It’s inevitable. Ever year I dread December 26th because of the Christmas aftermath. I start picking the scraps of wrapping paper and Scotch tape out of the carpet, attempt to find homes for Pinkie Pie and Max and Ruby books in an already full toy box and force new pajamas and sweaters into already full dresser drawers. Instead, I end up leaving opened boxes, tissue paper and all, jammed under the tree until or if I’m feeling especially ambitious, strewn about our staircase or bedrooms as if just seeing them headed in the right direction is going to motivate me to get organized.
If I were smart and cold-hearted, I would caution relatives and friends to just give us gift cards for Christmas. Those I can neatly organize in my pocketbook. But now that all the new “stuff” of Christmas is here, I brew a pot of extra strong coffee and get to work. Here are some helpful guidelines to get you started too.
- Out with the old: The first step to making room for all of your new loot is to get rid of the old toys from last year or before. My rule of thumb is that if my child hasn’t played with a toy in six months, they certainly aren’t going to play with it again. I’ll unearth it, away from little grab hands that will suddenly decided it is their “most favoritest toy ever!” and put it in a pile to donate.
- Remember the season: Your child’s summer wardrobe may just be in their drawers still, like mine. Use this as an excuse to store the warm weather clothes for the next in line for the spaghetti strapped sundress or to again get a box together of clothes to donate. There’s no use in shoving the new velor track suit on top of the tank tops and shorts. Believe me, I’ve tried.
- Enlist help: You’d be surprised at what your kids can help with, and they might be happy to be involved. Assign each child a task, like finding space on the bookshelf for new books or just making a stack of the empty boxes under the tree. Ask your spouse to take over a chore, like cleaning out the toy box while watching a Bowl Game. Misery loves company and it also makes your load a little lighter.
Overall, try to remember that this chore only comes once a year, and the longer you put it off, the worse it is going to be. Somehow opened Christmas presents in the hallway just aren’t as bearable in March.
