What a brave homeowner and mom. I would not have survived that level of scrutiny from these scholars. I appreciate your willingness to help all of America!
+Kieran Bertrand ....minimalist is great. I am trying to be like that too.......we have no cupboards inour hopeless house though, so cumbersome darn freestanding cupboards bug me here as the roomsare very small. My youngest son is living by himself in a flat and he regularly gets rid of things and it's a joyto be in his environment. He just has what he needs.
Am glad I live minimally and buy fresh unpackaged food. These hoarder videos are interesting. Glad I live in Switzerland, where we live minimally. Americans surely seem to accummulate things but then debt happens. Horror of horrors.
No 1 rule about clutter: "Don't become emotionally attached to anything made in a factory." It's just a mass produced "thing" they used for a while. Visualize it in a row of thousands of lookalike objects. Don't confuse feelings about a significant person with feelings about their stuff.Your stuff too, from your former life or childhood. Don't invest emotion in it, Focus on real people living now, not the departed, the past, or their stuff. There's no joy in it. It'll burden you with guilt, remorse, nostalgia. Bung it!
+walshamite By real people you mean poor people. So let us get this straight you want people to have less so they can concentrate upon your social justice population.
+bighands69 Wow that was a leap. I just got the impression walshamite was talking about other people friends, family, loved ones. I've seen a couple of your comments and it seems like you are very defensive and quick to make assumptions that people want you to give up everything. Why are you watching and commenting on videos like this if you are content in your consumerism?
+bighands69 Social justice population? I'm confused, this means nothing to me in this context. By real people, I mean (as lizzybearcutie intuited) the significant people in one's life, rather than objects... it has nothing to do with rich or poor or social justice. After I lost my parents, their possessions became a huge burden for some time, especially after much was stolen after 2 break-ins. Loss and guilt and grief got confused with their possessions. We must separate mere "things" from memories to get past that dilemma. Humans get a total life of about 30,000 days, then you're gone forever. Getting bonded to stuff - especially factory-produced consumer items - during this brief life is like wearing a ball and chain. People acquire, gather, hoard, insure, protect... stuff they don't need. Watch the TED talks about happiness. None of them recommend money or stuff; in fact, the reverse is true. Nearly all hoarders have a history of emotional loss they've not come to terms with. But clutter makes life impossible. Simplifying, downsizing, reducing the burden of possessing, frees the mind and the spirit to live lightly on the earth. Life has more to offer than shepherding a pile of junk.
OwlCUlater Hey it's an amazing video! really nice concept especially about home clutter tips. I have also found something unique and helpful for home organizing websites is Skyarza Declutter Expert Star - if anyone wants to know more search on google. Best of luck!
000 how old are you? Maybe if you can't get them to adopt a similar lifestyle, you can move out on your own soon. If you could get them to watch RUclips videos it might hell
Okay, after seeing this, I no longer need help. I think I need to approach this differently. One room at a time was fine until I started the kitchen. I've given away a lot of things, mostly from my kitchen. I've been cooking for people many years and love kitchen glasses, appliances, silverware, dishes, and cookware. I have a box full of lids for pots and pans. I even have brand new cookware. I'm now going to call goodwill. I have a month before move day and am putting things in boxes, leaving them open to see if I have to go hunting. I have time to make the decisions and already know there are things I should part with. Thank you so much for the help. I paid a lot for my things, but I CAN let go. G. Clarke
We have a six monthly curbside collection by the local council which allows us to discards superfluous items. Many people look through your stuff for a bargain before the council comes to pick it up. It is a fun time for the community
+EveryThingTech That is the thing it is not yours to make a decision with. People have a right to live as they chose with out some moral condemnation of their life.
Great video content! Forgive me for the intrusion, I would appreciate your initial thoughts. Have you considered - Mahorrla Control Clutter Method (Sure I saw it on Google)? It is a great one off product for decluttering your home without the normal expense. Ive heard some unbelievable things about it and my mate after a lifetime of fighting got great results with it.
Such a brave lady to share her home honestly ♥️ I've been downsizing for a couple of years. It's a process, we've been taught to have so many things, it's so overwhelming!
we in America are really overdoing it and spoiling our children, we think Christmas means getting every single thing on a long list of kids wish list and go crazy - kids don't need all these toys, video games, etc. they play with it a few times and then abandon it. Better to limit what kids have, get a few quality toys that they really want, and have them learn to appreciate it. That way they will learn to value what they have in life and stop collecting too much stuff they don't need and treat it as junk later, or fall into the consumerism trap.
When i was a kid i'd signal on brochures all the toys i wanted and maybe i'd get two but i loooved those two or three and i'd play them to exhaustion, until they were just worn to death lol. Plus, when we went out and i'd ask for something my parents wouldnt give me everything, sometimes they'd say "when we can, we'll get it for you", so i was always thankful for everything i had. I also had alot of hand me downs but it was ok :) I'm portuguese btw.
adahir100 The Path Of Excess either leads to Joy or Destruction. We live in a Society where we seem to not be able to live without. Too much things, too much sentimentality, too much of a need to Keep Up With The Joneses.
adahir100 It's not just Christmas where kids get overindulged. Parents give kids presents on Easter now too. When I was growing up, I got colored eggs and candy for Easter. Kids now get toys, candy, new clothes, new expensive sneakers. Kids get huge birthday parties every year as opposed to every few years which means they get a mountain of stuff twice a year. Some people get their kids presents for Valentine's Day, too!
On The UK Soap Opera Coronation St., they are going to do a Storyline in which Two Friends find out that someone they know is a Hoarder and may get evicted from her Home. Where I live it happened to Two People.
