Decluttering with Kids in 2025: Our Plan to Cut 50% of Our Stuff
My husband and I have decided to thoroughly declutter our stuff and let go of at least half of our family’s belongings during the year 2025.
In this blog post I’ll share:
- Why we’re decluttering with kids in 2025,
- Our decluttering goals for the year,
- Our chosen approach to decluttering, and
- A look at our 12-month decluttering plan for 2025.
Why We’re Starting Our Decluttering Journey in 2025
There have been a few important realizations, which have especially triggered us to begin this journey towards simplifying our family’s life in 2025.
How Moving Six Times Made Us Reconsider Our Stuff
My husband and I met in 2017 and since then we’ve moved to a new home 6 times.
The reasons for moving were various: we wanted to live together, then I moved to study abroad for 6 months, we moved back together again and then we had to move out due to water damage.
When we finally found a rental apartment which could have lasted us longer, we decided to jump into home ownership and finally bought our first own home.
All of these moves have been very exhausting, (although we’ve gotten very good at it!). Packing and unpacking all of our shared belongings over and over again has made us very conscious about how much unnecessary stuff we have.
A huge part of the stuff we’ve moved around from one place to the next are items that we don’t need anymore, but somehow are still reluctant to let go of.
Preparing for Life with Two Kids: Why We Need Less Stuff
Now that we’ve finally purchased our first home and successfully moved in, we’re suddenly busy parents to a little toddler and soon caring for our second baby, expected to arrive in early 2025.
As our 18-month-old toddler has started to get more and more interested in her surroundings and likes to touch everything she can get her hands on, we’ve really had to make an effort to keep our shared spaces as minimal as possible.
Because we still have lots of excess stuff, this means we keep shuffling the stuff from one room to the next whenever we need the extra space to function for something else.
Constantly having to tell our toddler “no” and “don’t touch” as well as shuffling and reshuffling piles of clutter around our home in order to hide it from our curious little one feels exhausting.
Adapting Our Small Apartment to Fit Our Growing Family
It’s not just about realizing that the next few years with small kids will mean we’ll have to keep everything as baby- and toddler-proof as possible.
The reality is that our apartment has two bedrooms and was never meant to be a home for four people.
Still, we’re curious to try adapting to our environment instead of just automatically upsizing to a larger home and moving out of the city.
If people can live in tiny houses with several children, why couldn’t we thrive in a two-bedroom apartment with a dog and two kids?
Before deciding to list our home for sale, we’d like to at least try to make it work for us.
Decluttering for an Environmentally Friendly Future: Our Worries for the Planet and Our Kids
The constant hype to buy more things, and update our gadgets to the latest, new model while previous one’s are made to last only for a short period of time, just feels very sad and discouraging.
Although there’s only very little one person can do to make a positive impact on the world, we want to make sure we’ve tried our best to live our lives as sustainably as possible while raising our children.
Our Decluttering Goals for the Year Ahead
We have defined three goals as we start our journey to declutter with kids in 2025.
Tidying is just a tool, not the final destination. The true goal should be to establish the lifestyle you want most once your house has been put in order. — Marie Kondo
1. Creating a Peaceful and Organized Home
Our biggest goal is to create a peaceful and organized home where we’re not constantly shuffling things around simply because there’s too much stuff.
We’ve come to realize just how precious this time is while our kids are small. We don’t want to look back with regrets, wishing we had been more present.
Worst of all would be letting the stress of clutter lead to frustration or arguments.
With toddlers who love to pull everything out of drawers, cupboards, and drag things all over the house, it’s easy for messes to feel overwhelming. That’s why simplifying our space now feels so important for our family’s well-being.
2. Feeling More Capable of Doing Spontaneous Things
It would be great to invite people over to our home spontaneously, but too often we feel embarrassed to invite people in because of our messy home.
On our days off it would be amazing to just head out on a day-trip or do something fun as a family, but too often we spend our days off tidying our messy spaces, instead of enjoying our time together.
Having fewer belongings could make us feel more capable of pursuing our passions and going after our dreams, whether it’s traveling, hosting overnight guests or just being as free as possible to experience more as a family, instead of being tied down by our material possessions.
By having fewer belongings, we believe we could feel more capable of pursuing our passions and chase our dreams—whether that’s traveling, hosting guests, or simply experiencing more freedom as a family.
3. Feeling Like We’re in Control of Our Stuff
Together with decluttering our belongings in 2025, our family is also going to do a no-buy year.
