When you have kids, it's only natural that you also have a lot of stuff. So much stuff, in fact, that it's hard to even know what's worth keeping and what can be trashed, donated, or handed down. But, as difficult as it might be to say goodbye to your child's tattered blanket or their 237th sketch of a tulip, it's better you get it out of the way now than have to deal with it all over again in 20-odd years. Ready to get on with it? Use these tips to help clear out the four trickiest things in your kids' rooms today.
Imagine yourself as a grandparent with a new generation of tots over at your house to play. What toys in your possession now will be worth pulling out decades from now? If you can't envision it then, there's no sense holding on to it now.
A well-stocked bookshelf is paramount to a child's development, but that doesn't mean you have to own hundreds of books. A visit to your local library, in which you can find most any title and borrow upwards of 30 page-turners at a time, will keep any avid reader occupied.
Unsure what's worth storing? Only keep clothes for your kids up until one year after the end of each season. This saves you from having to buy a new Winter coat or swimsuit if your kids are still wearing the same size a year from now. Once they've been outgrown, however, donate them.
If it pains you to pitch so much of your child's artwork, develop a digital "art gallery" by snapping photos of every creation and culling them together for an online slideshow that you can project to your TV as a screen saver. Then you can part with the hard copy with less guilt.