I live in a large apartment with my kids and have been struggling with clutter. My apartment doesn't look as cluttered as these homes, but there still is too much stuff. Most of the rest of the parents I know are homeowners and every time I've visited their homes, their homes are pristine and showroom-looking. Not much clutter. Or so I thought! The tendency is to keep the living room, den, kitchen, bathroom pristine and showroom-ready but most of these people have garages, attics, basements, closets, pantries, cupboards, drawers, cabinets, trunks, bins, that are overflowing and stuffed to maximum capacity. Then many parents have converted the basement into cute playrooms but the playrooms look like toys stores - with one parent working full-time in many cases to subsidize the items. In some cases, my kids can't go into their friends' room because their room is a mess, not because of toys - the toys are in the playroom - but because of enough outfits to clothe a village, excess sentimental stuff, excess school accoutrements, etc. I used to have the same issue in my kids' home. Schools are also responsible for a lot of clutter, behavior prizes, too many certificates just for participation, goody bags from class parties, fliers, notices, more fliers, science and history projects that the kids don't want to dismantle, etc. In an apartment, small condo or small townhouse, one has to constantly purge. I wasn't purging enough so I still have clutter and felt embarrassed, stressed out, and depressed about it, especially when I was comparing myself to those parents who seemingly have neater homes. But in fact they have more clutter than I have! Their clutter is just hidden or hyper-organized into overpriced shelving units and what-nots from the Container Store, IKEA, and Target. I used to organize like that thinking that would solve my clutter issue, I knew there was a problem when the stuff wouldn't stay organized past 6 months. Or when I ran out of space for more bins and baskets. I've adopted minimalism and am going through that joyous process. When my family and I do become homeowners I don't want to take clutter habits with us.
+4mydearlady So let me guess you want everybody else to buy into your minimalism. I will stick my consumer dream of good cars, nice house, plenty of toys, gadgets (love my automatic coffee machine) and plenty of cheap clothing and high quality clothing. You may be happy with this your life but liberals today seem hell bent on ramming it down my throat as well.
+bighands69 Wow I have just been reading through the comments and the three or so of yours I have read are so angry and defensive. No one is saying you have to live like them - but you attack them for living differently to you. The only reason someone would react as you have is guilt! You know you are greedy and excessive and you attack others to try and compensate for those short comings. How about calming down and realising everyone who has commented does not know your life and are not attacking you? Spend and accumulate all you want, but try not to judge everyone else as being liberal do-gooders for not drowning in consumerism! And the only one I see "ramming it down" people's throats is you.
+bighands69 Please take your hate issues somewhere therapeutic... don't ram them down OUR throats! 4mydearlady was just being constructive. She got the message of the video clip.
+walshamite Yes, thank you! Gosh, some people just want to control every word you post and how you post it to fit their needs, their agenda! I can't believe it. I did get the message. How about I'm trying to learn from it without being personally attacked!
I’ve just started learning about minimalism and this came up on my feed. As a mom of 2, I could totally relate when they said the whole house is kid centered - my kids have toys in each their rooms, in the playrooms, there are books and kids drawings in my bedroom, kids toys in my home office (when they come in, they have something to play with), in the backyard (which is an outdoor playroom), a drawer in the dining room of crayons and coloring books - and in my car 😳 everywhere
When I think back 30 years ago,how much money I could have in the bank today if we had not got so much crab!I have very little, downsized about13 years ago and I am doing so much better,plus I saved a lot of money not buying all this crap!
+Shawntele Lewis I prefer my children to have as much variation as possible and to experience as many things as possible in their little lives. I do not know what quality over quantity means. A $1 plastic toy could make a child's experience just as a $1000 could as well.
you have a valid point, but maybe children should get stimulated more precisely in a thought process sense...not with toys, but learning important things since a young age? my lack of expertise sucks to be talking about this anyway.
I so relate to feeling the stress, the cortisol. Good video. I am making those hard, sentimentally reduced discarding of stuff, am stuck on photographs, sharing them with others.
Continued - Even emotional trauma or fear of future losses will motivate people to hold on to possessions. It builds up to an overwhelming point and then the decisions making required to sort through and choose what to discard and what to save. Some of the items may represent happy times they want to hold onto.
I'm in the dumpster business. All i see is stuff being thrown out every day. Usually it's when the parents die and the kids who are usually around 50-60 yrs old rent the dumpster and pitch everything. Then there's the abundance of plastic toys and crap made in China CONSTANTLY being pitched. Plastic robotic dinosaurs that cost 100 bucks that the kid doesn't play with anymore. What a waste!!! I told my wife, my family and her family not to buy me anything that is not consumable. No stuff. I'll accept food, liquor or gift cards to restaurants, gas or services, like a massage. Also like magazine subscriptions so I can read and then toss in the recycle bin.
"A place for everything and everything in it's place" was what I grew up with. I thought that making things smaller was a good thing, now I have too many things.
When I die (and I reckon that’s likely to happen one day), all my stuff will get thrown into a dumpster by someone so I’ve decided to strip down my number of possessions and be in control now of what goes and what stays.
I saw this documentary on Amazon called 7 Dumpsters and a corpse. A mom was a hoarder and her two grown sons had to clean her house after her death. She had sooo much stuff, plus a few storage units. I refuse to live like that. I don't have a lot of stuff. We don't want to leave an overwhelming amount of stuff for our son to have to deal with. My husband and I just refurbished our kitchen. We did all the work ourselves. When I posted it on FB, I got a lot of comments how clean it looked. We even have a few empty drawers and cabinets.
I was just in a house built in the 1930's. Everything was as rock solid as if had just been built. It even had the original gas engine for steam heat that was built in the 30's when things were built to last a hundred years.
great video. indicative of our consumer culture. I'm not saying it's evil but certainly very ingrained. being a minimalist I've noticed it more but try not to judge. even for my own journey getting rid of stuff I was surprised at how much and I only had a bedroom worth of stuff. I realized I kept onto things cause of sentiment reason. obviously keep some stuff but alit of it I can get rid of, don't need to lug it around. also I most of my stuff just sat. in a box or closet.
