"The 6 year old Horder..."

My favorite thing in life is to throw crap out.    Purge.  Trash.  Pack it for good will.  Give it to a friend. 

I loathe clutter so much I keep a 7-shelf cabinet totally empty.

Yes.   It's true.  Come over.  Empty.

The 7-shelf unit is void of books, nick-nacks and other crap just to remind me that life is short and anything worth putting on a shelf I never see, isn't worth keeping.

It helps me in so many ways.  At a store, Ill load my cart with things I think I want and when I go to check out I have a serious converation with myself.  "Do you really need that?"  (never ask do you want, cause you know you'll want everything).

All my kids understand and are great at "giving stuff to poor kids."  (At least that's what I tell them, but I'm sure even poor kids wouldn't want their old stuff.)

My daughter, 6, is not a Mommy follower.  She argues with me that even the paper kid menu from California Pizza Kitchen is so precious it's worth saving forever to give to her kids.  I suggest giving it to poor kids and she says, "They can go to that restaurant if they want one so bad."  I explain over and over.  She just has her own agenda.  Later I hide the menu and then toss it in the trash when she's not looking.  But she finds it, "MOM!!!"

I respond, "Daddy didn't mean to throw out your menu."

I've tried teaching her the benefits of tossing stuff, but it's an endless battle I lose every time.

So if anyone wants to do a study on the habits of a future hoarder...I've got a live one for you.