Our attic is a place to explore and to hang out.
It’s a magical place for our grandchildren filled with memorabilia, books, toys, vases and stuffed animals. The floors creak and echo. There is a rug for sitting cross legged and to play marbles.
You know the kind that is nostalgic in favorite books like Little Women. How many girls dreamed of writing in their attic at an old desk or dreamed the hours away on an old saved couch?
The saved Star Wars light sabers transported the boys to a galaxy far away.
The grandkids loved when they could finally were big enough to go up whenever they want. Sometimes the youngest ones grab Grandpa or Mary, the oldest grandchild to be their escort.
So much to explore! Hopefully some sweet memory making is happening too.
so much stored
It is also a place of storage. Maybe your space is a garage or storage unit. Doesn’t matter!
It’s time to clean out the nest!
This is an on going process as our kids gradually moved out, we gradually sent their saved bins with them. That included college stuff and childhood toys and trophies. One moved to the big city but has not room for any extras. I wonder sometimes if they regret having more storage now! I think they hide their eye rolling when Jim and I invite them to come up to the attic with us.
Planning for nest cleaning
We are empty nesters as you know. The last one moved in March. Though we have given each one different items for their homes over the years, we recognize it is definitely time to clean out the nest!
Nest cleaning is not for the faint of heart! Nest cleaning is not the same as the usual and frequent routine decluttering. This is a cleaning out possessions we have but want to pass on to our family and others. Other items will be set aside to donate or sell. Honestly, some will be trashed.
Like any major project, breaking it down into stages and steps is helpful. It was helpful for Jim and I to agree on those plans and goals. It helps me at least to manage expectations.
Warning!
This has the potential to be a big emotional upset. As Meg had questions when we started talking to her about emptying our nest. In her insightful often pointed manner she asked, “Are you asking because you’re talking about when you die or because you want to give us stuff now?”
Our answer was we want to give you stuff now! Definitely give now!
Only then was she ready to discuss the subject.
We started this specific discussion over a year ago. I believe that is important.
Like many empty nesters, we explored downsizing to a smaller place. Eventually though, we decided not to move.
Kids take their stuff out of the nest
When the kids moved out to college apartments or homes, they took starter items from the attic. Bedding, kitchen items, curtains, maybe shower curtain too. Even that extra bed! There were some things that were purchased. This was Amy’s first bedroom in her big city apartment.
I think the city slogan should be “Big city, small apartments”.
When the kids married and moved their places. those were nice but small. Their next move was to a larger place. We were excited for them!
More room for bins and boxes!
backstory of our home
Having a full attic meant we had space for storage. Having a full attic meant we could keep so much that we stored when we went overseas and after our folks passed.
When our folks passed, our anchor homes were gone. We really needed a heart home base here in the states. We had moved overseas for over a decade. We sold our home and most of our possessions except for a few keepers. We had no place to land during our home assignments until we bought this home after our first child started college.
It was such a relief at least for me. We had a ‘forever home’ for the first time in our marriage. Naturally, we started to fill the attic up! I was not in any rush to part with anything.
As Amy said, “I am not ready right now for these decisions. I have too much going on with moving and new job. Also I don’t have room. Please don’t ask me to make these type of decsions now. I just can’t.”
Just as we have for the older three, we will keep anything Amy and Meg want until they are in position to take them.
Also, any of them need to be careful about admiring something too much! I just might hand it to them to take home!
shop by photos
It is no pressure. The Windsor style rocking chair was claimed by our oldest granddaughter for her room after Jim sent out a photo with the caption, ‘Anyone want this?’ There are some items different kids have spoken for. Right now, we are not removing furniture or art we are still enjoy having in our home.
One grandchild loves stuffed animals! The bigger the better seemsto be his particular preference in slecting stuffed animals. We check with his aunts first. All of the stuffed toys are theirs. I’m not sure they have said no so far.
He took home a very large gorilla won during a Hershey Park trip one year. He also chose a sloth. No idea where that came from.
Slowly, the saved toys that have accumulated over a decade. When we moved back to the US, we were able to bring every thing the girls wanted to keep. That included their stuffed toys.