+Mentholian Smoke Nope, the one stuffed animal will be special whereas rooms of stuffed animals are just junk. Less toys means more creativity. I once gave my daughter a yard (meter) of glittery fabric. She played with the fabric for years. It was everything from a doll blanket, to a cape at Halloween to a "veil" for dressup. Then her younger sister took over the fabric; it became curtains for the playhouse .... you get the idea. The package store bought toys have no play value.
peggyt1243 There's nothing wrong with having one of certain toys but to make one toy and only toy, well that seems unfair. For instance, my son who is a toddler and is moderately autistic has a large collection of various different stuffed animals, he loves to hug all of them and lean back on them like you would a recliner to watch TV or color. He likes the various textures and appearance of each stuffed animal. He doesn't have hundreds but he does have probably about 13 or so stuffed animals ranging from a huge bear to a beanie baby duck.
+Mentholian Smoke I did not say a child should only have 1 toy. I said one stuffed animal, that is special is enough. Stuffed animals really do not have a lot of play value. Raw materials with no instructions are wonderful toys. My daughter as a young child would play for hours in the bathroom making "sculptures" out of toilet paper and liquid soap. She made her version of the Titanic and painted it appropriately when dry. I still have it tucked away as an example of her creativity.
I knew someone who had so many packages of toilet paper and paper towel that it filled her whole shower stall from floor to ceiling,,and so much medical supplies that she could open her own store.
I, honestly, do not see myself as a hoarder, but I do live in a fairly constant state of disorganized chaos. IT is overwhelming, especially when it my issues are compromised by AADD! Taking Adderall XR for the last 5 years has helped my focus, but 20 yrs prior of compartmentalizing my issues into little "ignorable" problems, have left their erroneous mark. I'm now very aware of my issue, but getting started & staying atop them is what's HARD! WEIRD, as away from home, I'm quite fastidious!
I think we collect and save things due to primitive drives that still motivate us. In the deep history of homo sapiens life was very uncertain. When the opportunity arose to save food that was a wise thing to do to prevent starvation in the coming winter. It was wise to save bear skins for warmth, etc. Anyone who has experienced a loss such as of a home due to foreclosure, hurricane, tornado or of a loved one or loss of job and income will tend to hold onto what they have and not discard.
I think getting rid of clutter is a wonderful way to simplify your life. However some of these comments are awfully "holier-than-thou," extremely judgmental, and a bit offensive. There is no cause to shame anybody for sharing a great Christmas with their children or celebrating birthdays with gifts.
this was my mom's problem too! It already started when I was still there, so I left home quite early in life and went to live abroad. Mom used to come and visit me on holidays... everything seemed ok. Then my aunt on the phone told me that my mom couldn't live by herself anymore, so I went to check. The situation was horrible and so sad... A woman who had done so much in her life, for me, my sister (shame on her, she lived just half a mile away) and many many other people didn't deserve to live like that! So I decided to clear everything up, got two workers and a dumpster, kept her at my house, no fuss, no-nonsense, there was the need for solving the problem! See here ruclips.net/video/tgFWII7B2QY/видео.html I then kept her to live with me and my family where she lived happily to be 92 years old!!! See ruclips.net/video/Wa_vWnFtSJs/видео.html
Thank you for sharing your journey in caring for your mother. It's clear you provided her with love and support in her later years, which is truly commendable. I wanted to clarify a few details you mentioned in your post. It seems your mother's hoarding began while you were young, then left home for abroad quite early in life, and you mentioned you mostly saw your mother when she visited you during holidays. You say you became aware of the state of her home and health when your aunt alerted you. It's worth noting that your sister might have had her own reasons for not being as involved, or even capable in your mother's day-to-day life, and we can't fully know her perspective. It sounds like your mother was the one dealing with the hoarding, which is a challenging condition. Instead of assigning blame, let's encourage open and compassionate conversations about how we can support families dealing with complex issues like hoarding. Your self-description as a 'problem-solving' reflects your determination to improve your mother's living conditions, and that's indeed something to be proud of. It's wonderful to hear that you and your mother shared a high quality of life during her later years due to the care you provided.
oh thank you so much for these beautiful words... well to be honest, I initially felt it was my duty to take care of her, although I was VERY VERY busy as an alone mother and provider for a home of 2 kids managing my way with 3 jobs, I did think it would give me a further burden on my shoulders. But as time went by living together, it was tough, I won't lie, because she did carry on hoarding in my house, I had to constantly chase hidden bags in the corners, cupboards and under the beds, but you know what? in the end she had such a great time with the kids, was such a great example of love, respect and knowledge, as well as giving me more freedom to go on working even more as she was always at home with the kids, so that was a definite plus. Now she has passed at the age of 92, rip, I hope she is still looking down on me and my family, I don't regret anything of what I've done for her, I would do it again a 1000 times again. Thank you and stay safe🤗
I think a lot of a problem is that “it’s going to be valuable someday”. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Is it really worth keeping/ dragging something around for 30 years really worth it? Just because you got something for 5$ 25 YEARS ago, and now it’s worth 45$( maybe, if you’re lucky) was it worth it? You may as well go gamble at the casino. Another thing I’ve noticed is that people tend to think their stuff is worth WAY WAY more than it is. Just because something is old, or “you don’t see these around” means squat.
No one talking about our buying culture and need to purchase it seems that we are told that we can have happiness if we buy it when everyone knows that this is an unrealistic and imaginary happiness.....our western culture encourages us all to spend,spend,spend . So it’s simple spend more TIME doing things with your kids instead of buying them things,spend more time learning about yourself and how to make your life better and spend time doing time doing productive things like decluttering. The big question is WHY do you need all this stuff?
Why do americans try to put a 'class' on a trash house. Makes no difference a dirty house is a dirty house No Matter your 'class'. I equate dirt and clutter low class, and so does the health inspector and child services. That title is pretentious . A pig in a dress is still just a pig!
i never understood the point of collections or the inability to toss old things. I get some have a mental illness, but, I personally can't have extra anything. I don't save anything for "just incase I need it later". if it doesn't have a home it can go in the trash or donation bin.
