Emptying the "Empty Nest"

I don't know how many of you have grown kids as I do, but once your kids are actually out of the house, it's surprising how much "stuff" they think they are entitled to leave behind. It's stuff that they don't really need and don't actually plan to use, but Lord help you if you try to get rid of it.

Do you really want to be storing that stuff clear into your retirement? It's really just clutter, taking up space that you could use for more useful items.

If you really want to get rid of it, you need to have a plan. If your kids are flaky like mine, just asking them to come and get it isn't really going to work. Going through boxes of old junk, even their own, isn't going to be their idea of fun and it's not going to be high on their list of priorities.

One thing to do is to set a firm date. Give them a good month or so to get around to it, but then let them know that after that date, the free storage deal is going to be over. Then give them a head start on the project. Go through the stuff and start sorting it into some general piles - clothes, books, papers, school projects, etc.

Get out your digital pictures and document as you go. You can easily post the pictures to a Flickr account and share it with your child. That way, they can see exactly what they are dealing with and that is likely to give them a little motivation to save some of the things that are more important to them. If nothing else, you can have them tag the pictures of the things they want and the things you can get rid of.

Then just box it up and leave it for them to come and get it. And enjoy your now uncluttered space. Just try not to fill it up with all of your old, unneeded junk.