My house is empty. My kids rooms have the basics. My closets are only half full. The kids playroom has plenty of toys, but most of them are in baskets and can quickly be put away in cabinets that have doors that can be closed to the chaos.
I’m not trying to hide the fact that I have kids, but I have become an aspiring minimalist mama! The lack of stuff has cleared my mind and created a space I look forward to coming home to.
Let me give you a little background about my childhood. I grew up in a house full of stuff. Stuff that filled up every room in every closet and on every flat space that existed. Some might say the clutter took over the house where people once lived. Now we aren’t talking an episode of hoarders, but my mom recently shared that she has all my baby teeth in a little box at the house…
The clutter always made me anxious and still does. You’ll often find me at a party throwing away used glasses or straightening up the buffet table because I like things to be in order. Some may see it as an issue, but I happen to like the cleanliness I create.
At home I’m the same way. I keep the clutter and mess as far removed from my space as I can get it. Now with little people this takes extra effort.
Kids bring home lots of papers and projects and weird sticks they find outside because they are exploring the world around them. That I applaud! But when it comes to being messy, leaving things around the house that they can put away, and generally not being helpful with chores, well, that just doesn’t fly. Our house, our responsibility!
What would happen in your house if you just had the basics? How do you think you would feel at the end of the night when you had less to clean? Give it a try in one room for a week and see how it feels. If you don’t like it, just add the stuff back!