Gifts!! Remember when it was you birthday, or whatever, and a friend would give you a gift? It would be one thing - maybe wrapped up in paper. Now, it's got to be a basket or a big fancy bag, and then, of course, they feel obliged to make it look "full", so they fill it with a lot of crap you'll never use.... WTF?
That's so true. we have founfd more cheeper ways to get stuff. DIY's, secondhand store Craigs listSwap meets And so on and so onI am feeling overwhelmed No one helps me around the house I have adult children have small children I have a husband no one helps me and I have a bad back.... I want to do it myself, because I was OCD for so many years Everything was clean and perfect not anymore..... :-( so where to satrt?????? yes I know all this now what? Any solutions or advice besides just beating the Dead horse
controlled clutter. Give it away. Rubbermaid containers covered with Serapes, with an index box of contents, RM #, and location. Toys should only one box out at a time. Donate stuff.
Why is it that the responsible of cleaning up is only stressful for mothers, but not for fathers? And why is this professor indicating that it would only be the mother's responsibility??? How old is this clip?
She didn't say anything like that, she said it effects women more, while the clutter doesn't seem to bother men. It's having an actual physiological impact on women thru excess cortisol levels.
A big reason for these messes is because women began working outside of the home. They aren't there to do the tidying. Then the kids don't learn how to manage their rooms.
lol wtf...its a double standard thing not just for the woman, and its probably even a triple standard situation because the kids should be taught how to clean the shit they make not expect others to do it for them...
So... apparently the men are not responsible for the teaching of clean behavior towards their own children is what your saying? Sounds even more irresponsible than the working women who bring home the bacon. Lol
Because of the high cost of a conventional home the trend now is for tiny homes, this is going to limit just how much stuff you can jam into a small space, and put a lot of that money into a pension account, those one dollar bills are going to add up once people get away of going out and buying crap they don't need, boredom must account for a lot of needless spending. My remedy for that is get another job.!!!
Q. Why do Americans have so much stuff? A. Because we're taught to hate and fear one another, to delegate responsibility for everything to the state instead of directly helping one another or taking control of our own lives. We are then taught to use things to replace people and the accumulation of things as a substitute for actually accomplishing anything.
Reminds meof a comic i saw in the NY Times that showed a man standing next to a garage filled with stuff telling his son. just think.. someday this will all be yours..yikes.. and yes thats pretty much the boat we are all in,,,, at the end
Upper class tend to throw/donate stuff that they won't use even if it's fully functional or new. They don't keep them to use them later because they always afford new ones.
Disagree about snoopy. Its like smurfs and mickey mouse or teenage mutant ninja turtles they revamp the character. There is a chain of amusement parks with the peanut theme in the kids area.
My problem is, I want to get rid of lots of things in favor of newer things. The rest of my family starts to guilt trip me and my husband anytime we talk of wanting to get rid of a lot things. Like, "oh your mother loved this thing...your dad loved that thing, you used to love this as a child...how could you possibly get rid of it!?" As it is now, we have a storage building full of stuff as well as a garage attic full of stuff. We're slowly getting rid of things to try and avoid comments from family.
Kids need variety, there's absolutely nothing wrong with having a various amount and types of toys. These people who did this "study" have obviously never been into a massive hoard, like those shown on Hoarders.
It’s mostly my fault but I’m definitely the one who hates at the most I wanna just throw it all away but when I go to do it I see value and I think to myself I should sell these things I will never ever sell these things although I should I should just throw them in the trash
Consumeristic society like the USA has a stake in keeping this train going.....you are made to feel as though you havent accomplished what you need to do in life if you dont have stuff.. and thus its a wheel like a hamster. buy stuff work to pay for stuff so you can buy more stuff. and being bombarded with commercials etc to buy more stuff.. along with public pressure to have more stuff. its sick..... and at the end we are not happy...think about it
a Scholar,, pause pause pause,,, just pause because,, pause pause pause,, they have a ,,, pause,, preten----cious style of speech,,, pause X 3,, is Not really,, pause THAT impressive.
Isn't a big part of the problem that in the US there is no way to recycle anything other than food bottles/cans? In the UK, I saw recycling centers for old furniture, outdoor tools, and all manner of things. In the US people don't want to dump things into the garbage, so they just go into the garage. If the US got serious about recycling all kinds of objects, people would probably hoard less.
What a brave homeowner and mom. I would not have survived that level of scrutiny from these scholars. I appreciate your willingness to help all of America!
👍
As a budding minimalist, this subject fascinates me!
+Kieran Bertrand ....minimalist is great. I am trying to be like that too.......we have no cupboards inour hopeless house though, so cumbersome darn freestanding cupboards bug me here as the roomsare very small. My youngest son is living by himself in a flat and he regularly gets rid of things and it's a joyto be in his environment. He just has what he needs.
This is obviously two years after your post, I hope you kept it up, I can tell you it’s so freeing.
Am glad I live minimally and buy
fresh unpackaged food. These
hoarder videos are interesting.
Glad I live in Switzerland, where
we live minimally. Americans surely seem to accummulate
things but then debt happens.
Horror of horrors.
No 1 rule about clutter: "Don't become emotionally attached to anything made in a factory." It's just a mass produced "thing" they used for a while. Visualize it in a row of thousands of lookalike objects. Don't confuse feelings about a significant person with feelings about their stuff.Your stuff too, from your former life or childhood. Don't invest emotion in it, Focus on real people living now, not the departed, the past, or their stuff. There's no joy in it. It'll burden you with guilt, remorse, nostalgia. Bung it!
+walshamite Can you let the husbands know that?
+walshamite
By real people you mean poor people.
So let us get this straight you want people to have less so they can concentrate upon your social justice population.
+bighands69 Wow that was a leap. I just got the impression walshamite was talking about other people friends, family, loved ones. I've seen a couple of your comments and it seems like you are very defensive and quick to make assumptions that people want you to give up everything. Why are you watching and commenting on videos like this if you are content in your consumerism?
