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Sounds like there are some hoarders on here (quite a few actually) that are in denial. I am here to let you know you have been served, and I am sure some of you are still in shock over it.
I'm definitely not a hoarder, nor am I sentimental. I have very few momentos and not a lot of stuff. I tend to embrace that idea that if you bring something into the house, you should take something OUT of the house. I may not do it right away, but I have 5 or 6 purge sessions each year when I go through my clothes or my books and trim the excess. I also live in an 800-SF apartment, and that helps keep things pared down. There simply isn't room for more stuff -- and I hate living in a cluttered space.
(I've noticed that the state of my "stuff" is a good indicator of my mental well-being. If my house/closets are cluttered and stuffed and disorganized, then I'm probably not doing too well. Likewise, if everything is neat and tidy and pared down, then that's a good indicator that I'm cruising along in fine form. Nothing helps me "reset" my mood like sitting down in front of my bookshelves and filling a few bags to take to the Used Book Store, or going through my closet and deciding to ditch those shoes I never wear.)
I keep telling my parents that they need to go through their garage (1), storage unit (2), and 400-SF storage cottage on their property (3) and make some decisions about their stuff, because if it's up to me, it's gonna be 1-888-GOT-JUNK.
(I'll also add that a few years ago, my family decided to stop giving each other gifts. That has been such a blessing. Christmas used to be just crazy, with tons and tons of stuff. Now, we'll give each other maybe one thing and that's it. That has really helped a lot.)
I'm definitely not a hoarder, nor am I sentimental. I have very few momentos and not a lot of stuff. I tend to embrace that idea that if you bring something into the house, you should take something OUT of the house. I may not do it right away, but I have 5 or 6 purge sessions each year when I go through my clothes or my books and trim the excess. I also live in an 800-SF apartment, and that helps keep things pared down. There simply isn't room for more stuff -- and I hate living in a cluttered space.
(I've noticed that the state of my "stuff" is a good indicator of my mental well-being. If my house/closets are cluttered and stuffed and disorganized, then I'm probably not doing too well. Likewise, if everything is neat and tidy and pared down, then that's a good indicator that I'm cruising along in fine form. Nothing helps me "reset" my mood like sitting down in front of my bookshelves and filling a few bags to take to the Used Book Store, or going through my closet and deciding to ditch those shoes I never wear.)
I keep telling my parents that they need to go through their garage (1), storage unit (2), and 400-SF storage cottage on their property (3) and make some decisions about their stuff, because if it's up to me, it's gonna be 1-888-GOT-JUNK.
(I'll also add that a few years ago, my family decided to stop giving each other gifts. That has been such a blessing. Christmas used to be just crazy, with tons and tons of stuff. Now, we'll give each other maybe one thing and that's it. That has really helped a lot.)
Good Post
Your parents may have already made a decision on the stuff they keep... do nothing and let the kids deal with it
I agree with the gift giving... I will still give a gift when I know it's something genuinely desired, but never because it's Christmas or a Birthday... My family stopped doing the obligatory need to give a gift years ago and it was Mom that initiated it...
I've bought a few homes over the years AS-IS because I was able to buy right due to all the junk... One place was so cluttered... the entire basement was solidly the same height as the Washer/Dryer and none of the interior doors of the home could be closed because of junk...
The family didn't have much money and in the back of the Garage... I found a plugged in Freezer filled with meat individually wrapped and labeled that had been hidden so long that they had forgotten they had it... true story
Im not a hoarder but I do have a whole LOT of Klediments. I grew up really poor . Managed to do OK for a while. Now Im poor again. Oh well. Such is life. I can give stuff away but it pains me to throw something away if it has ANY value left at all. I clean OP houses. No one is allowed to toss ANY thing. They know this is one of my hang ups so they save it all for me so I can gather it up and pass it on to peeps that need it.
One of my side lines is helping folks like your Mom pare down their treasures. Usually the kids hire me after they have attempted to do it on their own. I think I have more success because I feel the same about their treasures as they do while the kids think everything is junk.
When I first come its to clean and to organize ONLY. WE go thru everything and talk about shelving and containers and how to organize things. At first we just sort and decide where to put stuff. After Ive sorted like with like they usually give me things to pass on cause they can see for themselves that they have duplicates.
My last little old lady had 5 crockpots, 4 coffee makers and 7 electric skillets not to mention other assorted appliances. I suggested she keep the best for herself and let me take the rest to the church down the road that does suppers. She was fine with this because her things were going to be used not tossed. So far Ive taken 8 mini van loads out and theres more to go but Im not pushing.
You need to try this with your Mom. Sometimes dealing with the whole Shebang at once is overwhelming. But if you break it down into smaller chunks its easier. Also dont talk about getting rid of everything cause its junk. Talk about organizing what you have so you can find it when you need it. People tend to dig in their heels when you bad mouth their stuff. But they will gladly pass things on to others in need.
I am the opposite of a hoarder/collector....I have to have very little stuff around me because I'll forget what I have & then things just get cluttered.
To be a hoarder you need a great memory so you can find what you have!
I am the opposite of a hoarder/collector....I have to have very little stuff around me because I'll forget what I have & then things just get cluttered.
To be a hoarder you need a great memory so you can find what you have!
I'm looking forward (no puns intended) to getting my new sets of glasses. I am forever misplacing my current pair and with new sets, the older pairs, as they are located, can be placed in desks around the house so I will always have a way to find my current ones.
I am not a hoarder, never have been. I like things neat and organized if there is not a purpose for it I give it to someone who does need it. My husband was in the military for 26 years, so I learned to throw out or give away what wasn't needed. I am not sentimental so I don't keep things son drew, etc. I do have family that are hoarders I don't care as long as its in their home and they don't try to bring stuff to mine.
I do have empathy for the mind that must have been traumatized some time in the past. But hoarding has very real health implications for the people who live in a hoarded house, especially since you can never really clean because the hoarder won't allow anything to be moved or removed.
Not a hoarder. Not a "saver" either. I'm a very pragmatic person, and I like things neat. I cannot stand clutter. Years ago, an acquaintance from church came to my house to pick something up, and she asked, "Where's all your stuff?" I couldn't imagine what she was talking about until I walked her out. From floor to ceiling, her vehicle was crammed with belongings -- bags of papers, books, craft supplies, blankets, food, etc. -- and it wasn't stuff she was collecting for donations. It was just how she lived, and it took me aback.
I am not a hoarder, never have been. I like things neat and organized if there is not a purpose for it I give it to someone who does need it. My husband was in the military for 26 years, so I learned to throw out or give away what wasn't needed. I am not sentimental so I don't keep things son drew, etc. I do have family that are hoarders I don't care as long as its in their home and they don't try to bring stuff to mine.
It was rather interesting about the two ways life works in the military. When one has to move often, it is wise to pack lightly.
And yet.......
Back in the 80s in the "attic" of my military police station, we had items that we had no use for, like 8 inch computer media.. Why? In case someone needed those and they had something we needed so a trade could be made. My people often went to DRMO, looking for things that we could use, such as flak jackets, such as camouflage fatigues (back when the Navy was blue dungaree), and then again, perhaps things that could be used in barter.
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I grew up really poor . Managed to do OK for a while. Now Im poor again. Oh well. Such is life. I can give stuff away but it pains me to throw something away if it has ANY value left at all. I clean OP houses. No one is allowed to toss ANY thing. They know this is one of my hang ups so they save it all for me so I can gather it up and pass it on to peeps that need it. 
