5 Important First Steps When Implementing Minimalism With Kids

Inside: Implementing minimalism with kids in your home may seem like an impossible task, but it doesn’t have to. Here you’ll find practical strategies to help your kids embrace a life of less.


Fewer toys! What I once thought impossible, was now within my grasp.

I was on a mission to declutter my home and toys were next on my list.

While it’s tempting to just go ahead and sneakily declutter your children’s toys when they aren’t looking, it’s not a strategy I recommend.

I get it though. When I first went minimalist, that was my plan. My very first step was going to be declutter aaallll the toys while they were at school. Thankfully, however, I didn’t end up doing that. Instead, I started with my own stuff, working my way through my many piles of stuff scattered around the corners of my home. I knew that if we were going to really live a minimalist lifestyle, the change had to start with me.

Over the following weeks, I proudly paraded them around my own donation and trash piles expecting when the time came to tackle their stuff, they’d be prepared.

However, it went a little differently than planned. Instead, they stared at me in horror as if they’d been dreading the inevitable. My kids were anything but motivated. (Face palm).

While raising minimalist kids isn’t necessarily an easy task, it’s an important one.

Simplifying our schedules and owning less has benefited our kids as much as us. It’s a lifestyle I’m incredibly grateful for.

The way your kids will respond is going to look different than mine or anyone elses. It’s going to depend on their personality types, ages and expereinces with material possessions up until now. Some really don’t care all that much about stuff while others have crafted actual adoption papers for every individual stuffed animal. They might as well be their actual children.

Here are the 5 important first steps when becoming minimalist with kids.

1. Apologize

Don’t miss this one. It was significant in implementing lasting change for both me and my kids.

My oldest, who was 7 at the time, was having a really difficult time with the thought of having to part with any of his possessions. He’s the kind of kid who begs to keep the price tag off of a new shirt because it has a picture of a Storm Trooper on it…sigh.

While I kept trying to explain to him how this was going to benefit him in the long run, he remained very apprehensive.

We talked in circles. He just didn’t want to let go of anything.

Then it hit me. This was my fault!

I raised him this way. It was me who had created an environment where it was acceptable to keep things like shoe boxes we decorated six months ago, birthday party favors and Happy Meal toys (that’s right, we sometimes go to McDonald’s, deal with it). These things are fine to bring home, but I was the one who allowed them to stay.

So he listened. skeptically, as I changed the direction of the conversation.

“I…am…so…sorry,” I said, “This is my fault…” 

I proceeded to take responsibility for having taught him it was okay to keep everything. I explained how I had been modeling the wrong kind of behavior when it came to managing possessions. My mission was to create a more peaceful home, spend more time playing with him and build a life full of more adventure. Too much stuff gets in the way of what we truly value. He listened as I shared how it was I who had allowed this “stuff” to usher chaos into our home and hide what’s really important.

Wouldn’t you know it, he melted right in front of me. My apology allowed him to lower his guard and trust his Momma had his back. He started to get it.

It was as if the weight of being the keeper of his things was on my shoulders and instead of his. 

Messy Minimalism
Available where books are sold or borrowed.

2. Incentivize 

This part was fun for all of us! My kids really only play with a handful of toys, but we owned a bazillion!

Together, we selected a handful of like new toys to sell with a plan to use whatever money we earned toward a family fun day. I sold them individually on our local Facebook rummage sale site.

The possibility of an afternoon of laser tag or a day at a water park was exactly the motivation they needed to begin the big purge!

Every time something sold, we would add the money to magnetic clip on our garage door. This way they could see the progress everyday! They loved to watch it grow. Every item sold, meant we were one step closer to our adventure!

We ended up using that money toward an overnight trip to Zhender’s Splash Village in Frankenmuth, Michigan. We had such a wonderful time. It was even sweeter because my kiddos took owner ship of that trip. They were so proud of what they had accomplished.

