Out With The Old; In With The New – Kid’s Room

Right before Christmas is when I spring clean my children’s bedroom.  A little early, I know, but much needed I assure you.  By this time my little darlings have amassed quite a bit of junk dragged home from school.  They have most likely had enough of a growth spurt that it is time to purge the shoes and clothing too.  A lot of toys are outgrown and need to go elsewhere. 

I start by hauling everything out of the closet and we go through it.  Clothes and shoes that don’t fit are placed in a pile to be donated.  What remains gets put back in an organized manner. 

Then we move one child’s bed to clear out the accumulation underneath.  We scoop it all into a pile.  The bedding is removed and washed.  We sort through the pile to make more piles– trash, donate, put away.  Trash is bagged up, donated items added to the donate pile and what remains is put away.  I vacuum where the bed was and suck up the cobwebs, wash the walls, then put the bed back in place.  Then we move onto the next child’s bed and repeat the same process. 

By the time we have cleared the majority of the pile the laundry is done on the first bed and I make that one up while the girls finish clearing the second pile.  We move on to the dressers next by taking everything out and purging the worn out and the out grown.  What remains is re-folded and put away. 

Then we bag up the donations and take them to the garage and the girls haul out the trash.  We finish by making up bed number two, vacuuming and the girls wash the doors and door jambs to remove dirt and finger prints. 

After about four hours the process is completed.  I am pooped and the girls are thrilled at the transformation in their room.  They always seem to sleep better that night as well.  In six months I will repeat this process once again, about the time school lets out for the summer. 

As they get older the process seems to get easier, they are more helpful and the mess seems to be less and less.  I am always amazed at all the paper that is accumulated as a result of school, but I always breathe better once the process is completed and I think they do too.  Usually by the time I am ready to start this project they are ready too. 

There is now room for their Christmas gifts and I am not afraid for company to see their bedroom either.  Plus everything is fresh and clean, just how I like it….for now, anyway.