With our home on the market and a move imminent, the kids and I have spent a few afternoons taking stock of each and every item that we own, determining what we want to keep, give away, or sell before packing up.
This kind of purge makes for interesting conversations as well as a few trips down memory lane.
Kenny: “Remember when we stayed up all night playing this game in the fort? I don’t want it anymore, but that was a fun night.”
Kenny: “Oh! I’ve been looking for that LEGO piece! That’s part of the set Gram and Poppy bought me in Missouri.”
Meredith: “I have no idea where that Polly Pocket came from since I haven’t played with them since Kenny and I switched rooms four years ago.”
Me: “Seriously? How is it possible there are ten socks without matches in this drawer?”
Meredith: “Y’know Momma, it feels like we just went through everything in my room. How did I collect this much stuff I don’t use or need in such a short time?”
The last question is exactly what we’ve all been asking each other because it’s true. While our house is relatively uncluttered, we still have much more “stuff” than we need.
Why?
How?
We buy a book when we can borrow. We make quick purchases when we should walk away–especially when traveling; how many souvenir t-shirts does one person need? We are not as intentional as we should be with our resources.
It made me think about items we have that withstood past “purges”; for instance, this deck of cards Kenny received back in 2010 from our friends in Idaho. It was a souvenir to mark the time we spent with them, and he uses them, regularly. They are keepers.
I asked him what he liked about them, and he easily gave me these four reasons.
1. They come in a clear, plastic box that makes them easy to recognize and take with him–especially when traveling.
2. They were a gift and a reminder of our time with friends, as well as our family’s three-week trip across nine states; one of which was Idaho.
3. The novelty of their shape–that they are potatoes because the deck was from Idaho.
4. That playing cards almost always involves at least two people; so, when he uses them he is getting time he wants with someone else.
I began thinking about other things I’ve decided to keep–whether in the schoolroom or other areas of our home and realized I’d be hard pressed to describe why I’ve kept some of the things I have. I don’t think “to fill a space” and “I might need them one day” are necessarily solid reasons to keep something.
I enjoyed reading through many of your top ten list of things you could not do without when homeschooling. It made me rethink some of my choices, and at the same time, surprised me; for instance, one person listed a laminator. I have never owned a laminator (though I have wanted one), so it interested me that another person does not feel she could homeschool without it. It speaks to the very personal nature of our individual needs based on our families and the way we homeschool.
In the past, I believed we needed floor to ceiling bookshelves (hence, the schoolroom), but I discovered that was more a “want” than a “need” since we give away our homeschool curriculum and books once Kenny has used them, and we donate books to the library so regularly.
Going forward, our family must make more intentional decisions about what we bring into our significantly smaller space; not just in homeschooling, but in everything.
I’ve decided to ask myself these questions when it comes to my purge-n-pack routine: 1) Is it utilitarian? As in, do I use it regularly. 2) Is it sentimental? I’m not terribly sentimental–I realize this may be a “sticking point” for many. 3) How does it benefit me or the family as a whole? For instance, some things are not utilitarian or sentimental, but they add to the aesthetic quality of life.
Are you drawn in by every new or shiny thing or do you already practice the act of being intentional? Perhaps you are right in the middle of the two extremes? Tell me about it.
Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families to live, love and learn. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods where she currently home schools two of her three kids.