins, school papers, and random socks on the floor, it’s easy to feel like you’re constantly cleaning up after them.
Build the Right Mindset
Building the right mindset makes all the difference. Start by reminding yourself that progress matters more than perfection. Break big tasks into smaller goals, and celebrate even small wins along the way. Visualize the calm, organized space you’re working toward to stay motivated. Some days will go better than others — and that’s completely normal. The important thing is to keep moving forward, even if it’s just one drawer or shelf at a time. A positive mindset turns decluttering from a chore into an achievement.
Declutter One Room at a Time
The best approach is to start with one room. Decide which room causes the most frustration—usually the playroom, kids’ bedroom, or living room.
Begin by setting a goal for each room. If it’s the bedroom, focus on organizing clothes and making the bed a clear, relaxing space. In the playroom, remove broken or forgotten toys and create designated areas for different activities. Breaking the process into smaller tasks makes it manageable for both parents and kids.
Declutter in Short, Focused Sessions
One of the biggest mistakes people make when decluttering is trying to do too much at once, which often leads to frustration and burnout. A smarter approach is to set a timer for just 15 to 30 minutes and focus solely on one area—like a single drawer, shelf, or corner of a room.
Knowing there’s a clear stopping point keeps you energized and helps prevent overwhelm. Over time, these small, focused sessions add up to major progress. Consistency is key! By breaking decluttering into bite-sized efforts, you’ll stay motivated and actually look forward to each mini-win.
Introduce The Four-Box Method to Sort Items
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by clutter, breaking the process into bite-sized chunks can make it more manageable. A great way to declutter your home is by using the four-box method, which helps you decide what to do with all your stuff in a simple, structured way.
Start by sorting everything into four categories:
- Keep: Items you use and love stay in their designated spots.
- Donate: Things in good condition that you no longer need can go to someone else who will appreciate them.
- Trash: Broken or unusable items that serve no purpose should be thrown away.
- Relocate: Some clutter happens simply because things are out of place. This box is for items that belong elsewhere in your home.
Organize Clothes, Toys, and Essentials by Category
Once you’ve sorted everything, it’s finally time to put things back in an organized way. The benefits of grouping similar items together are clear—it makes things easier to find and prevents clutter from returning.
For kids’ rooms, create separate sections for clothing, toys, and books. Use small bins or dividers for specific categories like puzzles, dolls, or art supplies. When kids know exactly where things belong, they’re more likely to put them away immediately. With the decluttering process complete, you’ll enjoy a more organized space—and that’s a quick win for any parent.
Use Kid-Friendly Storage for a Proper Home Setup
Storage plays a huge role in maintaining an organized home. Using bins, shelves, and baskets that kids can easily access encourages them to take responsibility for their belongings.
Choose clear bins for toys so they can see what’s inside without dumping everything out. Use labeled baskets for frequently used items and store seasonal or rarely used belongings higher up. The easier you make it for kids to clean up, the more likely they’ll do it without being reminded.
Set a Decluttering Routine to Prevent Mess
Establish a quick evening clean-up where everyone spends five to ten minutes tidying up their own space. A weekly decluttering session helps keep things from piling up, and a seasonal review allows you to remove items kids have outgrown. The key is consistency—when decluttering becomes part of daily life, it no longer feels like a chore. And the more you do it, the less time you spend worrying about the mess in your home.
Show Your Process by Example
Children learn best by watching their parents. If they see you actively decluttering and making decisions about what to keep and what to let go, they’ll be more willing to do the same.
Walk them through your own process, explaining why you’re donating a certain item or why you’re keeping something meaningful. When decluttering becomes a normal family activity rather than a punishment, kids are more likely to adopt the habit.
Make a Checklist
A simple checklist is just what you need to stay on track with decluttering. Writing down key decluttering tips helps break the process into manageable steps, making it easier to get rid of unnecessary stuff without feeling overwhelmed. Focus on one space at a time—whether you’re aiming to only declutter your kitchen or your entire house—and check off tasks as you go. A structured list keeps clutter under control, ensuring you organize efficiently and make decluttering a regular part of your life.
