How to Declutter an Overwhelming Space
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
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:: IN THIS VIDEO ::
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Please share Tom’s thoughts on the kids toys… my husband is not supportive at all, he could care less
Hey Dawn, thank you for the video. Where is the one for the girls' room refresh? I can't see it in the more area.
Have you ever thought about using eco or sustainable containers and storage cubes rather then plastic and polyurethane which is bad for the planet and often doesn't last either. There are lots of options like wooden containers, felt containers, natural cloth containers, bamboo or other eco containers. And in the kitchen glass storage jars are great, moths can't get in to glass either.
I just LOVE your family..
All 3 Channells..The Best...
I truly...❤❤❤ Need you all
Don't beat yourself up because the boys room is messy. As long as they are clean, fed, watered, warm and know they are loved, your doing a great job :D
An hour long video of Dawn decluttering? Yes please!!!
Lol right
I didn't think Dawn had enough clutter to do an hour's worth! 😂
I would love to see a decluttering of the girls room, this was a great video. I love the decluttering of kids stuff in minimal homes because it’s such a hard thing to manage sometimes. Please keep these videos coming!
I thought the same thing!!! ❤️
Ha! Totally thought the same thing and got excited about the length!
Thank you for showing a truly honest "before" shot! Seeing that really helped my heart today. It is refreshing to see that even experts like Dawn have kids who don't always have tidy spaces.
Yes what you said!
Yes thanks for showing us the real life before shots. You are a wonderful momma. I am so encouraged by you and your family.
This is Charlene Drake - Steve us my hubby but when we got this new phone, I cannot get back into my UA-cam account and I’m so upset about it because I loved having all my videos of dawn and things that I kept up with but I’m having to use my hubby‘s account for some reason I have no idea how it all goes to this. But anyway, I just wanted to call me at back to what you had said I totally agree with you, Rachel ! Yesssss! Me to!!! I was like wow it is good in a way to see this because I always thought with Dawn being a minimalist that there was only two or three things to play with in the kids room so seeing this gave me a different perspective that her kids really do still enjoy things and have fun. And it made me realize that we all find ourselves with a room in our house that gets put on hold, while other things are a priority. I appreciate as you said Don’s honesty before photos because I’m thinking well. If she can do this while teaching and talking and making a video then what in the world is my problem. Lol lol OL I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much clutter, but this is reality when you have small children I had to send this video to my daughter because they have four children and remind me so much of, her and Tom because her and her husband work well together and make a good team. Thank you Dodge for sharing, and being such an amazing inspiration.
P.S. I was trying to say I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much clutter in Dawn’s house. Lol but it is truly the reality when you have snmall children or older people like myself!!! and I appreciate her being so honest and sharing it with us.
@rachoony....expert?
I love how you are respectful of your kids but you are the one responsible and in charge. Teaching them how and why is amazing too! Great video for many life lessons!
Yes! I don't understand why she allows the kids to live in such a mess. I get she has lots of responsibilities but kids need to be taught to take care of their belongings.
@@j.m.7056 She IS teaching them that. That's what the whole video is about. Try to keep up.
I like the bins and shelf. for me.
@laurieg6142 ......You get it, my gosh, you get it! They will pay for what they are allowing to happen. You (they, not you) pay for the bad decisions they make for a LONG TIME!!!! With one of my children I am paying for my bad decisions....I am 80 he is 62....sad, sad, sad. To turn back time & spend the time it takes to get this through to him. He was the most wonderful little boy & I failed him.
@@amybee40 ...she IS teaching them that? I think you are blind to the truth of this video. Do you think the boys will keep their room clean next time. Do you think they will know to keep the pieces of their toys together & picked up? Do you think she is teaching them she will pay their way out of things? Or to earn the rewards of keeping their toys taken care of.
I love that you showed this to the world. There are a million videos of people and their perfect homes that it grants the illusion that messes don't exist for them. This makes me feel alot better (: knowing you're minimalist and still have chaotic rooms on occasion makes me feel like less of a failure, and also tells me that having toys all over the place doesn't mean they have too many 😂
“Some things have to wait their turn in life” -Dawn
Love this!!!
Absolutely.
Years ago I heard how, by definition' you can only have one priority at any time. It's helped so much.
Amen!
