Struggling to get your family to declutter? Learn how to lead by example, avoid conflict, and help your loved ones embrace a simpler home.
My Decluttering Journey
About three years ago, I started learning about decluttering and the benefits of living with less. It took me months of watching decluttering videos and discovering all the positive outcomes that come with owning less.
Number One: Patience
If you are on your own decluttering journey and trying to get rid of your stuff, you will probably want to persuade your family to do the same.
But there are some challenges that can arise when people are not aware of the reasons for decluttering. Don’t forget that it may have taken you months—or even years—to reach the point where you realized that decluttering is the solution to a more peaceful and manageable home.
So, number one on the list of helping your family declutter is patience.
Remember that they haven’t watched all the videos or listened to all the podcasts. They have no idea why you are suddenly trying to take away their possessions.
Only you know that having less stuff will make your life as a homemaker so much easier. It often happens that we become eager to get rid of things, while our family members are not ready to let them go. That’s when conflict can arise.
But creating conflict is not the answer. First of all, we need to be peacemakers in our homes. If we want to teach our children, our spouse, or other family members, we need to give them time.
Number Two: Declutter Your Own Things First
While they are taking their time, you still have work to do.
What is it?
Declutter the things that belong to you—your clothes, makeup, hobby supplies for hobbies you no longer enjoy, and anything else that is yours.
Then begin decluttering the shared spaces, such as the kitchen, linen closet, and living room. But be careful not to get rid of your husband’s favorite spatula or your children’s favorite game while decluttering these neutral areas. There is so much you can accomplish without touching other people’s belongings.
It might take weeks or even months. For me, it took a whole year of decluttering before I truly felt a difference in how my home looked and felt. I went through every space in my house at least a few times.
As you do this, your family members will begin to notice how pleasant it feels to live without so much clutter. Even without watching videos or listening to podcasts about decluttering, they will start experiencing the benefits of a simplified and streamlined home. They will see how much easier it is to clean, put things away, wash the dishes, and stay organized.
At the same time, you will become more experienced at making decluttering decisions, which means you’ll be able to help your family even more when they are ready.
Number Three: Help Them Declutter
When the time comes, help them have a positive experience with decluttering.
When they have some free time, invite them to sit in a comfortable chair, make them a cup of tea or coffee, and go through just one small section of their space together. It could be a drawer, a dresser, a closet, or their desk.
I did this with both of my boys.
They would sit in their room while I handed them one shirt at a time and let them make the decision. There were only two choices: keep it or let it go.
My youngest son wanted to keep many of his shirts, including quite a few that he planned to wear only at home. They weren’t worn out or unusable—he simply wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them.
When I realized he had made a large “wear at home” pile, I set those shirts aside and counted them. There were more than ten.
Then I asked him, “Do you really think you’ll need that many shirts just for wearing at home?”
He thought about it for a moment and decided to let half of them go.
He realized there was no way he would actually wear all of them.
That was an important lesson for him.
Today, he is very good at keeping his wardrobe simple and owning only the clothes he truly needs. I’m so proud of him.
Don’t give up on decluttering. Keep things as simple as you can, be patient with your family, and trust the process. Eventually, they will begin to appreciate the peaceful home you are creating and may even decide to embrace decluttering for themselves.
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