These are books I heartily recommend that address not just clutter, but CLUTTER – the kind that overwhelms and paralyzes. Whether you are a parent who doesn’t want to burden your children or are the child of parents who are aging, these books can help you get a head start on clearing the “stuff”.
Julie Hall is an estate liquidation specialist. Her book deals with navigating the pitfalls of sibling arguments, parental sensitivities, and greedy resellers when trying to clear the family home. While written specifically for children of the Sandwich Generation, sidebars and other notes make this a friendly reminder to parents that that love means not waiting for a crisis to address the serious issues.
SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life: A Four-Step Guide to Getting Unstuck
The subtitle of this book could read: When Organizing Isn’t Enough! Obviously, it is easier to organize less stuff. However, at some point the sheer volume of possessions makes organizing impossible. If you or your parents have lived in the same home for 20+ years, the collection has been growing for a while, utilizing every available nook and cranny. Julie Morgenstern’s book gives you a workable plan of attack to make a serious dent in the accumulation of stuff. The resulting freedom is worth all the sweat equity!
From deciding when a move is necessary, to what to keep/dispose of, to checklists for the actual move, Vicki Dellaquilla provides a road map to guide you and your parent along the journey. Vicki has an empathy and understanding of the emotions surrounding our belongings from her expertise as a professional organizer and senior move manager.
NOTE for my fellow Sandwich Generation children:
It is extremely hard to tell another adult what to do, even when it is for their best good. Sometimes it will take the crisis as a wake up call. Do what you can now to be sure legal and financial documents are in place. Then slowly try to work at clearing one room at a time.
Your parents may listen to an objective third person say the same thing you have been trying to say for years. You can find a pro organizer in your area atwww.napo.net, or an auctioneer to help value items at http://www.auctioneers.org/
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