@@bleakaf There is NO PRIORITY more important than teaching your children the right things in life in the few short years they are with you. NOTHING! When you make wrong (bad) decisions you pay for a long, long time. I am 80 & my Son suffers my lack of teaching......I am paying for a long, long time You are so right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm a 34 year old recovering hoarder, and have been hoarding my entire life since I can remember. I was very much like your younger son. This may not be the case for him...however, you may want to allow him to be more hands on with what is going in the black trashbags, and be careful about not tossing things while he's not looking. I can tell you that that exact action (someone throwing something away that I'm not aware of), causes me to grip onto things even more. When my parents, or even significant other tossed things without my knowledge, there was a severe sense of fear, loss of control, panic, and anxiety. Thus, making me want to hold onto everything else even tighter. Again, I don't know your son as much as you do...just something to keep in mind that throwing away someone's things with hoarding disorder, without their knowledge, can be a huge trigger and make it worse.
Something that I’m realizing as I watch this video, as an American mom now living in Europe, is just how much more STUFF my kids had access to when we lived in the US. When we moved, I was bummed that things are so much more expensive here, there are fewer choices and the stores aren’t open as late or often as in the US. But the upside is that it’s just harder to acquire things - and that feels like a big piece of the inventory equation! Thanks for sharing this.
This same thing happened to me when I moved to Bermuda 16 years ago. I am convinced if I still lived in the US, I probably wouldn't be a minimalist.
This. As someone who grew up and still lives in Europe, watching Dawn's and Dana's videos really let me appreciate the boundaries and friction higher prices, smaller homes and opening hours set.
Unfortunately it’s why the USA (pro rata) is responsible for the biggest greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Fossil fuel emissions are released when materials are located/mined/grown, when they are manufactured, when they are packaged, transported and even when they are discarded into landfill or burnt.
@@mkkrupp2462China actually exceeds the US by over double in million metric tons. We are the second in line so not much better but interesting that china exceeds the US by so much more. Probably because of so much industry and fewer regulations.
@@mkkrupp2462 You are talking about China, right? Because China has the largest Greenhouse gas emissions, Google it.
I am 58, our youngest is 33, I still don’t have that time to do the things I thought I’d do “someday”, and neither do my friends. You are SO right Dawn.
"The future doesn't bring more time, capacity, energy" ....just what I needed to hear today!
I really enjoy the longer videos like this because they're nice to put on while I'm organizing. Helps keep the motivation level high for a longer period of time :)
Thank you for not letting embarrassment keep you from showing the 'before'... I honestly thought my kids' rooms are the worst possible mess. I just feel so encouraged that I'm not the only one dealing with this and that it is possible to have it clean and tidy. You're truly an inspiration and I love your videos.
I bet your boys will always remember how great the “after” version of their room felt. Probably a great lesson for them. Well done, Mom.
I think it’s excellent that the boys are helping and it isn’t just mom doing the cleaning. She’s teaching them valuable life lessons by involving them.
While watching this video I gathered 4 bags of donations and 2 bags of trash! Like always, you are so inspiring- my favorite part of a decluttering day is sitting back and looking at my less cluttered home as a take a deep breath and sigh of relief
It will be mu h better if North American style changes and people think twice bringing in stuff and care about our planet earth similar to how they care for a clean house, because until we don't feel contentment with less meaningful stuff and as long as there are buyers and customers, the junk producers continue to produce extra and unnecessary stuff.
😢😢lpopp
@@barblogan2060 You are so right & look how many are going to suffer for their decisions. Our beloved US is on it's way out (just like the RISE & FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE). A Country no one will ever think will take us over. I would say the way every one that is leading our Country allows all the Spanish people to enter the US illegally, they are a possibility. How ever is our taxes supposed to pay for all of the illegal immagrants? They give money to people through SSI without those people having earned or paid taxes. Every month they worry??? about paying people that have earned their Social Security....do they worry, I doubt it? There will be Countries that are the "lead Country" of the World as there were before us. No one last long because they don't do a good job of handling the lead. You & I won't suffer as much (unless we are taken over by war) because we live reality....all this is an illusion & IS going to live. These are not my predictions these are predictions from others long before us & all you have to do is read to see it happening, slowly!!!!!!! Have you seen the documentary where semi truck loads of the US over use items are dumped in other countries for them to try to make use of it? Did you know France or Italy (sorry I don't remember which) is not allow to have waste? I'm sure they do because wasteful people are NOT just in the US, but that IS the law for them? I think it's a good idea!!!!
