My daughter is a pack rat.
She doesn’t like to part with anything. Two years ago, I only convinced her to
let me throw out her threadbare favorite bathing suit after agreeing to take a
photograph of it. (So she’d always have something to remember it by!)
Obviously, this presents a
challenge when it comes time to get rid of unwanted toys, clothes and stuffed
animals. I just can’t do it with her around – we never get anywhere. The
forgotten stuffed animal hidden on the top shelf suddenly becomes her favorite
when I suggest we pass it along to her cousins or donate it to charity.
My only option is to clean
out her room when she isn’t around. However, I always imagine the ensuing drama
(and my guilty conscience) if she realizes something is missing.
My solution is a “waiting
period” before tossing or giving things away. I put unwanted items in garbage
bags labeled “trash”, “donate”, etc. These bags go into the attic for a couple
of months until I’m sure nothing will be missed. After that, they’re passed on
to the appropriate parties.
You
know what? In the years I’ve cleaned out on the q.t, my kids have never missed a
single thing I’ve gotten rid of. Oh well. At least the clutter is still gone and I
feel a little bit better about being sneaky.
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