Minimalism for Moms: How to Get Started

A guest post by Katie Barton of Cabin Lane

Do you often feel rushed in the morning? Overwhelmed when you see the state of your house? Tired of continually picking up clothes and toys? Today I want to share with you why minimalism for moms is so important.

I used to feel like that, too. 

I spent my days trying to balance work, parenting, and the constant task of picking up toys, folding laundry and giving the house a quick cleaning for the tenth time that day.

Then, one day, I stumbled across a YouTube video of a mom talking about how she’d gotten rid of 90% of her kids’ toys. 

When she did that, something miraculous happened – not only did she spend significantly less time picking up toys, her kids actually played more.

I was sold.

Over the next several months, I went through my house and got rid of things that I no longer used, loved, or needed.

The process took me from a frazzled mom to the laid-back, more fun version of myself I wanted to be.

I believe the same can happen for you. 

If you‘re interested in minimalism for moms, here’s how to get started.

What is Minimalism?

Minimalism is only living with the things that you love, need, and use. It’s getting rid of all the items you think “you need to have,” but that don’t make your life any better.

Many people think that minimalism means you have to live in a home with stark, bare walls or limit your possessions to 100 – but it doesn’t mean that.

Minimalism is extraordinarily personal and looks different for everyone.

If you don’t want your end goal to be minimalism, that’s fine too. You can still focus on simplifying.

Minimalism for Moms: How to Get Started

To get started on your minimalism and decluttering journey, you need to first identify your biggest pain point.

What is the one area that would make the most significant difference in your life if decluttered and minimized?

For me, the answer was toys.

I started my journey to minimalism by going through every single toy in my house. We got rid of all broken toys, toys with missing pieces, and toys that hadn’t been played with for months.

I was left with only a few categories: Barbies, baby dolls, and small toys. (I have all girls if you can’t tell.)

By keeping only these toys, pick up is much easier – even when my three-year-old dumps every toy we own on the floor. My house is cleaner and I’m less stressed without the 5,672 toys lying on the floor.

Maybe your kids are past the toy stage, and you’re dealing with loads of clothes being constantly thrown on the floor. Maybe your house is overrun by paperwork or books.

Once you identify the one area that will make the most significant impact in your life when decluttered, you can start working on it and reaping the rewards.

10 Areas to Focus On for Minimalism

If you need a game plan for going through your house, these are the ten areas I recommend starting with.

Remember, though; it can take months to go through your house thoroughly. So, don’t feel overwhelmed.

Pick a focus and spend 10-30 minutes a day working on that focus area until you’ve completely gone through everything. Then, move on to the next room.

And remember, your starting point should be the area that makes the biggest impact for you and your family.

1. Kid’s Clothes

Kids don’t need half as many clothes as we think they do. I recently went through my kids’ clothes and got rid of over half of what they owned.

Their clothes now easily fit in three drawers, and they still have plenty to wear.

2. Your Clothes

You’re probably holding on to items that no longer fit, are worn out, or are so out of style you’d never wear them again.

Let go of the clothes that you don’t feel good wearing.

3. Toys

More toys doesn’t equal more creative play. Get rid of broken toys and toys that your kids no longer play with.

Kids are more imaginative and do better with fewer options.

4. Kid’s Schoolwork/Artwork

The number of papers kids bring home from school is insane – but luckily, you don’t have to keep it all.

If you want to save some of your kids’ artwork, create a binder to store your favorite pieces. Get rid of the rest. 

5. Kitchen Gadgets

Are you keeping kitchen gadgets you don’t use? If so, donate them.

They don’t need to take up valuable real estate on your counters or in your cabinets.

6. Tupperware

Go through your Tupperware and get rid of cracked bowls and dishes with missing lids that you never use. 

7. Beauty Products

If you’re like me, you’ve fallen prey to beauty product marketing which means your bathroom cabinets hold quite a few products that didn’t live up to the hype.

Go through all your beauty products and get rid of the ones you don’t use or like.

8. Shoes

Go through all of the shoes in your home. Declutter the shoes that don’t fit, don’t get worn, or are in horrible condition. 

9. Books

Do you have books for preschoolers even though your youngest child is 10? If so, it’s time to pass them on to a child who can benefit from them.

10. Pantry

When is the last time you went through our pantry? Having an organized and decluttered pantry can help you save money and better plan your meals.

Go through your food and get rid of everything expired, stale, or that you tried and didn’t like.

The Benefits of Minimalism for Moms

Once you get started, you’ll quickly reap the benefits of minimalism for moms. Simplifying your life will help you to feel less stressed and enjoy motherhood more.

You’ll save money by not being so quick to purchase new items to bring into your home. You’ll spend less time cleaning up, and you’ll have more time to spend doing the things you genuinely love.

The process of going from excess to minimal can take weeks to months to complete. After you get started, you’ll see what a huge difference it can make in your life.

Want to keep up to date with The Simplicity Habit? Sign up below to get weekly tips on simplifying and decluttering sent straight to your inbox! You’ll also get the Your Home Decluttered Jumpstart which includes 100 easy items to declutter and 12 high impact areas to declutter in 10 minutes.