We, proud parents of students, know the chaotic state our boys and girls can bring their room to. It is unbelievable what some of them can achieve in just one summer; one must consider it a skill. Luckily, even children know that the end of summer brings a new school year and the old rules that must be followed. That is the perfect time to do a back to school decluttering and restore your child’s stuff into order. Here are some tips on how to successfully perform this critical and, frankly, liberating process.

Thorough deep cleaning first

Cleaning the space is always the first step in any decluttering and organising endeavour. Over the summer, there must be a lot of dirt and hidden waste your kids have gathered, and you need to deal with that. Look in every corner of your child’s room for garbage. You will most likely find chocolate bar wrappings, old bubble gums, and tissues that somehow escaped the trash can. After removing the trash, do a thorough cleaning of your child’s room. Again, look for hidden places where dust and dirt remain in hiding. This cleaning should be as thorough as possible to enable a spotless slate to start the new school year.

Books – old are out, new are in

The beginning of a new school year brings lots of new books, so it is the perfect time to eliminate the old ones. With your child, decide which of the previous year’s books should stay so they can review the old curriculum if necessary. You can try to sell those books your kid doesn’t need anymore. Many people look for second-hand books because they are significantly cheaper than new ones. Finally, those that look like they have been through hell should end up in the trash or at a recycling centre. This step will create space for the new books your child will need this school year.

Back to school decluttering of paperwork and artwork

Usually, students collect a large amount of artwork and paperwork over a school year. Back-to-school decluttering should take care of that. Maybe some of it is worth saving if you are making your kid’s school portfolio you can reminisce over in the future. All the rest will have to go. Go through it all carefully and make sure you appreciate your child’s work while at it. There is no need to diminish their artistic skills or failed tests; leave the past in the past. The point is to start a new year without excess physical and emotional clutter, so keep the atmosphere positive.

Organise clothes according to their purpose

As the hot summer days are slowly being replaced by rainy and fresh autumn ones, the wardrobes need to be reorganised. The most practical way to organise your child’s clothes is by usage. After you remove the skimpy summer garments, divide what remains into three categories: school clothes, free-time clothes, and formal clothes. This will simplify things, especially for those whose kids don’t have much preference towards what they should wear and tend to take the first pieces they come across. Tell them about the three categories if you are a parent to such a kid. At least that way, they will not wear the new shirts when playing ball with their friends.

It is a fact that most children are not very careful and tend to make a mess when they are getting dressed inside and outside the wardrobe. The more stuffed the closet, the bigger mess you have to deal with. So, please remove all the extra clothes, especially the seasonal ones and those that are outgrown. But sometimes that is not enough. If you’re feeling cramped even after the decluttering, that might be a sign you need a storage unit. Consider whether your storage space is sufficient or if you need to rent out more.

Yearly toys review

Oh, the toys… They are always tricky to purge. Nevertheless, if you don’t, they multiply quickly and before you know it, they have invaded the entire house. There are a few ways to approach this issue.

• Deciding on the toys’ fate together with your child. Carefully explain that some of the toys are just sitting there for a long time, and no one is playing with them. If your child feels reluctant to part with some of them, maybe you should consider storing them away in the basement, attic, or external storage unit.
• Go on a secret toy purge on your own. Many younger kids don’t ever play with most of their earlier toys and would certainly not miss them or even notice they are gone. Yet, if you ask for permission to take them away, the child gets upset as if you were talking about his or her favourite one. For those cases, you should do the back to school decluttering of toys on your own.

However, you choose to tackle this issue, it would be good to include your kid in organising the toys that remain. You can even pair it with cleaning and make it a fun activity. If it turns out to be a game, your child will gladly help you the next time as well. He or she might even develop a positive attitude towards cleaning, which would be extremely helpful for you and them in the future.

Think about donating

Last year’s school bag was great, but you still agreed to buy the new and shiny one for the new year. Can this be said about you? What will you do with the last year’s bag your daughter or son refuses to carry to school this year? Think about donating. Many underprivileged children cannot afford a new school bag. It would be amazing to put a smile on their face. In fact, why not involve your kid in the donation? Take your child to the local charity organization or to the community centre that helps orphan kids or those that are poor. Let your child feel the joy of giving. What he or she will learn from that experience might shape his character for the better. Use this opportunity to give this valuable lesson to your child on how to be a good human being.

Organise the workspace for your student

A student needs to have a workstation where all school items will have their place and where homework will be done. Back to school decluttering process is not complete without organising this area, creating enough space and order to inspire a child to do the work he or she needs to do. If you live in a small apartment, try to rearrange everything to make this area adequate. Bear in mind that your kid will be spending significant time there and that comfort is important, and so is enough free space on top of the desk.

Final thoughts

New beginnings are always exciting. Performing a back-to-school decluttering will not only make you happy as a parent who doesn’t have to look at all that mess, but it will affect your child’s productivity. Do it step by step and thoroughly, and your child’s belongings and living space will stay in order much longer. An awesome start to a school year, don’t you think?