I do the same! I listen to Dawn I get working on my stuff as well. It's so motivating!!
@@ramziasaleem5498Yes! Makes me think of 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NIV)
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
I think it’s about perspective and pausing to appreciate what have that we truly need, and then see the blessing in what we have beyond that. It makes me take a step back and ask myself, “If I never obtained another thing (besides food/essentials for physically staying alive), could I make it with nothing more than what’s in here now?” (Of course if there are growing children, there has to be some new clothing/practical stuff.)
Having that passage in front of my face (like I literally posted it on my fridge for over a year) has helped me have a more contented, positive mindset in life overall. I have to work to couple that with thankfulness for ‘negative things’ because it helps my attitude about them too. I could complain about all the dishes I have to wash, or I can be thankful for having them to do, because it means I ate last night.
It’s an ongoing work to renew my mind. Finding The Minimal Mom has been another building block for that. 😊
It strikes me how nice for both boys to grow up in a simplified house. Corbin can rest easy in a clean environment and Gage has room to have his special things accessable. It shows how your lifestyle works for different family members
Yes! I love the idea of the kids having boxes for special items. I remember so many times in my childhood having special items get lost in piles of stuff that by the time they were found again they were ripped, destroyed, or mistaken as trash and thrown away.
@klingonprincess9332...... Wasteful..... I wonder if the 3 teens that tore up a young mans truck & destroyed his flag he was flying & laughed & smerked all the way through their trial on Judge Judy were raised the sam. Getting paid to give up toys & gifts given to them. To let their beautiful room in a beautiful home get trashed with toys played with & not taken care of. Not being taught to how to care for their toys or respect anything. The years that we have with our children fly by so fast that we hardly have time to get it across to "how to live with the world" without wasting time NOT TEACHING them is sad! It is our job, as their parent, to teach them.....NOTHING is more important, nothing. And you think this is right. People pay for years for the bad decisions they make.
judyjudyjudy1841 Oh my, I wish you could get some help for yourself. I know you won’t see this, but you have SO much regret in how you raised your son -you were 18!-cut yourself some slack. 😕
Hi Dawn, my family is already very minimal but I still love watching your channel because it continues to remind me how great it truly is. Your videos are so calming and enjoyable and I look forward to them every Wednesday. Thank you. From Queensland Australia.
Thank you so much Laury, I greatly appreciate this!!!
Same over here!
Funny so r we. It's very calming watching her I agree
I agree and I am in Qld Australia too!
Another Queenslander here! Agree also!
My son wants to hang on to everything. So we do what I call, “a reverse yard sale”. If he fills a box of items he no longer wants, I pay him $10. This way he is able to give up items he really doesn’t want in exchange for money that he can use to purchase things he wants and will use now. It is hard when kids grow and their hobbies change. This is a good way of teaching kids to let go of things they think they need to hold onto. Whenever my son gives up a box, I always exclaim, now we have more space! Therefor teaching about the value of having space rather than holding onto items no longer needed.
I love this idea!
This brings back memories of when my kids were small. Once a year the birthday fairy would clean their room and the rest of the year I closed the door. Now that they are grown both are minimalists.
Haha poor birthday fairy
For the folks who are looking at this and negatively judging mom-remember that children need an example AND some help in getting the task done sometimes. Kids learn by example, and the example of 'helping others' is as important as 'keeping things clean'. Functional families work together, teaching and learning. We adults STILL are put together this way-as evidenced by those of us who are being helped by watching these videos and decluttering with her.
I needed this today!!! I’ve been following you for years, and have gained so much peace as I’ve decluttered our home. Thank you for inspiring and motivating through positive content. Also, thank you for showing the “before”. It’s a good reminder for us moms that we aren’t alone in the decluttering, categorizing, organizing, (or throwing away) of a million tiny treasures 😂
12am
I LOVE that you are letting us see their messy room. If your kid's room can get this way, then we can see that it's not us being negligent, it's just life in a real family!! You really are awesome!! ❤️🥰
No judgment here, my girl's room looks just like this mostof the time, only the girl version. But what is sobering is that it can get this bad in your minimalist home. I have to wonder what hope there is for the rest of us. 🤣 But I did a giant cleanup in their room last week and they helped purge a ton of stuff and anything that I didn't think was adding value to their lives I put in bins in the attic to see if they are missed. A blissful, peaceful, space for awhile at least.😊
Such a better approach then yelling at kids to clean their room when they have too much to manage. I love that you don't tell your kids that they can't have stuff. You are really gifted at this Dawn:)
Thank you Dawn for changing our lives for the better!