Over the years, they have given many away. Since we have moved all of our children many times over theyears, we tried to be careful to keep those special toys and books. Frankly, we weren’t entirely successful.
getting ready for a nest sort
Asking our adult kids to take on too many things at a time is too much. We are finding by focusing on a catagory at a time, it is not only more managable for us it is easier for them.
This is a potential land mine of emotions and stresses for all of us. Jim and I also have to be ready to see these things go out the door to new homes!
nest cleaning plan
- Decide which catagory to start with. Do not add other stuff.
- Set up a large space, table or floor where you can work without disruption. This may take more than one afternoon
- A good attitude of can do!
Nest clesning supplies
- Empty boxes and bins
- Sturdy trash bags for the random things that no one wants
- Sharpie and post-it notes and moving tape
- A good attitude of can do!
nest cleaning heart preparation
Let’s be honest. It did take me awhile to really embrace the nest cleaning. I can’t deny there is a spiritual aspect for me in the process.
Yes, I knew it needed to be done. All ofthe stuff in the attic seemed to be multiplying!
Yes, we routinely passed along bins and other ‘stuff’ to the kids or set it aside for Amy and Meg. When we get out seasonal decor, I purge the raggedy and broken.
Yes, I knew we had to do this even if we weren’t moving. For years, that had been our practice.
Yes, I had to be willing to accept there would be items no one would want and to not pressure them. Their taste and ours don’t always match.
recap
What did I want? What were my goals?
Pass along any of our possessions to our children and grandchildren. We did not want to leave a mess for our estate that would be stressful for our children.
We want to continue a life long practice of good stewardship as much as we could. We weren’t alays good stewards but we did try.
Follow along in the coming months as I share our journey of cleaning out nest! Hopefully, it will be helpful to you.
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No wonder your family love your attic space. I’ve never seen such a light and airy place. That would certainly be a treasure trove for Little Women.
All it needs is a couch. The desk up there is covered in boxes!
I think an attic full of family treasures would be such a magical place to explore.
The kids do love it!
Great fun
It is!
We don’t really have a storage space per se in our house; no attic, our basement is finished, and we have never owned a storage unit. I mean we have lots of closets but there isn’t much that I can see passing along to my boys when they move out. Our closets mostly hold clothes/ coats, cleaning products/toiletries, board games and things like that. I declutter constantly and while I definitely think we could live with far fewer possessions than we have unless we were to physically move into a much smaller house they’re going to be starting pretty much from scratch. BUT I do remember loving going through the attic at my grandmother and even my great grandmother’s houses. They had old clothes in trunks, toys from when my parents or even grandparents were growing up, vintage plates and household goods. It felt like treasure to me!
Thanks for sharing. We all have so many different stories. I love having an attic! I love hearing our kids play up there and now the grandkids. Hope they have wonderful memories like you do. We do routinely declutter like you. Because we have had the attic after years of moving, I like having space for storage. Our kids have told us they appreciate it because we finally had a family home to land when they came home from college and overseas.
I remember emptying our nest just a few years ago when we retired. The boys regret not taking some of the things from their childhood that they were offered when we were cleaning up. I regret giving up some things too. It’s not easy but it has to be done. Good luck!!
How daunting that must have been! We have been doing over the years as the older kids bought their first houses. We are being more purposeful now even though we are not plannng a move any time soon. Because I had to get rid of stuff over the years I regret I am happy to hold on to things until they decide. Now, we are more purposeful now that they all have more room in their 2nd homes. Amy and Meg have said what they want when they have space. The grandkids have unearthed as few forgotten treasure and toys they get to take home! Their parents roll their eyes but let them carry them home.
My Mom & Dad did that and we kids (four daughters) used to make some unpleasant comments about how Mom got rid of things. Fast forward 20 years and now we all are seeing why they did that. It’s not that they were preparing for “not being here” because they lived a good 20 to 30 years after “the cleanout” – it was just we didn’t realize how much stuff they had and we have. I stayed with my Mom the last 7 1/2 years until she passed and she always knew exactly where everything was because she had as she put it “streamlined it so she didn’t have to think as much”. That allowed Mom to be able to go out and be free.
Good luck and you will love it once it is done.
Pam. thank you for sharing your story. It’s our aim to streamline!
Thanks for sharing your story. That is our hope is to pass along items they want and for us to live with what we enjoy having in our home.