I started “Kondo-ing” a few weeks ago after binging Marie Kondo’s “Tidying Up” on Netflix. I, like many others, started with the suggested Category 1 of Clothing.
After I hauled every item of clothing out from the depths of my closet and pulled every old t-shirt from my chest of drawers, I piled them up in one heaping mound on my bed. It only took me a minute to realize just how much I was holding on to. I decided I was ready to purge (or as Marie says … “tidy”) like no momma has purged before!
I took each item, 
one by one. If it brought me joy it stayed. If it didn’t, I let it go. I must confess, I didn’t thank every solitary item, but as I filled up each of the 5 garbage bags, I was increasingly more thankful. Thankful for the fact that I am so blessed to have a closet bursting at its seams. Thankful that I can bless others through donations of the items that are in perfectly good condition, but no longer provide me with the “joy” they once did. But mostly, thankful for the relief I felt to finally focus on setting aside some time to tidy at least one area of my busy momma life. So, I guess I can formally do that now. Thank you, clothing past, thank you!
My husband was hardcore skeptical at first, but, by day 2 he had flipped his script when he saw just how joyous I was becoming through my slow but steady tidying process. He semi-reluctantly proceeded to tidy his own closet. There were a few times he asked my opinion on an item of clothing and, although tempted, I did not sway his joy one way or another. If there is one thing Marie has taught me it was to let partners go through their own possessions. (Watch episode 1, you’ll see what I mean.)
By now you must be thinking, “Okay, okay Christy, but what about the KIDS? How do you address tidying with a toddler?”
The truth is laundry already takes “too long” in my opinion. We always have the hamper full of clothing to fold or hang. My husband and I successfully mastered the KonMari method, but how are we going to translate this method to our children? My 2 year old is infamous for “folding” her clothes. AKA: rolling and knotting them together then bringing them to her room and tossing them in the corner. But, maybe if at least my 6 year old catches the KonMari bug, it will spark joy in her and be something we could do together? A sort of win/win situation, I’m hoping.
