54 | February 2012 | woman this month Parenting Tips Now that you have decided to create this new environment, Jane has a few keys tips for how to achieve and maintain the impact: l Make a realistic plan of what and where you want to de-clutter. l Make a date to "de-clutter" and stick to it. l Don't feel overwhelmed; start with one room, or even one cupboard, at a time. l If you don't use it — lose it. Get rid of rubbish! l When organising items, such as children’s toys and crafts, clear storage boxes are best. l At the end of each week, go through mail and bills for filing — go paperless where possible. l Don’t feel anxious about having to throw your children's things out — put together a memory box for your children with special/sentimental items. Plus, it makes room for new things. l Spend a few minutes every day putting things back in place, for example, while cooking you can tidy the kitchen. Don’t let clutter build up. l Always think: "Do I really need this?" before you buy — this will avoid future clutter. l Whenever you do bring a new item into the house, be sure to get rid of at least one old item! For more information on de-cluttering help or coaching for a new you contact info@declutterdiva. biz or [email protected] The relationship area: In order to discover which is the relationship area in your home, according to Feng Shui, you need to look around the South West region of your home and also in the South West part of your bedroom. After doing this, check the room or rooms which lie in the right-rear corner of your house and also the area in the right-far corner of your bedroom. This is your relationship area which, if left unattended or untidy, can cause disconnection in your relationship. You will have feelings of indecision, depression and laziness if this area is cluttered. Your creativity will become shackled. It’s also interesting for your children to see where they tend to “dump” their things. We all get into bad habits and so, now and again, we have to clear that clutter away. Make sure the rubbish is actually thrown away, out of the house. This physical removal of rubbish is symbolic and what’s left can be enjoyed, not only because of your hard work, but because it will create a more organised space and improve your friendships and relationships with your children! Jane, as a mother of two girls, states, "It's good to encourage children from an early age to be responsible for their belongings and to teach them good habits. My two little girls now know that, when they enter the house, they take off their outdoor shoes and place them on the shoe-rack and they hang up their coats and bags rather than drop them on the floor! At the end of their day I like to make a game of ‘tidy up time’, which can be a competition to collect 10 items and put them in the correct box. Clear boxes are the best storage solution for toys/crafts/dressing-up clothes. I always enjoy the girl's stories at bedtime, knowing I don't have to tidy up before I sit down for a relaxing evening." The bedroom: Bedrooms are for relaxing in and for sleeping. Allow your children the freedom to enjoy their bedrooms in a calm way so that when it is time to sleep, they are ready and relaxed. If things remain disorganised in a bedroom, then sleep tends not to help with tiredness and, over time, you and your children may become exhausted. By periodically making your rooms clutter-free, the result will be the nourishing of positive mind-frames. By cleaning the key spaces of your bedroom you can create greater psychological clarity too. This clear vision will help you take wise decisions and actions.
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