+bighands69 Social justice population? I'm confused, this means nothing to me in this context. By real people, I mean (as lizzybearcutie intuited) the significant people in one's life, rather than objects... it has nothing to do with rich or poor or social justice.
After I lost my parents, their possessions became a huge burden for some time, especially after much was stolen after 2 break-ins. Loss and guilt and grief got confused with their possessions. We must separate mere "things" from memories to get past that dilemma. Humans get a total life of about 30,000 days, then you're gone forever. Getting bonded to stuff - especially factory-produced consumer items - during this brief life is like wearing a ball and chain. People acquire, gather, hoard, insure, protect... stuff they don't need. Watch the TED talks about happiness. None of them recommend money or stuff; in fact, the reverse is true. Nearly all hoarders have a history of emotional loss they've not come to terms with. But clutter makes life impossible. Simplifying, downsizing, reducing the burden of possessing, frees the mind and the spirit to live lightly on the earth. Life has more to offer than shepherding a pile of junk.
+bighands69 That was a really weird conclusion. I understood perfectly what he/she meant.
I have the opposite of this...I am always looking around my house for something to get rid of.
Hahah! I'm the same.
OwlCUlater Hey it's an amazing video! really nice concept especially about home clutter tips. I have also found something unique and helpful for home organizing websites is Skyarza Declutter Expert Star - if anyone wants to know more search on google. Best of luck!
I want to get rid of stuff, but my parents hoard shit and won't let me Live like a normal person
000 sammmeee
000 how old are you? Maybe if you can't get them to adopt a similar lifestyle, you can move out on your own soon. If you could get them to watch RUclips videos it might hell
This is how I started my business. Purging my home ended up being my job, and it paid!
What job is that?
Selling online, decluttering my home and then reselling items.
Denise Adam Congratulations! I can respect how you made something like that work for you.
Okay, after seeing this, I no longer need help. I think I need to approach this differently. One room at a time was fine until I started the kitchen. I've given away a lot of things, mostly from my kitchen. I've been cooking for people many years and love kitchen glasses, appliances, silverware, dishes, and cookware. I have a box full of lids for pots and pans. I even have brand new cookware. I'm now going to call goodwill. I have a month before move day and am putting things in boxes, leaving them open to see if I have to go hunting. I have time to make the decisions and already know there are things I should part with. Thank you so much for the help. I paid a lot for my things, but I CAN let go. G. Clarke
One solution: at our town dump we have a "swap shop" -- for items that people no longer want but are too good to throw away.
We have a six monthly curbside collection by the local council which allows us to discards superfluous items. Many people look through your stuff for a bargain before the council comes to pick it up. It is a fun time for the community
Every one needs to knw the difference between tempatation and need
I feel my cortisol rising just looking at all the stuff in the video!
+EveryThingTech
That is the thing it is not yours to make a decision with.
People have a right to live as they chose with out some moral condemnation of their life.
+bighands69 100% Agree
Great video content! Forgive me for the intrusion, I would appreciate your initial thoughts. Have you considered - Mahorrla Control Clutter Method (Sure I saw it on Google)? It is a great one off product for decluttering your home without the normal expense. Ive heard some unbelievable things about it and my mate after a lifetime of fighting got great results with it.
One time, watching hoarders... I got almost like a panic attack, my little sister jumped up and changed the channel 😂
Such a brave lady to share her home honestly ♥️ I've been downsizing for a couple of years. It's a process, we've been taught to have so many things, it's so overwhelming!
we in America are really overdoing it and spoiling our children, we think Christmas means getting every single thing on a long list of kids wish list and go crazy - kids don't need all these toys, video games, etc. they play with it a few times and then abandon it. Better to limit what kids have, get a few quality toys that they really want, and have them learn to appreciate it. That way they will learn to value what they have in life and stop collecting too much stuff they don't need and treat it as junk later, or fall into the consumerism trap.
When i was a kid i'd signal on brochures all the toys i wanted and maybe i'd get two but i loooved those two or three and i'd play them to exhaustion, until they were just worn to death lol. Plus, when we went out and i'd ask for something my parents wouldnt give me everything, sometimes they'd say "when we can, we'll get it for you", so i was always thankful for everything i had. I also had alot of hand me downs but it was ok :)
I'm portuguese btw.
Oh and then we would give my toys away to other kids :)
adahir100 The Path Of Excess either leads to Joy or Destruction. We live in a Society where we seem to not be able to live without. Too much things, too much sentimentality, too much of a need to Keep Up With The Joneses.
adahir100 It's not just Christmas where kids get overindulged. Parents give kids presents on Easter now too. When I was growing up, I got colored eggs and candy for Easter. Kids now get toys, candy, new clothes, new expensive sneakers. Kids get huge birthday parties every year as opposed to every few years which means they get a mountain of stuff twice a year. Some people get their kids presents for Valentine's Day, too!
On The UK Soap Opera Coronation St., they are going to do a Storyline in which Two Friends find out that someone they know is a Hoarder and may get evicted from her Home. Where I live it happened to Two People.
I'm watching this and looking around my house thinking "thank god I'm not a hoarder" I'm overwhelmed just watching this video OMG
Then they are going to wonder why they have no money for retirement.
I live in a large apartment with my kids and have been struggling with clutter. My apartment doesn't look as cluttered as these homes, but there still is too much stuff. Most of the rest of the parents I know are homeowners and every time I've visited their homes, their homes are pristine and showroom-looking. Not much clutter.
Or so I thought!
The tendency is to keep the living room, den, kitchen, bathroom pristine and showroom-ready but most of these people have garages, attics, basements, closets, pantries, cupboards, drawers, cabinets, trunks, bins, that are overflowing and stuffed to maximum capacity. Then many parents have converted the basement into cute playrooms but the playrooms look like toys stores - with one parent working full-time in many cases to subsidize the items. In some cases, my kids can't go into their friends' room because their room is a mess, not because of toys - the toys are in the playroom - but because of enough outfits to clothe a village, excess sentimental stuff, excess school accoutrements, etc. I used to have the same issue in my kids' home. Schools are also responsible for a lot of clutter, behavior prizes, too many certificates just for participation, goody bags from class parties, fliers, notices, more fliers, science and history projects that the kids don't want to dismantle, etc.
