I Struggle With Clutter, So My Kids' Belongings Often Get Donated or Discarded

I am an emotional person, prone to tears and overwhelming feelings when I reflect on my children’s early years or imagine their future selves. I genuinely cherish who they are today. However, when it comes to sentimentality, I fall short.

I frequently throw away their artwork, skip keeping yearbooks or graduation programs, and donate baby clothes and sports jerseys. To me, holding onto these items feels pointless. In fact, I discarded my own yearbooks over ten years ago and have never looked back.

People often ask, “What if your kids want these things one day?” Well, that’s their decision to make. One of my kids loves to keep mementos, while the other is just as quick to dispose of things as I am. If they want to keep their memories, I’m happy to purchase a storage box for them. If they don’t use it, that tells me it wasn’t really important, and it may end up in the trash. Thankfully, my husband is the sentimental type, so at least one parent is around to hold onto their keepsakes.

Clutter triggers my anxiety, and the thought of overflowing boxes of old papers in my kids’ closet makes me uneasy. When it spills onto their bedroom floor and into other areas of the house? That’s a recipe for frustration, and nobody needs that.

Don’t misunderstand me; it’s not that I lack sentimentality altogether. I’m simply very selective about what I keep. For instance, my son’s cherished blankie that accompanied him for a decade, some adorable pottery creations, and a few videos that still bring me joy after many years. I also hold onto a small bag of irresistibly cute baby clothes.

I have my moments of emotion, like when I packed up my kids’ crib to pass it on to a family member; I had a good cry before moving forward.

What doesn’t tug at my heartstrings? The countless videos of my kids babbling, their 5th-grade t-shirts signed by classmates, participation trophies from their second-grade basketball team, or report cards from various grades. There is simply an overwhelming amount of stuff.

Here’s the reality: even if you think I’m heartless for tossing items and not getting attached to the remnants of childhood, we all have to set boundaries. It’s impossible to keep every paper, artwork, souvenir, certificate, and project. Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, everyone has their limits, and yours may differ from mine.

I’m not neglecting the memories or the joy of my kids’ childhood; rather than spending hours organizing their projects and certificates, I invest that time in storing mental snapshots. I strive to be present during these moments, especially the significant ones. I take countless mental pictures, revisit them often, and reflect on them in conversations and writing.

Then, I allow myself to feel emotional, even though I may not be sentimental.

If you’re interested in more insights, check out this other post on our blog.