Clutter and the Math of Clutter

     I was in the home of a lovely family today and for the first time in a while, the client was actually home.  She had guests from out of town and they needed a ride back to the airport.  While they were waking and packing she and I had time to work together for a while.  It was nice. I got to see the bottom of the laundry room sink, for the first time in almost a year.  She uses the laundry room where I work as a dumping ground.  The school year has been over for some time but today, I was able to take her to school.  

this is on my refrigerator
courtesy of kids

     I love her children, too.  I think their art work is special, BUT, if you keep it all, you might as well plan on loosing a room to the clutter they collect and bring home.  If you want to save some of the projects they have done, try doing my math.  Three children times three art papers time 40 weeks of the school year.  That's 480 pieces of art or science papers with a bright red A on them.  Now add in the 3D projects like the bowl of noodles made from twine when they were studying Chinese culture, or the volcano that refused to erupt, or the greeting cards made from paper plates and the snowflake paper chain and you NOW multiply your base number by 13 for the number of years these children are in public school.  480 times 13 equals WAY too much paper to save.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutter

Clutter may refer to any of the following:

• Excessive physical disorder
  • Clutter (organizing), a confusing or disorderly state or collection, and possible symptom of compulsive hoarding
  • Visual clutter or visual pollution
  • Clutter (radar), unwanted echoes in electronic systems
  • Clutter (marketing), numerous advertisements, announcements and promotions in media and radio, unrelated to main presentation
  • Clutterers Anonymous, a twelve-step program for people who share a common problem with accumulation of clutter

     And, she was talking about whole notebooks, and paperback textbooks in case they needed them for reference.....really?  Are these kids not able to click on an Ipad Do they not issue new books every year?  Weren't those books sent home in case they had time to use the work sheets over the summer?   Did they ever even look at them after they dropped them in the sink where I used to rinse the mop?  but now I have to rinse the mop in the kitchen sink.  And as long as I am twisting the knife in her side verbally, I did point out, the rest of the house is so neat, even her desk!  So, what's with teaching the kids to dump and stuff and save stuff that actually defines the word clutter?  

http://www.sterilite.com

     Now, don't get me wrong, I have clutter.  I am guilty of saving things beyond their "cuteness" date.  But, I can see the bottom of every sink in my home and I know there is a yard sale in my future to make some of the "cute" go away.  

    I just want the parents of the world to do the math on what they are storing.  One child and one of those brilliant A+ papers a week for the years they are in school, will fill a Sterlite bin.  Multiply siblings by containers and you can create a tower of rubbermaid bins about three feet high.  If your storage for school days clutter looks like the picture above, I want to come clean at YOUR house!