In an apartment, small condo or small townhouse, one has to constantly purge. I wasn't purging enough so I still have clutter and felt embarrassed, stressed out, and depressed about it, especially when I was comparing myself to those parents who seemingly have neater homes. But in fact they have more clutter than I have! Their clutter is just hidden or hyper-organized into overpriced shelving units and what-nots from the Container Store, IKEA, and Target. I used to organize like that thinking that would solve my clutter issue, I knew there was a problem when the stuff wouldn't stay organized past 6 months. Or when I ran out of space for more bins and baskets.
I've adopted minimalism and am going through that joyous process. When my family and I do become homeowners I don't want to take clutter habits with us.
+4mydearlady
So let me guess you want everybody else to buy into your minimalism. I will stick my consumer dream of good cars, nice house, plenty of toys, gadgets (love my automatic coffee machine) and plenty of cheap clothing and high quality clothing.
You may be happy with this your life but liberals today seem hell bent on ramming it down my throat as well.
+bighands69 Wow I have just been reading through the comments and the three or so of yours I have read are so angry and defensive. No one is saying you have to live like them - but you attack them for living differently to you. The only reason someone would react as you have is guilt! You know you are greedy and excessive and you attack others to try and compensate for those short comings. How about calming down and realising everyone who has commented does not know your life and are not attacking you? Spend and accumulate all you want, but try not to judge everyone else as being liberal do-gooders for not drowning in consumerism! And the only one I see "ramming it down" people's throats is you.
***** All her comments are the same, so angry and accusatory!
+bighands69 Please take your hate issues somewhere therapeutic... don't ram them down OUR throats! 4mydearlady was just being constructive. She got the message of the video clip.
+walshamite Yes, thank you! Gosh, some people just want to control every word you post and how you post it to fit their needs, their agenda! I can't believe it. I did get the message. How about I'm trying to learn from it without being personally attacked!
I’ve just started learning about minimalism and this came up on my feed. As a mom of 2, I could totally relate when they said the whole house is kid centered - my kids have toys in each their rooms, in the playrooms, there are books and kids drawings in my bedroom, kids toys in my home office (when they come in, they have something to play with), in the backyard (which is an outdoor playroom), a drawer in the dining room of crayons and coloring books - and in my car 😳 everywhere
This made me want to organize my closet.
When I think back 30 years ago,how much money I could have in the bank today if we had not got so much crab!I have very little, downsized about13 years ago and I am doing so much better,plus I saved a lot of money not buying all this crap!
Less is more, quality over quantity.
+Shawntele Lewis
I prefer my children to have as much variation as possible and to experience as many things as possible in their little lives.
I do not know what quality over quantity means. A $1 plastic toy could make a child's experience just as a $1000 could as well.
you have a valid point, but maybe children should get stimulated more precisely in a thought process sense...not with toys, but learning important things since a young age? my lack of expertise sucks to be talking about this anyway.
Wow how can people live like that... looks like a landfill
I so relate to feeling the stress, the cortisol. Good video. I am making those hard, sentimentally reduced discarding of stuff, am stuck on photographs, sharing them with others.
Continued - Even emotional trauma or fear of future losses will motivate people to hold on to possessions. It builds up to an overwhelming point and then the decisions making required to sort through and choose what to discard and what to save. Some of the items may represent happy times they want to hold onto.
I’ve begun to Declutter my home and am now sleeping better!
I'm in the dumpster business. All i see is stuff being thrown out every day. Usually it's when the parents die and the kids who are usually around 50-60 yrs old rent the dumpster and pitch everything. Then there's the abundance of plastic toys and crap made in China CONSTANTLY being pitched. Plastic robotic dinosaurs that cost 100 bucks that the kid doesn't play with anymore. What a waste!!! I told my wife, my family and her family not to buy me anything that is not consumable. No stuff. I'll accept food, liquor or gift cards to restaurants, gas or services, like a massage. Also like magazine subscriptions so I can read and then toss in the recycle bin.
This is not clutter. This is hoarding !
Thanks for the recommendation. I have problems releasing stuff. I'm not a full on hoarder but it bothers me that I can't let go of things.
"A place for everything and everything in it's place" was what I grew up with.
I thought that making things smaller was a good thing, now I have too many things.
5 second rule following the question...."do I NEED this and if I do....what do I need it for?"
Veronica C. I’m trying to use that rule to, especially when shopping
Thank you for this helpful documentary
When I die (and I reckon that’s likely to happen one day), all my stuff will get thrown into a dumpster by someone so I’ve decided to strip down my number of possessions and be in control now of what goes and what stays.
I saw this documentary on Amazon called 7 Dumpsters and a corpse. A mom was a hoarder and her two grown sons had to clean her house after her death. She had sooo much stuff, plus a few storage units. I refuse to live like that. I don't have a lot of stuff. We don't want to leave an overwhelming amount of stuff for our son to have to deal with. My husband and I just refurbished our kitchen. We did all the work ourselves. When I posted it on FB, I got a lot of comments how clean it looked. We even have a few empty drawers and cabinets.
I was just in a house built in the 1930's. Everything was as rock solid as if had just been built. It even had the original gas engine for steam heat that was built in the 30's when things were built to last a hundred years.
great video. indicative of our consumer culture. I'm not saying it's evil but certainly very ingrained. being a minimalist I've noticed it more but try not to judge. even for my own journey getting rid of stuff I was surprised at how much and I only had a bedroom worth of stuff. I realized I kept onto things cause of sentiment reason. obviously keep some stuff but alit of it I can get rid of, don't need to lug it around. also I most of my stuff just sat. in a box or closet.