On the way home, we asked them if it was worth it. The answer was a resounding yes! None of them could recall a single toy we had sold or donated. 

raising minimalist kids

3. Prioritize

Choose your battles wisely. I know, I know. You’re on a mission and you’re ready to see some serious progress. But remember, not everything needs to be purged right now.

Prioritize what needs to go immediately and hold off on what will go naturally.

Grace and growth spurts are the secret to decluttering with kids.

For example, my 5 year old daughter had twelve pairs of shoes. She loved them all. She’s a shoe girl. Rather than make her choose between her sparkly red shoes or her sparkly silver shoes, I simply gave it a month. Her feet grew and the season changed. I donated most of them, saving just a couple for her little sister.

The biggest change we can make is how we accumulate in the next season. Changing the way we purchase going forward will have the greatest impact. 

raising minimalist kids

I would rather put energy into negotiating over the twenty-seven headbands she has crammed in her drawer.

4. Emphasize

Emphasize the why and continually talk about the benefits.

Remind them that we aren’t getting rid of stuff just to be mean or as a punishment. Nor are we simply just personally sick of looking at clutter all over the place. (Although, oh my word, the view is much nicer on this side of the clutter).
The decision to raise kids in minimalist home took a shift in our family mission, a change in our worldview. It came from choosing to fill our lives with more intention, joy, calm, adventure, generosity and purpose. I refuse to waste the precious time we our kids organizing chaos inducing clutter.

Our favorite things were still there, but hidden behind all that clutter. After going through my son’s clothes and getting rid of what he rarely wore, I found his lost ninja T-shirt. He loved that shirt and he got it back. That same week, I donated about 75% of our children’s books to their school. Hiding in all of those excess books was our lost joke book.

Raising Minimalist Kids

We had so much fun with that book before it was lost and we got it back! Getting another chance to enjoy our missing favorites, helped reinforce why we were doing this deep work in the first place.

Every time Jameson wore that ninja shirt or we laugh at jokes from our book, I nonchalantly say, “Good thing we got rid of all that stuff we never used or we might have never found this [insert item] that you enjoy so much.

Use every opportunity to positively reinforce your life of less by emphasizing your why.

5. Be Strategic

Your kids likely won’t embrace minimalism if you sneak every toy out in the middle of the night. In fact, it could have quite the opposite effect.

They need to be involved in many decluttering decisions. That said, sometimes we’ve got to get a little sneaky to move the needle.

Keep in mind, “sneaky” looks different depending on which of my kids I’m referring to.

For one of my kids, it’s all in the way I word things. She makes great headway when I present her with two options such as, “How about we give away this one, but keep that one?” See what I did there? (Wink).

This strategy doesn’t work as well with the older kids. They see right through it and usually presents a counter offer. Still, it’s a win in my mind.

Every now and then I’d make an executive decision to trash a handful of long lost birthday party favors from beneath their bed. Or I’d go ahead and toss the junk toys that somehow managed to reproduce beneath the couch cushions over the years too. My kids were none the wiser and I rested peacefully knowing I was slowly but surely making a dent in the crazy.

home organization is a waste of time

Minimalism With Kids

We have a critical role to play in raising these kids of ours. It’s a gift to be able to teach this valuable lesson at such a young age. I want them to grow up valuing people over possessions, and experiences over accumulation.

“Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21

Take this opportunity to redefine what treasure looks like in your home. Stay steadfast, remain patient with them, and find what works best for your family.

For more information on Messy Minimalism head to MessyMinimalism.com


For More Help Decluttering Your Home with a Family, read:

Messy Minimalism, Available Where Books Are Sold or Borrowed

Sick of the clutter, but not quite sure “minimalism” as you know it is for you? You’re probably right. Minimalism as you know it, probably isn’t for you. It wasn’t for me either.
messy minimaism
Because of that, Messy Minimalism was born. Messy Minimalism is a doable, grace-based approach to living a clutter free life. It frees you up to embrace the mess, live with less and create an imperfectly perfect home for you.

For more information on Messy Minimalism head to MessyMinimalism.com


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