Involve Your Kids and Teach Them When to Get Rid of Unwanted Items
Letting go of belongings can be difficult for kids, especially when sentimental value is involved. While a professional organizer can help create structure, they aren’t always necessary—children can learn to recognize when something no longer serves a purpose on their own. Understanding how to sort items is a skill that develops over time, shaping their ability to make thoughtful decisions.
Make Decluttering a Family Habit for Big Results
The first step to a clutter-free home is making decluttering a regular habit, even for a busy family. A simple rule can help—whenever one item comes in, another must get rid of it to keep things balanced. This approach encourages everyone, including children, to think ahead about what they truly need. Even a single drawer can be a great place to start, helping kids and adults alike stay mindful of their belongings. Have each person in the family write down what they no longer use to make the process easier and keep clutter from piling up.
Set Clear Limits on Toys
When kids have too many toys, it often leads to messier spaces and shorter attention spans. Setting clear, simple limits helps both parents and kids maintain order. Decide on specific boundaries—like one bin for building blocks or a set number of stuffed animals. Make these limits visible and easy to follow by using labeled bins or shelves. To keep things fresh, introduce a toy rotation system: store some toys away and swap them out every few weeks. This keeps kids interested without adding more clutter. With fewer choices, kids can actually focus better and appreciate their toys more.
Turn Decluttering into a Fun Task
The decluttering process doesn’t have to feel like a chore—turn it into a game! Set a timer and challenge kids to put away more items before it runs out. Encourage them to take a deep breath before deciding what to keep and what to rid themselves of, especially if something hasn’t been used in six months. To make it even more engaging, set up a trip to a recycling center for items that can be repurposed. Offering small rewards, like extra playtime or a special outing, can keep them motivated and excited about sticking with their kid-friendly decluttering routine.
Use a Trash Bag Trick to Help Kids Let Go of Clutter
If your child is reluctant to let go of things, try the trash bag trick. It’s one of the best decluttering tips for kids. Place questionable items in a bag and store them out of sight for a month. If they don’t ask for them, it’s a sign they don’t really need them, making it easier to donate or discard them.
Set Physical Limits for Sentimental Keepsakes
Sentimental items can quickly take over your space if you don’t set clear boundaries. A simple way to manage this is by designating a specific container, shelf, or box for keepsakes. When that space gets full, it’s a sign to reassess what you’re holding onto. This approach forces you to prioritize the items that truly matter most. If everything is special, nothing really is. Remind yourself that keeping a few meaningful pieces honors the memory just as well as keeping everything. Setting limits helps you cherish what’s important without letting clutter take over your home.
Digitize Memories to Preserve Without Clutter
If you find it hard to part with sentimental items, consider digitizing them instead of keeping everything physically. Take photos or scan old letters, children’s artwork, or souvenirs and save them in organized digital albums. You’ll still have easy access to the memories without filling up closets and drawers.
Cloud storage services and external drives offer reliable, space-saving solutions. You could even create a special slideshow or scrapbook to revisit when feeling nostalgic. This method allows you to preserve the emotional connection while keeping your living space clear, making it easier to enjoy both your home and your memories.
Practice the ’20/20′ Rule for Quick Decisions
When you’re stuck deciding whether to keep an item, use the 20/20 rule: If it can be replaced for less than $20 and within 20 minutes, it’s safe to let it go. This trick is especially helpful for things you’re holding onto “just in case” but rarely use. It encourages you to focus on what’s truly essential instead of cluttering your home with easily replaceable items.
Most household goods, like kitchen tools or extra decor, fall into this category. Applying this simple rule speeds up the decluttering process and helps you make smarter, less emotional decisions.
The Benefits of Teaching Your Kids to Declutter Early
Helping kids learn how to sort items and keep their space tidy teaches more than just organization—it builds essential life skills.
Discipline
When kids regularly declutter their closets and put away other items, they develop routines that prevent them from feeling overwhelmed by messes in the future. A simple habit like hanging clothes instead of tossing them on the floor makes a big difference.
Responsibility
Giving kids ownership of their space—whether it’s their room, a toy bin, or even the coffee table—helps them understand that keeping things tidy is their job, not just yours. Setting a date for a single day of decluttering each month reinforces accountability. Don’t be afraid to give cleaning tasks to your kids.
Resilience
Letting go of items they no longer need teaches kids that change is okay. Sorting through clothes, toys, and books helps them recognize what’s important, making it easier to declutter and part with things over time.