The 4:05 mark says it all. Piles of useless collections that overpower a room. A kid needs one stuffed animal and that is all.
1 stuffed animal and that's it? That's going to make the child dumb and sitting in a corner rocking themselves.
+Mentholian Smoke Nope, the one stuffed animal will be special whereas rooms of stuffed animals are just junk. Less toys means more creativity. I once gave my daughter a yard (meter) of glittery fabric. She played with the fabric for years. It was everything from a doll blanket, to a cape at Halloween to a "veil" for dressup. Then her younger sister took over the fabric; it became curtains for the playhouse .... you get the idea. The package store bought toys have no play value.
peggyt1243 There's nothing wrong with having one of certain toys but to make one toy and only toy, well that seems unfair. For instance, my son who is a toddler and is moderately autistic has a large collection of various different stuffed animals, he loves to hug all of them and lean back on them like you would a recliner to watch TV or color. He likes the various textures and appearance of each stuffed animal. He doesn't have hundreds but he does have probably about 13 or so stuffed animals ranging from a huge bear to a beanie baby duck.
+Mentholian Smoke I did not say a child should only have 1 toy. I said one stuffed animal, that is special is enough. Stuffed animals really do not have a lot of play value.
Raw materials with no instructions are wonderful toys. My daughter as a young child would play for hours in the bathroom making "sculptures" out of toilet paper and liquid soap. She made her version of the Titanic and painted it appropriately when dry. I still have it tucked away as an example of her creativity.
+peggyt1243 perhaps for YOUR child a stuffed animal has no play value but you don't speak for everybody else's children.
This is my home!!!!
I knew someone who had so many packages of toilet paper and paper towel that it filled her whole shower stall from floor to ceiling,,and so much medical supplies that she could open her own store.
I, honestly, do not see myself as a hoarder, but I do live in a fairly constant state of disorganized chaos. IT is overwhelming, especially when it my issues are compromised by AADD! Taking Adderall XR for the last 5 years has helped my focus, but 20 yrs prior of compartmentalizing my issues into little "ignorable" problems, have left their erroneous mark. I'm now very aware of my issue, but getting started & staying atop them is what's HARD! WEIRD, as away from home, I'm quite fastidious!
what I don't understand is dollar store Hummel type figurines, stuffed animals covering a antique tabletop-No value
Gifts no doubt.
Guilty. But this is exactly why I'm moving towards a simpler, less "stuff" oriented life.
this is a really interesting video. thank you for posting.
Who is going to remember having hundreds of toys with any particular affection? It would seem like there are too many to even play with.
I remember it with horror and guilt.
I think we collect and save things due to primitive drives that still motivate us. In the deep history of homo sapiens life was very uncertain. When the opportunity arose to save food that was a wise thing to do to prevent starvation in the coming winter. It was wise to save bear skins for warmth, etc. Anyone who has experienced a loss such as of a home due to foreclosure, hurricane, tornado or of a loved one or loss of job and income will tend to hold onto what they have and not discard.
This is so depressing...buying things we don’t need to impress people who don’t care about us! Let go/adopt the minimalist lifestyle!!! Less is more!!
Omg. I’m getting anxiety looking at all that crap
Disasters eliminates everything instantly.
Do people really live with this much stuff I couldn't!!! Ugh makes my chest hurt just thinking about it!!!!
I agree....I think worry about the economy informs people's choices about whether to hold onto things or not.
Excellent information ! 👍💪💖
Also when I give gifts it's things which don't take up much space.
I think getting rid of clutter is a wonderful way to simplify your life. However some of these comments are awfully "holier-than-thou," extremely judgmental, and a bit offensive. There is no cause to shame anybody for sharing a great Christmas with their children or celebrating birthdays with gifts.
Super!
Got inspired, off to declutter ))
this was my mom's problem too! It already started when I was still there, so I left home quite early in life and went to live abroad. Mom used to come and visit me on holidays... everything seemed ok. Then my aunt on the phone told me that my mom couldn't live by herself anymore, so I went to check. The situation was horrible and so sad... A woman who had done so much in her life, for me, my sister (shame on her, she lived just half a mile away) and many many other people didn't deserve to live like that! So I decided to clear everything up, got two workers and a dumpster, kept her at my house, no fuss, no-nonsense, there was the need for solving the problem! See here ruclips.net/video/tgFWII7B2QY/видео.html
I then kept her to live with me and my family where she lived happily to be 92 years old!!! See ruclips.net/video/Wa_vWnFtSJs/видео.html
Thank you for sharing your journey in caring for your mother. It's clear you provided her with love and support in her later years, which is truly commendable.
I wanted to clarify a few details you mentioned in your post. It seems your mother's hoarding began while you were young, then left home for abroad quite early in life, and you mentioned you mostly saw your mother when she visited you during holidays. You say you became aware of the state of her home and health when your aunt alerted you. It's worth noting that your sister might have had her own reasons for not being as involved, or even capable in your mother's day-to-day life, and we can't fully know her perspective. It sounds like your mother was the one dealing with the hoarding, which is a challenging condition.
Instead of assigning blame, let's encourage open and compassionate conversations about how we can support families dealing with complex issues like hoarding.
Your self-description as a 'problem-solving' reflects your determination to improve your mother's living conditions, and that's indeed something to be proud of.
It's wonderful to hear that you and your mother shared a high quality of life during her later years due to the care you provided.
oh thank you so much for these beautiful words... well to be honest, I initially felt it was my duty to take care of her, although I was VERY VERY busy as an alone mother and provider for a home of 2 kids managing my way with 3 jobs, I did think it would give me a further burden on my shoulders. But as time went by living together, it was tough, I won't lie, because she did carry on hoarding in my house, I had to constantly chase hidden bags in the corners, cupboards and under the beds, but you know what? in the end she had such a great time with the kids, was such a great example of love, respect and knowledge, as well as giving me more freedom to go on working even more as she was always at home with the kids, so that was a definite plus. Now she has passed at the age of 92, rip, I hope she is still looking down on me and my family, I don't regret anything of what I've done for her, I would do it again a 1000 times again. Thank you and stay safe🤗
Deniece Schofield wrote "Confessions of an Organized Homemaker" & showed how to raise five children without clutter.
