The Ultimate Guide to Decluttering Your Tween’s Bedroom
My daughter is at the tween age now, where she’s starting high school so feels quite grown up but is still only 11 (and a bit). She wanted a more grown up room to reflect her new status as a high school kid, so we worked together to overhaul her room. One of the major tasks was decluttering her bedroom. It’s no secret that tweens can accumulate a remarkable amount of stuff (think clothes, teddies, scrunchies, toys), and a cluttered space can lead to stress and disorganization. To promote a sense of calm, creativity, and responsibility, it’s essential to declutter your tween’s bedroom.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of decluttering your tween’s bedroom. From involving your child in the process to creating functional storage solutions, I’ll help you turn their room into an organized and inspiring haven for growth and creativity.
Get Ready to Declutter
Before diving into the decluttering process, it’s crucial to prepare both yourself and your tween. Here are some key steps to get started:
- Set Clear Goals: Discuss with your tween the importance of decluttering and establish clear goals. Are they looking for a more organized space, room for new hobbies, or simply a tidier room?
- Allocate Time: Block out dedicated decluttering time, ensuring that both you and your tween can both commit to the process. It’s important that they get involved so they can take responsibility for their space.
- Gather Supplies: Collect boxes, bins, trash bags, and labels for sorting items.
- Emphasize Responsibility: Encourage your tween to take ownership of their space, teaching them valuable life skills in organization and decision-making.
Decluttering your tween’s room can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster – we ended up decluttering a lot of sentimental items, such as the books we used to read together when she was a baby, or the massive collection of Sylvanian Families I amassed for her (I think I loved them more than she did though) – but when we’d finished decluttering we had a lot more space to work with. It’s great to start with as much of a blank slate as you can.
Sorting and Categorizing
Start the decluttering process by systematically sorting and categorizing items in the bedroom. You can use the “Keep, Donate, Discard” method. Here’s how it works:
- Keep: Identify items that are genuinely valuable, frequently used, or contribute to your tween’s comfort and happiness.
- Donate: Encourage your tween to donate toys, clothing, or items they’ve outgrown but are still in good condition. This teaches empathy and generosity.
- Discard: Toss items that are broken, damaged, or no longer usable.
Involving Your Tween
It’s essential to involve your tween in the decluttering process to empower them and make them feel responsible for their space. Here’s how to do it:
- Listen to Their Input: Ask your tween for their opinions on what to keep or discard. Respect their choices and encourage them to explain their reasoning.
- Create a Sorting Game: Turn decluttering into a game. Set a timer, and see how many items your tween can sort in a specific category in that time frame.
- Teach Decision-Making Skills: Help your tween develop critical thinking skills by asking questions like, “Do you use this?” or “Does it bring you joy?”
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Organizing and Storage Solutions
Now that you’ve sorted through your tween’s belongings, it’s time to find appropriate storage solutions to keep the room organized:
- Shelving: Install shelves for books, trophies, and decorative items. Floating shelves are trendy and can save space.
- Under-Bed Storage: Utilize under-bed storage bins or drawers for clothing, shoes, or seasonal items. Ikea do some great under bed storage such as the budget-friendly Skubb.
- Closet Organizers: Maximize closet space with hanging shelves, hooks, and drawer orgaizers for closets.
- Desk Organizers: Ensure that school supplies are easily accessible with desk organizers like pencil cups, file holders, and drawer organizers.
- Toy Storage: Use clear bins to keep toys organized and easily visible (if your tween wants!) or put them in baskets or in under bed storage containers if not.
- Wall Organizers: Hang wall pockets or boards for storing art supplies, magazines, or notes.
- Baskets: Baskets are great for keeping things neat and tidy and come in a wide range of shapes and sizes to fit your tween’s room.
- Wall Hooks or Pegs: We installed a shaker style faux panelled wall and added little wooden pegs to hang fairy lights, baskets or anything else on. This has made the wall into more of a feature as well.
Personalizing the Space
A tween’s bedroom should reflect their personality and interests. After decluttering your tween’s bedroom and organizing, encourage your child to personalize their space:
- Decorate the Walls: Let your tween choose posters, art prints, or wall decals that reflect their hobbies or passions.
- Create a Study Nook: Set up a dedicated study area with a comfortable chair, desk, and good lighting to encourage focus and creativity.
- Display Achievements: Use shelves or corkboards to showcase awards, certificates, and artwork.
- Incorporate Their Interests: Add decor elements related to your tween’s hobbies, such as sports memorabilia, musical instruments, or collectibles.
- Comfort Zone: Ensure the bedroom is a cozy retreat by adding soft pillows, a comfy rug, and cozy blankets. We have a big fluffy beanbag!
Establishing a Maintenance Routine
To ensure that the clutter stays at bay, establish a regular maintenance routine with your tween. Make it a habit to do a quick declutter and organization session together every month. During this time, you can also discuss any changes or updates they’d like to make to their room.
Decluttering your tween’s bedroom can be a transformative process for both the space and your child’s sense of responsibility and ownership. By involving your tween, setting clear goals, and providing creative storage solutions, you can create a room that fosters growth, creativity, and a sense of calm. With this guide, you’re well-equipped to embark on the journey of decluttering your tween’s bedroom into a space that inspires and reflects them, their unique personality and interests.
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