I love how you described how to handle a person who is so emotionally attached to everything! My husband is this way. He's a 'Butterfly' and everything is a 'tradition' or a memory and has significance for him. And he's 62! You are so right about the container concept as the boundary. I've done this throughout the house, but his garage is another story. Tom is younger so he's more receptive to the method, but not mine. Inside the house, I go through his containers every 6-8 months and declutter (I don't clean or organize) and don't tell him. He has a clear bin on the kitchen counter that is his and he's supposed to drop his wallet, keys, business cards, etc. Inevitably, in 6 months it's overflowing and I'll purge about half. He can't really tell because he doesn't truly know what's in there, but my decluttering threshold is met and he's happy too because he still thinks he has everything. It's deceptive I know, but who really has to keep expired losing lottery tickets???
Dawn, as someone who struggles with making decisions, downsizing to a small apartment and not being able to afford replacing all furniture, I’ve been overwhelmed. I have a cubbyhole that looks like this and worse. So thank you for showing this mess. To actually help those that need it, that’s what we need to see and some of the process of how to tackle it bit by bit. This is what gives hope. That no matter how difficult it is at the outset, THERE IS HOPE!!!
So a huge THANK YOU for your vulnerability and willingness to share.
You can be happy in any size space especially a cubbyhole. That is what she has taught all along. Peace of mind is worth much.
Wonderful of you to not shame your children for their messes. I wasn't so lucky and it followed me for many years as guilt and shame. You're a great mom in general.
I love that you say "it just hasn't been made a priority" that is so true. I think so many people just get down on themselves and think they are the worst mom, or wife due to a messy space. I hear this all the time in my decluttering group.
My children have been grown for a time but I so wish I had this insight long ago. Their whole lives we struggled to keep their rooms tidy, and it is crystal clear to me now that I just overwhelmed them with inventory. The entire time I wished for order I supplied the chaos by my spending. Better late than never though. They will not have to wade through piles and drawers once I am gone. My vow is to pare down to what I actually use and not leave them more chaos.
Dawn, I love when you show videos like this- it shows you're not perfect and you're like us. It allows for us to know that we are all doing are best and also that we can achieve our goals/minimalism. Thank you!
Yes I have been watching your videos for 4 years and my son has learned along side me. Thanks for being a real momma!
It’s definitely easier to relate to someone when they show that they’re not always perfect. It’s so realistic and I appreciate that
I was so overwhelmed 4 hours ago and I just put you in my head phones and Ive sorted through a year’s (maybe 2) worth of toys. Thank you!!! ❤️❤️❤️
This is the sort of space I have to declutter/clean/organize. 😔 I'm so proud of you working through all those misc toy bins!
I appreciate the fact that you are ok with throwing away the little bits and pieces. The only thing I would do differently is keep the Legos in a zip bag. Great video.
Absolutely. Legos and Duplos should go in a Ziploc in the “time will tell” for donation!
Legos are expensive 😮
I always have a little ziplock for Lego. It's the tiny toy that never gets thrown. Lol.
I came here to look for a comment about the Lego's. Them getting thrown away made me so sad 😭
@@ImaaniMoz they are just things….
I loved watching this! Your boys reminded me so much of my boys when they were young. My heart was so happy watching Gage slither along his mattress cleaning the wall above his bed! Corbin is such a hard worker, I loved cleaning at his age too! I have used many of the same techniques with my 8 children. Thank you for your inspiring videos and encouragement to keep our lives decluttered. It feels like hanging out with a best friend watching your videos!
Corbin is so adorable and such a good sport! I love that he said "I love cleaning" with so much enthusiasm.
You seem like such a kind mother with such sweet sons. It’s very nice to see such a lovely family. It’s also nice to see a real family that gets messes.
