After returning from our latest family “Thanksgiving Camp” adventure, I faced an intimidating stack of schoolwork that needed attention before the next school week. Gazing at the chaos on my kitchen counter and the mountain of clutter on the table, I felt a surge of frustration. If I wanted to accomplish anything, I had to tackle the mess first. It was time to sort through the papers, shred the unnecessary ones, and confront all the little items buried beneath the heaps I had let pile up.
I’m far from a model housekeeper. Often, I’m just happy if I can finish the laundry, run the dishwasher, and make the beds with fresh sheets by Sunday night. It’s not that I don’t desire a tidy home; I truly do. As a full-time working mom striving to maximize quality time with my family while nurturing my own writing projects, I often find myself short on time for maintaining an immaculate living space.
Realistically, many of those items are destined for the trash within a week of arriving home.
I also have a long-standing issue with paper. I can trace my paper-hoarding tendencies back to my father, but I know that blaming him isn’t entirely fair. Like many educators, I struggle to part with anything that might be useful down the line. While I understand that most of the clutter can be organized creatively, I often find my thoughts and emotions at odds when deciding what to keep and what to toss.
As my awareness of this clutter has grown, so has my intolerance for it. And when you have kids, clutter is simply part of the package deal.
The irritation stems from various factors, beginning with my own chaotic system. I’ve experienced the pain of stepping on a broken toy, only to have it shatter further and end up in the trash. Our dogs have devoured cherished trinkets left carelessly on the floor. I’ve witnessed disputes between my children over toys—one caring for theirs while the other’s gets wrecked. I’ve seen tears shed over perceived unfairness when one child receives a prize while the other returns empty-handed. Countless trash bags have been filled with items cleared from bedrooms and counters, while anything salvageable has been donated, leaving someone else to figure out what to do with it.
Then there are those endless little trinkets that never seem to make it upstairs to the kids’ rooms, forcing me to decide their fate.
These knickknacks come from every direction. We’ve accumulated more paper crafts and prizes from church events than I can count. They pick items from treasure chests at the dentist’s office. Fast food toys find their way into our home during hectic weeks when cooking feels impossible. Birthday parties and school gatherings add to the pile, and both my partner, Dan, and I often return from conferences with vendor goodies.
If we’re fortunate, these items make it to the kids’ rooms before getting broken or discarded in a moment of parental cleaning exasperation.
But what if we made a conscious effort to emphasize experiences over disposable items?
Now that December is here, with Christmas fast approaching, we face the onslaught of goody bags from school and church parties. The temptation of aisles filled with last-minute stocking stuffers threatens to derail our carefully planned holiday budget. Where will all these items end up? Most likely, in the trash.
What if we parents collectively decided we had enough? What if we stopped purchasing those grocery store cupcakes topped with plastic toys? What if we became more deliberate with our stocking stuffers, opting for items that can be eaten or enjoyed long-term? What if we chose to teach our kids the value of fewer, higher-quality belongings instead of cheap, easily breakable junk?
What if we encouraged one another to uphold these values?
I recognize that this might seem like an uphill battle. I’ve made promises to my husband for nearly two decades about organizing my paper piles, yet here we are. Still, can’t we come together to improve our budgets, our planet, and raise kids who are thoughtful about what they bring home? Let’s foster this mentality in our schools and communities. Together, we can support one another in striving for better choices.
I’m committed to making that effort. Our kids deserve a brighter future. We deserve it. And our planet certainly does too. Isn’t that enough motivation to do our best this holiday season?
For more ideas on how to navigate the clutter, check out this informative blog post. And if you’re looking for authoritative resources on pregnancy and home insemination, visit here.
Summary: This article reflects on the overwhelming clutter that comes into our homes, especially with children, and suggests that we shift our focus from accumulating trinkets to valuing experiences and meaningful items. It calls for a collective effort among parents to make intentional choices during the holiday season, ultimately benefiting our families and the planet.
Keyphrase: reducing plastic clutter
Tags: home insemination kit, home insemination syringe, self insemination