If you're one of the thousands of parents who have been shamelessly binge-watching Tidying Up With Marie Kondo on Netflix [1], then you probably feel the immediate need to straighten up your space. But between your partner, kids, pets, and everything else on your to-do list, digging in can seem like a lot to take on at first. And far and away the most overwhelming part? Dealing with all the clothes your squad has amassed [2]. Scroll through to get a bird's-eye view of how to KonMari your family's closets with as little stress as possible [3]. And FYI: you can totally apply this process to your kiddos' closets, too.
Throw all your clothes in one spot.
Yes, it's that easy. Simply go through your closets and drawers and pull out every single item of clothing you own and throw it in a common area, like the middle of your bed, for example.
Gather the rest of your belongings, including out-of-season clothing and underwear.
When Marie says everything, she means everything. Don't forget to pull your out-of-season clothes, socks, bras, underwear, shoes, handbags, and scarves and add them to the pile. Undergarments especially have a tendency to pile up without us noticing, so be as liberal as possible when deciding what to keep. After all, every bra and panty has a shelf life!
Go through the pile item by item.
Once you've gathered all your clothes in one place, go through the pile one by one. Hold up each item and ask yourself whether or not it sparks joy for you. Start with things that feel easy — aka the ones that make you feel an immediate "yes!" or "no!" — before tackling the trickier items. Make sure you thank the items you've bid adieu to for a moment before tossing them in the donate pile; it's a huge part of the process! Another tip to keep in mind? Stick to your belongings if you're organising with a partner. The owner of the actual item should be the one to decide whether it stays or goes.
Make a "maybe" pile, but try to limit it.
Put clothes you're truly not sure about in a maybe pile, but try to keep it down to a reasonable amount of pieces, like 10 or fewer. While it's not uncommon to grow attached to a certain pair of pants or shoes, you won't get very far in your operation if everything you've picked up stays in the maybe pile! Once you've sorted through everything, try on every single item from the maybe pile before making a final decision.
Be honest about clothes that don't fit.
As an optimist who told myself I could fit back into those size 0 shorts from college one day, after a while you just need to be realistic. When faced with a piece that's too small or doesn't fit, ask yourself: "Am I excited about trying to fit back into it? Or do I get stressed out just from looking at it?" There lies your answer of whether you should keep or toss.
Organise the clothes you've opted to keep.
This is the final step of getting your family's closets and drawers in order and putting what's left back in its rightful place. Marie suggests using a specific folding method [5] that makes it easier to see every shirt or pair of pants without having to wade through huge piles. Added bonus: this method is a lot harder for little kids to mess up!