• It’s spring, and you know what that means: Spring Cleaning!

    Now is a wonderful time to go through all those toys that your kids no longer play with, the clothes they no longer wear, and all the other accumulated stuff that has filled your house since the fall. Spring cleaning is a wonderful opportunity to teach your kids the value of giving. It isn’t always easy to explain, but you can try to let them know that not all kids have as many toys as they do. Then, if your child is interested (my daughter always is, but her brother, not so much) go through their belongings with them. Create a donate pile and let the kids go nuts. You might be pleasantly surprised at how willing your kids might be. By all means help them along if they need it though.

    The first few times my daughter and I did this she wanted to give away her most favorite toys. It was so endearing, yet at the same time I knew she didn’t quite get that they toys go away forever. After the kids make their piles we box them up and weigh them. My kids get a quarter for each pound of toys they donate. Mind you this little reward is just so they can feel even better about what they are doing, and isn’t necessary. It’s perfectly fine to have the joy of giving away goodies to others be enough of a reward. My kids however, love their money. They will do lots of things to earn cash.

    It is such a liberating feeling to get pounds of stuff out of your house. At this same time we go through all the clothes in the house, mom, dad, and kids. We separate anything that no longer fits into “to consign” and “to donate” piles based on their condition. Then we get it all out of our house! It makes you breath a little easier!