my soft spot

just a mom who plays hockey and knits

Monday, January 21, 2008

"I don't like being dirty"

That's what my sweet boy said to me last week as I cuddled him in bed, after I had asked him to put something in his room and he admitted later that he'd just tossed it in the corner, on top of a pile of clutter. "I want to be clean like you," he said. Well, that's not reaching terribly far. We are both wrestling with the Cluttering Demon and the Hoarding Monster.

And lately, they are losing. I got up early on Sunday and, as I was already awake, attacked his bookshelf with a passion. He has a 3-shelf bookshelf with arts & crafts stuff on the bottom and books on the top 2 shelves. The top 2 shelves were so full, he couldn't manage to get more books on them, so he had taken to piling them on top, with the usual disastrous consequences.

I pulled and piled, sorted and discarded. I have two of those large Peet's coffee bags (bigger than a grocery bag), each filled to overflowing with books to donate (I've already taken the first installment to the library). I actually found the two books that go with a Book On Tape that we have (Jungle Book on one side, The Rescuers on the other) and got another book on tape together with its hardback version. These are going to their new home with a Freecycler today.

I weeded the bookshelves in the front room too, and moved the majority of the kept books there. In his room, he has a total of 9 books, I think, that we saved. I had separated the sticker and puzzle books, and when he woke up (and was delighted at his now empty, useful shelves), asked him to go through the pile and select 7 to keep. He was happy to do so.

I ended up having to give him a consequence last night for not stopping decluttering when it was time for bed! I'm glad he wants to have his room clean, clear, and useful, but it does come with limits (the kind that will give me a happy, well-rested boy with a clean room!).

And I am working on my own clutter tendencies, as well. I resigned from the Paperback Swap website, as I no longer want to hold on to books I don't want in hopes that someone will request them. I'm also using the library for books to read instead of keeping them at home.

I hope to clear even more bookshelves off so that I have more room to put my yarn out.

You didn't actually expect me to get rid of yarn, now did you? Fools.

1 Comments:

At 6:15 PM, January 24, 2008, Blogger Dharma said...

But if you *do* decide to part with yarn, I know a real good charity case....

Good job with the decluttering and the resigning from paperback swap. Excellent.

 

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