I’ve seen the book “7” by Jen Hatmaker referenced a lot on Facebook and blogs, but I’ve never felt led to try it out for myself.  Until today.  Sort of.

I once again find myself cleaning one of my children’s bedrooms in preparation for a family visit (only the room said visitors will be staying in, I’m not an overachiever in this), and I once again find myself amazed.  Today it is Grace’s room, and she is a “stuffer”.  Clean and dirty clothes alike are stuffed in nooks and crannies all over her room, so I have to assume that the clothes are dirty because it’s safer, and well, it’s a safe assumption with children anyway.  Under her bed, in her bookshelves, on her bookshelves, on her dresser (really?  the drawer is right there), etc.  She is overwhelmed by the stuff in her room.  And because of her inability to be responsible with her clothes she has had to do her own laundry since last summer because it makes me too angry to see clothes I washed lay on her floor.

So.

Today I decided she needs less.  One week’s worth to be exact.  She will be allowed one week’s worth of all clothing items, and will have to do laundry once a week.  I will be doing her laundry today just to start from scratch and take inventory.  She currently has so many clothes that she waits to do laundry until she runs out of something, then she has two loads-full shoved into her tiny basket, and that overwhelms her from beginning to end.  It’s a big load to carry to the basement, she has to switch laundry twice (gasp!), she has to fold it all AND put it all away find a clever place to hide it.

Maybe it’s my fault.  Maybe I expected too much by assuming she could handle the responsibility of all that is in her room.  So I’m doing something about it.  And when she can be trusted with what she has, if she needs or wants more, then we can discuss her having more.

I’ll keep you posted.  My guess is that she won’t even miss that stuff.

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