All your kids are adorable, but your interactions with Corbin are priceless! 💜☮️
MOTIVATING!!!! Reading through a few comments I saw a lot of people were freaking out about the LEGO dumping. Well, this is what makes Dawn able to have this channel... she's different than most & this makes her able to teach! She's grown her decluttering muscles & can now be our personal trainer on using our "let it go" muscles. Some of us, myself included, find way too many excuses to save things, for donation or whatever. But honestly I found this vid very motivating & went right into our LEGO area & got rid of pieces that wouldn't be used anymore by my grands because they were odd pieces that only worked for certain things but saved anyway. Felt very liberating! I thank you Dawn for being my personal trainer. Also, praying that you aren't discouraged by some of the comments💜💪🙏. Keep up the great work!
The fact that you are real and show your real messes are so helpful! We have all see the “influencers” with picture perfect houses that none of us can relate to!!! Thanks for being honest!
I just love your videos. I sort my laundry the same. I almost never fold it, lol.
I realize that I have a hard time letting things go, but I'm trying to learn. My family needs to be free of the clutter. I've been slowly working through things whenever I get the chance.
I really love the empowering messages you send. You're way ahead of me on this journey, I know.
The only thing that really hurt my soul is when you said you throw away Legos, lol. I admit that I'm the opposite. I'm the type that will sweep the floor and then pick through the dirt to rescue tiny Legos. It's just so worth the effort and time to us. We love Lego, and the little ones are just as important as the big ones. I don't know how your kids do Legos. I know some kids only like building the sets. For my family, though, we have the most fun being creative with a bin of random Legos. It's not too big, just about the size of your bins. My kids do get sets, build, and display for a while, but then sets fall apart, and the Legos end up in the creative bin. And that's where the magic really happens. Even my 3-year-old will focus for hours sometimes just being creative with our random mix. Sorry if you've gotten these comments before and are sick of them. It's just that I'm about as passionate about Lego as you are about minimalism.
I feel the same about Legos. They were so expensive growing up so they were a "rare" toy. To lose even one tiny yellow headlight was a big deal. And 40 years later the whole family still plays Legos and with the next generation. But then I realized that I was feeling dismissive about Dawn's dominoes that she kept. That made me stop. She wants to save the dominoes. I want to save the Legos. It's not an attack on who I am! 😊 It's just a choice.
I loved his little “ Yeah!” When you asked if you are still a good mom even tho the water was dirty from the bedding 😄
Corbin is such a good cleaner!! His future wife is going to be very lucky and appreciative! Great job in raising such good kids Dawn and Tom!! Seeing Tom helping the boys with their bed making is awesome! He's so tall that he makes it look so easy.
LOL, I was afraid Tom would bump his head on that sloped ceiling!
@@amybee40 me too 😄
Time will tell box is brilliant! I'm about to declutter my girls rooms and I'm definitely doing this.
Dawn, thank you for telling me I am not a bad mom! All three of our kids rooms get so messy! I was like why can’t we keep them clean like everyone else🤦🏻♀️ I love how real you are!
Corbin totally takes after you. Seeing him scrub the crayon off the table and walls…makes my heart happy 🤣
Highly recommend mattress pads to keep the mattresses free of sweat and grime. So much easier to wash the pads then to attempt to clean the mattress, which most never do. I have two pads on our bed because my husband sweats so much; otherwise our mattress would be permanently stained. Wonderful insight. Thanks much for sharing so much!
Yes I 100 percent degree! I love my ghost mattress protector. Obviously I don’t wet by bed as a grown up but I swear mattresses get funky anyway. Mine still looks brand new because of our mattress cover
Yes!!!
I love how your kids participate in the decluttering and cleaning and don’t seem upset about it!!
It is so nice seeing a real life boys room, nice to know my kids aren't the only ones who end up in rooms like this. Its difficult to even think in there, once we are all done everything is so much nicer! Glad you are human too.
Dawn, I can't tell you how grateful I am for you and your willingness to post videos like this showing your life and explaining your decluttering process. God has used you to positively impact me and all those around me. You've taught me that, when we eliminate the excess in our lives, we have the FREEDOM and extra CAPACITY to LOVE and SERVE others more! Thank you so much! I pray God blesses you and your family and helps you during this busy season.
Amen! Same here...as I have gotten further along in this journey, the increasing ability to "say yes" to such things has been such a blessing! ❤
We had a lot of lego dumped in a drawer, never played with. I removed about 60% and now they fit in one clear, clip lid box - they are now the most popular toy we have!
