More Than Just Shipping

Many people all across the world are being told to stay home now because of the pandemic. At first this sounds like fantastic news! Everyone loves a little break from their work and day-to-day obligations. Families might have a chance to get ahead on spring cleaning, maybe organize the toy bin and playroom, finally go through all of the closets and decide what to keep, what to donate, and what to throw away. But after a day or so the excitement starts to wear off as the reality of having to stay at home (without leaving!) with your entire family starts to set in. I’m here to tell you to stick with those goals and get stuff done you never had the chance to even start! Grab your shipping boxes leftover in your house and let’s get started.

Go Through Your Closet

The last time I really looked at the back of my closet all I could do was laugh. I have so much stuff. And I know we all do. I had pieces of clothing in my closet from at least ten years ago. Surprisingly, it was in pretty good shape. I always had it in the back of my mind to organize this stuff. Now, I have a chance. And so do you. This could even be done with kids. Might even be a way to keep them entertained in their own room for a few hours. Tell them it is going to be a little fashion show. Try everything on and determine if it fits. If it does then it goes in one pile, and the things that do not fit go directly into the shipping boxes in the middle of their room. You can use the same method for you, but also add clothes you no longer enjoy wearing even if they fit into your boxes.

Organize the Playroom

Kids grow out/get bored of toys all the time. Explain to them that some kids may not have toys at home during this extended break. It will be hard for kids to give up toys even if they have not played with them in two years. Give them a few days to decide and really praise them for being able to pick a few toys to give away.

Once you are set on which toys stay, come up with a system on how to clean up and organize each night before bed. This may be harder to teach and enforce during the school year because the kids have to go to bed at a certain time even if everything is not clean. This break allows the kids a few extra minutes to clean up until everything is done before bed. Making this a habit now will help the kids when they do start school again.