Allie Casazza - Be the Boss of Your Stuff: The Kids Guide to Decluttering and Creating Your Own Space

To Bella, Leland, Hudson, and Emmett.

You guys are the reason I figured this out, the reason I kept going, the reason I continue to spread the message of simplicity to an overcomplicated, heavy world.

I love you all so much. Keep using your light to make the world a better place.

Mom

Be the Boss of Your Stuff

2022 Allie Casazza

Tommy Nelson, PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Tommy Nelson. Tommy Nelson is an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

Published in association with literary agent Jenni Burke of Illuminate Literary Agency, www.illluminateliterary.com.

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NOTES

Step 3. Get the Trash Out and Check Your Habits

. Word Explorer Childrens Dictionary, s.v. habit, accessed July 25, 2021, https://kids.wordsmyth.net/we/?level=2&rid=18357.

. Lena Firestone, Thinking Positively: Why You Need to Wire Your Brain to Think Positive, PsychAlive, acessed July 26, 2021, https://www.psychalive.org/thinking-positively/.

Step 7. Design Your Space

. Color Psychology, True Value Paint, accessed July 25, 2021, https://www.truevaluepaint.com/color-101/color-psychology.

ISBN 978-1-4002-2582-8 (audiobook)

ISBN 978-1-4002-2586-6 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-4002-2641-2 (HC)

Epub Edition December 2021 9781400225866

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file.

Written by Allie Casazza

Photos Brian Casazza Photography LLC: .

Photos iStock: by PeopleImages.

Photos Shutterstock: by New Africa.

Printed in South Korea

22 23 24 25 26 SAM 6 5 4 3 2 1

Mfr: SAM / Seoul, South Korea / February 2022 / PO #12034412

Ebook Instructions

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Contents

H i, friend!

Im honored that youre giving this book to a kid in your life. I have big hopes for this message and its effect on the next generation! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being a tide-turner with me.

Several years ago I had three kids under the age of three. I was a stay-at-home mom, and at that time, I felt so depressed, so overwhelmed, so stuck in my home and in my life. Those feelings leaked into everythinghow I felt about myself, my parenting, my home, and my relationships. And those negative feelings about my life impacted every aspect of it. I had no idea how to make it better.

Out of desperation I decided to make the physical space around me lighter. I hoped that if the heaviness of my space was transferring to other parts of my life, then maybe the lightness would too. And I was right.

I had never realized how much stuff my family had accumulated over the years. We owned so many things we werent using that just sat on shelves or were stuffed in closets and drawers. And the worst part was that it was all just sitting around for the kids to pull out and make a mess. And so they did. Every day. And then I would pick it all up again and put it away. Over and over and over.

What a cycle! Such an unnecessary time-suck and drain on my mental energy. Our home had an atmosphere of tension because of the disarray, so the kids were constantly bickering, they were overstimulated, and their attitudes were negative. Our system needed to change big-time, and I was ready to make that happen.

As I sifted through each room and got rid of clutter, there was less and less housework to do. I learned a lesson that changed my life moving forward: what takes up your space takes up your time.

This journey I went through as a mom has brought so much freedom to my family. The house is easy to maintain, Im happier, Im more available for what I actually want to spend my time and energy on, the kids have more time to play, and their toy bins hold only their favorite thingsthe things worth taking up space. They spend less time on chores and cleanup and more time riding their bikes and skateboarding to the park. Our home feels lighter, and I do too. And since Im the mom, that lightness spills over to my kids and the vibe in our home.

The simple act of decluttering has changed everything. It taught us that we can have a home that works with us, not against us. It also taught us a lot of lessons about consumptionwhat we buy, why we buy things, and how many things we buy. Its been transformative! Ive passed these lessons and this lifestyle of realistic minimalism to my kids, and its been a really cool thing to see them grow into.

They are less materialistic than many of their friends. They are more groundedtheyre happier, theyre more confident, and they have more self-control. They are more connected to each other as siblings. Their imaginations have bloomed. (I wish I would have known sooner that kids brains dont function well when overstimulated by clutter!) They also know who they are as human beings. Theyve tapped into their talents, interests, and gifts, and they have time to develop them. At such young ages, that is a huge benefit! My kids are now grown up in this lifestyle of simplicity, and its been nothing but good.

We still do birthday parties. We still celebrate holidays and get excited about presents. Its just less chaotic, less about consumerism, less noisy. Its more aligned with the kind of childhood I deeply desire my kids to experience, and that feels so good.

If you picked up this book, I assume you want your kids to know this freedom too. You probably want them to grow up with an inspired childhood that helps them develop what makes them unique and what makes their imaginations run wild.

As a parent, I have made a lot of mistakes. Havent we all? But one of the best things Ive done for my kids is to let their space be their space. Granting them ownership of their stuff and their rooms has given them freedom to be creative and discover who they are.

Its a tricky business to not control the way my kids keep their rooms. It hasnt come naturally to me. But by letting go of that control, their bedrooms have become a safe space that feels like theirs. Its a small way I can send the message that theyre different from me and that they are their own selvesand thats good!

Yes, there are boundaries. There are rules in the home. They cant keep an old plate of tuna under their bed or re-wear the same pair of underwear twelve times and not hear about it from me. Like, dont be gross. But they can have art all over their walls if thats what they want. It doesnt have to be magazine-ready. It doesnt even have to reflect our standards for the rest of the house. Our job as grown-ups is to teach them, using pieces of freedom as part of the process.