When my kids were little I kept smaller bins with ages of clothes in. Ie. 3 to 6 months. 6 to 12 months. 1 to 2 years. Then as they out grew one size I’d just get the next bin out. If people wanted to buy clothes for them I’d gratefully accept but just ask for a certain age that I was short of. It worked so well.😊
Thanks for sharing. I needed to not feel guilty about some of our clutter. Life is so busy. This really motivated me!
Ive been trying some of your techniques for around my house (going very slowly 😂). My mindset at first was "no way.. thats not gonna work". Ive now gotten to the place in my life where ive stopped questioning you 😆 I just trust it works and strive to change more in my house and become happier after.
Mom of 5 kids under 6years ❤
Thank you for showing that even the most simplified of homes needs a big declutter sometimes! I’ve been feeling discouraged as the clutter has crept back in after previous major simplification but this video has encouraged me tremendously! Thank you!
Love the point that your boys only need a couple dress shirts at any time! That’s what I’ve been doing but sometimes I feel like maybe he should have more. But no one at church seems to notice! I mean, he’s clean and nicely dressed so 🤷♀️ now my 4 yr old daughter on the other hand 😂 little miss loves all of her dresses!
I’m also the mom who sometimes has trouble giving up certain toys. I’m especially wondering what I’ll do when my daughter is over the toys that I passed on to her that I grew up with and we’re special enough for me to save. She and I are alike and have sentimental attachments to certain things so I guess we’re on this journey together ❤️
We have come so far watching, listening and implementing your strategies. I’m so thankful for you.
*I’m not a bad mom. This just wasn’t a priority and some things have to wait their turn. I’m paraphrasing, but this is genius!!
We cleaned and Decluttering my 12 year old son’s room last year. It’s time again. One thing that struck me is he couldn’t care less about the cost of things. He cared about if they meant something to him or if he enjoyed playing with them. I tried to encourage him to keep certain things and he said, “Mom I don’t want you to get rid of things that mean do much to you. Do you want to put that in your room so you can keep it?” WOW! That was eye opening.
So lovely!
I'm impressed by both of you🌻🌻
I love that you throw things away, sometimes its just not worth the time to sort through teeny tiny things in order to donate them. The key thing to remember is that even after a good declutter the kids still have more than enough to play with..Great job!
I wholeheartedly agree on everything you said about kids being "bored". That's exactly how it goes at our house too! It often requires being "bored" before their creativity kicks in. Having been taught this at a young age, they have learned how to hone in on their creativity as they have gotten older. It's now to the point that their free time is never enough for all the stuff they could do!
Dawn, I really needed your dose of reality. It made me feel okay about my home and my struggles to raise four kids. Please please please donate the garbage bag with LEGO! Disadvantaged kids can't afford to build very big creations for the fair! Don't worry about sorting out the junk. It is worth it for a child to find a clear bag at the thrift store and sort themselves. Puzzle pieces are garbage but LEGO is so valuable, especially so for kids in need! Thank you for your channel. God Bless!
Dawn! I just realized how much impact you’ve had on my psyche! I was watching another kitchen Declutter video and the lady put all of her plastic storage containers back in the cupboard like all nested and not paired and I lost my mind 😂😂😂😂. I once thought that pairing a container with its lid was INSANE and now I’m incapable of doing it any other way 😂
So what was so great is both parents helped the kids clean ,great parenting ,you didn't just say go clean your room ,they are kids and they do get stressed and overwhelmed .good life😊
I love your videos! This one is great - very thorough and I love that you're walking us through the entire process. I've gotta tell you though, the throwing away of Lego is KILLING me! LOL Those are gold in our house.
Im overwhelmed by all my kids toys, hes very attached to every toy and very spoilt by all his extended family. I watched this video last night, and today I've 'bought' two baskets of toys from him as well as thrown away a bag of stuff not worth donating. It was amazing thr motivation he had when he knew $10 was on the table! Thanks for this video, it helped immensely
Uuuuuum an hour? I thought it said 10 minutes😮 best surprise this week! I love her longer videos so I can use it for motivation to clean and declutter along side!
I'm glad you respect your boys' input. When I was that young, my mother threw out the majority of my things during one weekend while I was away. I felt so violated, robbed, and resentful. I never trusted her in my room after that. The kicker was that her dresser top, floors, and hall closet were overstuffed messes. In fact, most of our house felt was that way. Her mother's house when even worse. What a hypocritic! I'm 69, and it still rankles me to think about it (we never got to work it out because she died young).
