Downsizing a home is a stressful and challenging task. The need for a clean home is important, yet the time spent moving old stuff takes time. For adult children who have their own jobs and families, downsizing your parents’ home might seem like a challenge. Your parents’ opinions and feelings must be taken into consideration. Worry not; here is a guide to approach your parents about downsizing their home. 

Calmly articulate your desire to downsize the home

Downsizing may be a topic your parents don’t want to discuss. As much as you want to downsize your home, you need to consider their opinions. Do not express cleaning and downsizing as an order but as a collaborative effort.

Talk to them in a respectful manner and use words that encourage them to downsize. Instead of telling them to clean out and downsize the home, suggest a change and talk about the benefits. Try to make it their choice. 

You may also try the approach wherein cleaning is an adventure. You can tell them that you found your old stuff by cleaning out your room. Look through old stuff together to connect and reminisce about good memories. 

Start planning.

Once you are able to convince your parents, it’s time to plan your downsizing project. Start by assigning rooms for each member of the family, or you can pick smaller rooms that you can easily clean. 

Cleaning a home is difficult, so offer refreshments in between breaks. Plan the process with all the siblings to avoid any conflict because there is a chance one will become the designated adult to clean the home. Each member must have a contribution despite living elsewhere, such as scheduling for charity pick-ups, paying for cleaning materials, and so on. 

There’s no need to finish everything immediately. There are a lot of mementos you can find. Save the important mementos in one box, and set aside piles for donation or disposal. Play your parent’s favorite music to keep them entertained while cleaning. 

Donate old stuff and clean the home.

Disposing valuable content is hard for all, especially if it has sentimental value. Ask your parents which items to keep. Make sure to dispose of items you think can’t be passed down anymore. Tell them there isn’t enough room in the home to store all their possessions. 

Pack the items to be donated. Remember that you aren’t disposing of them like trash but passing them down to other people who can appreciate them. You can take photos of these cherished items to preserve their memories. 

Once you pack all the items, schedule a pick-up with a charity organization. The clean space can be redecorated to give an airy and bright feel to the home. 

Conclusion

Downsizing is an emotional experience because it involves going through items that have special meaning in your lives. Talk to your parents about your plans and include them in the planning. Make the experience memorable for all of you. 

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