Curious about the story behind our no-buy year? Learn more about why we’ve decided to take on this challenge.
This means we’re only going to shop for essentials and trying to reduce all non-essential spending for the entire year.
We want to challenge ourselves to:
- avoid new purchases as far as possible,
- try our best to find the things we need second-hand,
- or support our local small businesses working towards offering more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Doing a no-buy year will be a big challenge for us, especially as we’re growing our young family.
Our little ones will be in constant need of new clothes, shoes and accessories as they grow and develop quickly. This means closely keeping track of what we already have, what we should get rid of and what we need to purchase next.
Applying The Konmari Method to Decluttering with Kids in 2025
This year, we’ve decided to embrace the KonMari method as our approach to decluttering with kids in 2025.
Marie Kondo became famous for her approach to decluttering when her work The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up was first published in 2011.
Although I don’t fully agree with everything Kondo presents in her work, the KonMari method still feels like a good fit for our family, offering a clear and structured framework to simplify our home.
What we like about the KonMari method is its focus on…
- keeping only what sparks joy,
- tidying up by category instead of by location, and
- encouraging intentional decision-making.
With two young kids, we know the process won’t be as perfect as the books or TV shows. But we’re adapting it to work for us.
We’re going to tackle one category at a time and hope this approach will help us reduce 50% of our belongings this year.
For us it’s not just about tidying; it’s about creating a calmer, more joyful home, and relieving our stress as new parents and freeing up more time for us to also enjoy life.
Our 12-Month Decluttering Plan
In her work Kondo suggests that one should be able to “quickly” declutter all possessions in about half a year.
We have decided to stretch our timeframe to a 12-month period, because we’ll be taking care of our newborn at the same time.
Our 12-month decluttering plan is designed to help us tackle our goal of reducing 50% of our family’s belongings while also aligning with our no-buy year.
By breaking the process into monthly themes, we can stay focused and hopefully build habits that last beyond 2025.
Each month will focus on a specific category of items, following the KonMari method’s structure:
- January: Clothes – starting with the easiest category to create momentum.
- February: Books – sorting through what sparks joy and what’s simply gathering dust.
- March: Papers – tackling everything from old bills to school paperwork.
- April–November: Komono (miscellaneous) – splitting this into smaller subcategories like kitchenware, toys, and electronics.
- December: Sentimental items – reflecting on memories as we declutter.
As you may notice the category of Komono (meaning miscellaneous items in Japanese) is very broad, and will take the most time for us to sort through.
This gradual approach ensures we can stay consistent without feeling overwhelmed, creating a simpler, more intentional family home by year’s end.
What We’ll Be Sharing Along the Way
Throughout 2025, we’ll be sharing our family’s journey of decluttering with kids, both here on the blog and little snippets on Instagram.
Each month, we’ll share updates on the specific category we’re focusing on, along with practical insights and tips from our experience.
Although our small children won’t be actively involved in the decluttering process due to their age, I’ll share my reflections on…
- how decluttering impacts family life with little ones, and
- how we manage decluttering while caring for small kids.
In addition to practical advice, I’ll dive into the emotional side of letting go—reflecting on the lessons learned and the joy of creating a simpler home.
Whether you’re starting a decluttering journey yourself or just curious about the process we’re undertaking, I hope our journey inspires you.
Are You Thinking about Decluttering with Your Family in 2025?
We’d love for you to join us on our 2025 decluttering journey!
Follow along as we tackle one category at a time and work toward reducing 50% of our family’s belongings. We’ll share monthly updates, tips, and reflections both here and on Instagram.
Have your own decluttering goals? Let’s do this together!
Share your progress, tips, or questions in the comments or tag us on Instagram. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for inspiration, we’re here to support each other.
Decluttering with Kids: Our Plan for 2025
In 2025, our decluttering journey with kids is about more than tidying up—it’s about creating a home that supports mental health, family well-being, and a simpler lifestyle.
Spreading the process over 12 months lets us adjust for life’s big moments (like welcoming a newborn!) while steadily working toward reducing 50% of our belongings.
This timeline also complements our no-buy year, helping us appreciate what we already own and reinforcing mindful consumption.
We’re excited about the positive changes this journey will bring: not just for our home but for our mindset too.
Follow Along and Share Your Thoughts
We’re so excited to share our journey with you!
Stay tuned for monthly updates, tips, and reflections as we work toward a simpler home.
Have thoughts or your own decluttering goals? Share them in the comments—we’d love to hear from you!