Thank you for sharing ❣️ Showing the truth about how messy children's bedrooms can become. You are definitely not a bad mom. You are allowing them to become young adults and tidy their rooms on their own. Yes, we need to help them reset, too. Sometimes, we just don't reset because we become very busy with life.
I have adhd and autistic kids the material tubs /boxes r amazing it helps them know were everything goes as they respond to colours really well
I couldn’t agree more with your sentiment of “but you look so handsome in that!!!” Ugh. But we also have to respect their individual personhood, and part of that is allowing them to have their own tastes, apart from mom’s taste. (Sniffle 😢)
I love how "messy" their room is! I say this out of love because my kids' room is absolutely a disaster. It gives me hope the Minimal Mom even has kids who make messes!🥰 I especially love that you said it just hasn't been a priority. Amen! Moms have so much on their plates and we can't do it all at once. Watching you work with them just warms my heart. All the tips are super helpful! Thank you Dawn.❤
I don’t know if you have, it seams that in USA it’s not customary, but I recommend trash can put in a room or outside in hallway, it’s helps not to collect trash in that room. It is as with donation box, you throw away trash as you go.
The before shots reminded me of my sons' shared room at those ages. When I couldn't get to their closet without stepping on Lego blocks and game cartridges, I went to the shed and got the snow shovel to clear a path. 😂 I just heaved it all into piles like snow and told them it was time to get rid of some stuff. That's been almost 20 years ago and they still laugh about how they used to trash that room.
The excitement I feel when I look at the timer and it's over an hour...
🥳🎉🙌🎈🥳🎉🙌🎈🥳🎉🙌🎈🥳
(This is also PERFECT timing because I am quite literally in the process of decluttering and reorganizing my DVDs as we speak! Thank you and God bless you, Dawn and family!!! 😄🙌)
Agreed on the video length!!
The satisfaction of his now super clean quilt was my favorite!
Some ppl are flat out arrogant! If you are focused on the “legos” you clearly missed the point of entire video!! Don’t forget she is keeping it real and sharing her own experience.
Dawn I’ve been listening to hours of your videos every week while I do stuff around the house and you’re really helping me build an inner monologue that I never had as I grew up in a messy and overwhelming household
I love your boys - they are both so cute and so sweet. And you are so great with them, Dawn. What an awesome mom you are. Your philosophy on how few toys they really need is so right on. I only wish I had learned these principles years ago when I was raising a family. Keep on doing what you’re doing…we all learn and get inspired by you.
Thank you for showing us a real kid's room that gets used in real ways by real kids! So many channels seem unwilling to do that or maybe they don't actually live in their homes? The refresh results looks awesome!
Even adults can loosen their attachment to items left in boxes. It may take a little longer but it is so much easier for me to realize I’ve not opened that box in a couple years and tell myself its going to have to be something pretty special to justify keeping anything from the box. I’m going through stuff that I moved a couple years ago. Or pack it up and leave it for a year or two. It’s amazing.
I love it that you showed how the room was before because that's the real life...if you could only see our upstairs rooms and we don't even have little kids anymore! I'm gonna start out decluttering in the way you showed it here! Thank you for being real!! There are so many minimalist influencers where I get totally overwhelmed because I could never get that good at decluttering and cleaning so I would stop before I even started!
THANK YOU FOR NOT BEING PERFECT!!! ❤️Such a relief. I’m trying, Dawn, and you just made me feel a lot better. I am not a naturally tidy, organized person either. I say our house is a public service to make other people feel good about their houses. 😉
Your children are adorable 😍 Love these long videos.
Hi Dawn as usual I loved this video with so many good tips. When watching Corbin enjoy cleaning - That was how I was as a kid, I too loved cleaning. But I gotta tell you that when you were going through the toys I found it stressful seeing you throw out Lego pieces because Lego is a fantastic toy and expensive. Any toys that could be donated to children who don't have - I would have to donate them - I just couldn't move past them. Maybe that comes from when my kids were young and I used to rotate their toys every few months and every year just before Christmas I'd have them pick out good quality toys that they no longer used and they would donate it to the Fire Dept. where they would distribute them to the needy kids in our area. This was a good learning tool for them to realize that not all kids were as fortunate as them and that sharing is a really great thing to do. I kinda got side-tracked but the main thing I was trying to explain is I couldn't throw out good toys. I know the idea is about clearing excess in an appropriate time frame but that is my weakness. Love you guys and it warms my heart to see everyone pitch in with the chores together. You are teaching your kids to be responsible in life. Thanks for another great video !
