Five parenting tips to help live a clutter

Children require many items, but they frequently outgrow their clothing, furniture, and toys at a rapid pace.

Families often struggle with excess belongings, a common theme in decluttering programs like BBC One’s Sort Your Life Out, where households are seen sifting through mountains of children’s clothes and toys.

Both parents and children face constant pressure to consume more. Advertisements are subtly woven into games and online content, while “kidfluencers” post videos of themselves unboxing new products, which fuels the urge to buy.

Large volumes of clutter can create household stress. Beyond the general feeling that things are spiraling out of control, there is the persistent weight of environmental guilt. For instance, most plastic toys containing electrical components cannot be easily separated for recycling, meaning they often end up in landfills.

To investigate how to minimize the stress and environmental impact of children’s possessions, I interviewed 12 minimalist parents who intentionally strive to live with fewer items for themselves and their children as part of my research for a book on minimalism. Here are five strategies they use to manage kids’ clutter:

This can be very tricky. As one parent described: “You go to a supermarket and they’re like ‘I want this, I want this’.” Some parents I spoke to prevent impulse purchases in shops by asking their kids to take a photo of what they want to make a wish list for their birthday or Christmas.

This acknowledges the child’s wants. “If they still want the same thing when those events come around, it’s quite a good indicator it’s something they really would like, not some passing phase or interest.”

Parents also manage children’s expectations of how many presents they will receive for Christmas and birthdays by limiting to four gifts. This is based on the saying, “Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read.”

Managing gifts from friends and <a href="https://parentmoneylife.com/2026/09/09/the-modern-family-size-is-changing-four-charts-and-a-map-show-how/” title=”The modern family size is changing. Four charts and a map show how.”>family can be really challenging – especially from grandparents. In a US study in 2019, they were found to spend an average of US$805 each year (£598) on gifts for their grandchildren. In the UK, grandparents intend to spend almost £100 on each of their grandkids at Christmas.

Some minimalist parents try to limit gifts from others by asking for specific items their kids really want, for contributions towards a bigger gift, or for experiences, like a trip to the zoo, bowling or cinema tickets.

Parents also prioritized low-cost experiences over buying things, like playing outside in parks or trips to the local library.

Kids still need toys and play materials to help their cognitive development and learning. But having fewer toys overall allows children to focus better and play more creatively.

The minimalist parents I spoke to liked to give their children simple open-ended toys. These are toys that can be played with in lots of different ways – such as building blocks, magnetic tiles and play silks – that encourage creative and imaginative play.

Organizing children’s toys in a household can still be very challenging. Parents told me how they managed this by giving things designated homes – specific places where each object lives.

One parents explained: “I found that making sure that everything had a home was really the only way that I was able to keep my children organized, keep my life organized.”

Another parent kept all the toys in a storage box: “We have a rule that everything has to fit in there.”

If toys start to overflow, the children have to get rid of something.

One parent mentioned how they were very happy for their kids to keep their things in their rooms how they wanted, but shared family areas like the living room and kitchen had to be kept clutter free.

When a child has outgrown an item, minimalist parents generally avoid letting it sit idle; these goods are quickly donated, sold, or handed down to friends and family.

This practice helps maintain a clutter-free home while offering the sustainable benefit of extending the lifespan of these objects for other families. It also prevents the recipients from needing to purchase new items.

There is significant value in adopting these minimalist parenting habits, such as buying fewer new items, choosing local experiences, and passing on children’s belongings once they are no longer needed. This approach offers the personal rewards of reduced spending and less clutter, while also being more environmentally sustainable.