Do you save everything because it has some sort of emotion attached to it? I organized for a woman who could not get rid of any of her daughter’s clothes, school papers and toys. She had at least 20 extra-large storage containers filled with stuffed animals! Taking sentimental value to an extreme is one of the most common reasons people can not eliminate clutter. Here are a few tips to help you limit what you save.

What is up with all the stuffed animals? Save only the ones that were special to your child. These are usually the ones with the most wear and tear. The same goes for the other toys that they no longer play with.

Pictures take up less room than the actual item. If you have saved every holiday dress that little Chrissy has ever worn, why not just keep the pictures of her wearing them and pass on the dresses to someone who can get some use out of them! Snap a photo of Allison with her craft projects and reclaim valuable countertop space.

At the end of each school year, I sort through my daughter’s school and art work. Everything that I keep can usually fit into a large envelope. Do you really think that Jimmy will ever care that you saved his 3rd grade math paper? By all means, save report cards and awards. These reflect your child’s work and do not take up as much space as all the tests, homework assignments and reports would. Keeping the report that Sara wrote about her summer vacation or a list of Sam’s favorite things are always winners with me. It is fun to see how each child’s memories, writing style, and tastes change over the years. I usually limit the number of art projects to ten for each year.

Be sure to take into consideration those things that are important to the child. Save more of Carli’s art work if she is artistically gifted. I would not save a paper about the digestive system unless Bryce was obsessed with becoming a doctor. Doug has had a passion for rocks ever since you can remember, so saving his collection would be wise.

So go ahead and save your child’s growth chart and the lock of hair from their first haircut. Save the Fisher-Price dollhouse and Little Tykes workbench for future grandchildren. Put a little extra time and thought into your decision making and win the war against clutter.