I’m so overwhelmed with my whole house. Thanks for these videos to get me started. I love you too, Dawn. That just puts a smile on my heart every video.
Thank you for not only sharing decluttering tips but also healthy mindsets. I am on Day 21 of the minimalist game thanks to you. Three of my friends are out and I’ve got one friend still going strong with me. My hubs said “once you clear the space it’s just going to fill back up” and I was able to tell him “that’s okay, and normal. It’s impossible to declutter once and expect it to stay that way forever!” and he hasn’t said anything negative about it since and even helped me declutter today. It’s absolutely changed my home and my mood ❤ thank you!
Hi Dawn. I've listened to you and thought of just having a look at the "will do later" piles of my clothes to stitch and kids old toys. Before i knew, im done with deciding what to do with those clothes and also got rid of(in a donation bag ready to go) a bunch of toys that had been in time will tell for long and obviously i was the one more attached to some of those than my son.
Last day i listened to a video of yours and simplified my sons toy shelf. He was angry for throwing out a bunch of paper made cragts of his, multiple folded papers n all. But convinced him somehow and m observing even though he dont have much toys out in his shelf now, he seems much interested to play by himself. As if those toys became more interesting now
Oh my word 🤯 1 whole hour?! I loved it! Thank you for sharing really in depth of the process of decluttering.
Totally awesome boys Dawn 🎉
I've always done, 2 pairs of pants, 5 shirts, plus 2 sets of dress clothes/church clothes. We've never ran out of clothing. 👍🏼
My kids are grown now, but looking back, they had so much fun 🤩 making things with cardboard boxes and tape. They were both creative and spent hours making and playing with things. Their personalities developed and it became like living with the odd couple. One was clean and neat, ambitious and energetic. She purged her stuff when she was done with it. The younger one was laid back, shoved everything under her bed and let her sister do all the work. She is still like a pseudo-hoarder. 🙁. They are both well balanced, responsible adults, love and care for each other. All is well. Me, I’m on a minimalist journey. I thrive in a simplified space.
I love this video, as we are just starting to declutter and trying to get things down. The kids rooms are the worst! This was encouraging to know that even though you are a minimalist kids rooms can still be a struggle it made the video seem real and authentic so thank you for sharing all the tips and tricks.
Corbin is a unicorn! A rare child that loves to clean. Lucky.
Hello. I’ve decluttered my home now helping others - such as my church youth center. Thank you Dawn
That is so awesome Lori!!!!
Thank you for acknowledging the mom guilt! I really benefited from hearing that I’m not a bad mom because rooms have gotten overwhelmed with stuff. I’m so motivated now!
This lady is like a mind reader!
On the topic of Legos, I find that the more Legos you have the harder it is to find the pieces you need to make a really cool creation. We definitely limit our Lego inventory. I bought a really neat canvas tote that has a pull out play mat. When you’re done with Legos, you pull the plane that up in the Legos fall right into the tote, very easy!
Dawn, This is a great video! I don't have children --I don't have toys anywhere. But I HAVE a lot of stuff cluttering my home. This video has given me an Amazing plan To Deal with my things.. Thank you
I absolutely love the realness in this video. Especially coming from one of my favorite decluttered families. I love this.
Another fantastic video!! Thanks Dawn. When you said you hoped we had a memory bin I laughed...my storage unit is currently my memory bin. But I'm getting there and slowly clearing it all. You are my inspiration and I have so much gratitude for you. We love you too x
I'm laughing. I watched this video in the past, and it automatically came on after something we were watching today. My 4 year old daughter asked if we could keep watching it because she hadn't seen it, went to grab a trash bag, and has been putting a ton of toys in it to get rid of. Thank you, Dawn!!! Hahaa
I started downsizing my home with you and found Cas and Dana. What a treasure you girls have been in helping me apply methods where I was stuck. Even watching about toys I pass on to my daughter. Thank God I didn’t deal with Legos, Barbie was enough. You guys could be decluttering anything but it’s the methods you apply that can help anyone. And when you retire, no, you do not have more time. Your busy with other things. No idea why it’s called retirement.