We’ve been purging, off an on, for about three weeks now, and by far, the hardest person to get on board with the decluttering process is my five-year-old Harlow. Harlow is Queen of the Collections, Ruler of the Figurines, Keeper of all the Little Things that Come with Every Barbie and Lego Set. She is also the “Decider of What’s Special.”
Here are a few things that fall under “Special Things:”
1) Things that she made
2) Things that other people made
3) Things that Mazzy no longer wants but doesn’t want to throw out so she presents them to Harlow as a gift
4) Things anyone gave her as a gift, regardless of the item, the person or the occasion it was given
5) Things that belong in a “grouping,” i.e. Shopkins, Hatchimals, lip glosses and random dog figurines
6) Shells
7) Art Stuff
8) “Phones” that she has me make out of construction paper and tape to exact measurement specifications
9) Class Valentines from last year
10) Plastic Brushes that come with dolls
I could go on and on, but instead of making a list that will be as long as the Old Testament, I’m going to show you a video of what happened when I tried to get Harlow to pare back on the amount of knick knacks on her desk.
I think the true purge might have to happen when she is not watching.
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Good luck! My 5 year old had to get rid of 5 stuffed animals today, so she could buy a new one of course. Hardest.decision.ever. Per her at least. Even if I were to do it while she’s gone, she’d know. They always know!
This is why I purge and they don’t even realize! Some times they look in the trash and say “why did you throw that away” I say because we don’t need it anymore! Of course it has been this way since they could remember, so that helps a lot!
O man! Alllll the little stuff! You have to do this when she’s not there. When I do this with my 5 year old it’s like she’s having a reunion with all her old friends!
Attachments to Happy Meal toys and assorted party favor trash are the bane of my life. “But it’s special to me!!!” “But you never play with it and you have three of them.” Feeling your pain.
Yep. Exactly. 109%. But way more tears in my house.
I am very impressed that she remembers who gave, made or gifted things to her (except the Babushka dolls!!!) Thats quite a memory you have Harlow!
That was me! I was ridiculously sentimental. And I had some seriously strange collections. But I hit a breaking point eventually and got rid of almost everything. So there’s hope!
If I counted correctly she got rid of two whole items! That’s a ton given her strict requirements lol. I loved how she had an answer for everything…what about this? THAT’S MAZZYs! Like duh! Maybe Mazzy will wake up one day and realize how amazing these items are but until then Harlow will tend to them.
Good luck with purge part 2 without Harlow!
I love that you had an absolutely giant trash bag for her to toss two teeny items!
You definitely have a mini-hoarder on your hands…. Though I do like how she knows what EVERYTHING is!