I think a lot of a problem is that “it’s going to be valuable someday”. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Is it really worth keeping/ dragging something around for 30 years really worth it? Just because you got something for 5$ 25 YEARS ago, and now it’s worth 45$( maybe, if you’re lucky) was it worth it? You may as well go gamble at the casino. Another thing I’ve noticed is that people tend to think their stuff is worth WAY WAY more than it is. Just because something is old, or “you don’t see these around” means squat.
Very wise observation Sheep
No one talking about our buying culture and need to purchase it seems that we are told that we can have happiness if we buy it when everyone knows that this is an unrealistic and imaginary happiness.....our western culture encourages us all to spend,spend,spend .
So it’s simple spend more TIME doing things with your kids instead of buying them things,spend more time learning about yourself and how to make your life better and spend time doing time doing productive things like decluttering. The big question is WHY do you need all this stuff?
Why do americans try to put a 'class' on a trash house. Makes no difference a dirty house is a dirty house No Matter your 'class'. I equate dirt and clutter low class, and so does the health inspector and child services. That title is pretentious . A pig in a dress is still just a pig!
At some point hoarding becomes an addiction. Any judgement lost!
As l am getting older l find lm getting rid of stuff..
I've lived with a hoarder & the 'high cortizol level' doesn't even come close expressing my feeling
deep
Wow I thought my kids had a lot of toys, I estimate about 80% of my kids toys are gifts from grandparents.
i never understood the point of collections or the inability to toss old things. I get some have a mental illness, but, I personally can't have extra anything. I don't save anything for "just incase I need it later". if it doesn't have a home it can go in the trash or donation bin.
Bathoric95 I collection cat stuff because it makes me feel happier as I have a close connection to cats.
Gifts!! Remember when it was you birthday, or whatever, and a friend would give you a gift? It would be one thing - maybe wrapped up in paper. Now, it's got to be a basket or a big fancy bag, and then, of course, they feel obliged to make it look "full", so they fill it with a lot of crap you'll never use.... WTF?
That's so true. we have founfd more cheeper ways to get stuff. DIY's, secondhand store Craigs listSwap meets And so on and so onI am feeling overwhelmed No one helps me around the house I have adult children have small children I have a husband no one helps me and I have a bad back.... I want to do it myself, because I was OCD for so many years Everything was clean and perfect not anymore..... :-( so where to satrt?????? yes I know all this now what? Any solutions or advice besides just beating the Dead horse
controlled clutter. Give it away. Rubbermaid containers covered with Serapes, with an index box of contents, RM #, and location. Toys should only one box out at a time. Donate stuff.
Why is it that the responsible of cleaning up is only stressful for mothers, but not for fathers? And why is this professor indicating that it would only be the mother's responsibility??? How old is this clip?
She didn't say anything like that, she said it effects women more, while the clutter doesn't seem to bother men. It's having an actual physiological impact on women thru excess cortisol levels.
Merry Stuffmas. Americans buy stuff all year then megastuff on Christmas.
A big reason for these messes is because women began working outside of the home. They aren't there to do the tidying. Then the kids don't learn how to manage their rooms.
lol wtf...its a double standard thing not just for the woman, and its probably even a triple standard situation because the kids should be taught how to clean the shit they make not expect others to do it for them...
So... apparently the men are not responsible for the teaching of clean behavior towards their own children is what your saying? Sounds even more irresponsible than the working women who bring home the bacon. Lol
Gosh! Look at all that junk. Imagine if they had spent that money on assets instead.
Because of the high cost of a conventional home the trend now is for tiny homes, this is going to limit just how much stuff you can jam into a small space, and put a lot of that money into a pension account, those one dollar bills are going to add up once people get away of going out and buying crap they don't need, boredom must account for a lot of needless spending. My remedy for that is get another job.!!!
o.k. so now I'm quite sure I'm a statistic. What do I do about it?
Q. Why do Americans have so much stuff? A. Because we're taught to hate and fear one another, to delegate responsibility for everything to the state instead of directly helping one another or taking control of our own lives. We are then taught to use things to replace people and the accumulation of things as a substitute for actually accomplishing anything.
Reminds meof a comic i saw in the NY Times that showed a man standing next to a garage filled with stuff telling his son. just think.. someday this will all be yours..yikes.. and yes thats pretty much the boat we are all in,,,, at the end
I recommend reading the book "Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of THings", by Randy O. Frost and Gail Stekete, ISBN-13 # 978-0-15-101423-1
Vancouver, BC if you have an excess of stuff and can't cope, contact me
Why MIDDLE CLASS? Upper class folks have tons more shit. I need to know.
Upper class tend to throw/donate stuff that they won't use even if it's fully functional or new. They don't keep them to use them later because they always afford new ones.
@@luigialexandru9504 instead they hoard cars and boats and houses. they call them collections. it is still hoarding.
@@catherinebronte3645 ha, that's true. I've never thought about it that way.
Disagree about snoopy. Its like smurfs and mickey mouse or teenage mutant ninja turtles they revamp the character. There is a chain of amusement parks with the peanut theme in the kids area.
I like to keep my extras in back packs thats how i keep minimal
Disgusting! The parents waste money buying cheap toys for the children, then can't afford sending them to good school/ colleges👎
My problem is, I want to get rid of lots of things in favor of newer things. The rest of my family starts to guilt trip me and my husband anytime we talk of wanting to get rid of a lot things. Like, "oh your mother loved this thing...your dad loved that thing, you used to love this as a child...how could you possibly get rid of it!?" As it is now, we have a storage building full of stuff as well as a garage attic full of stuff. We're slowly getting rid of things to try and avoid comments from family.
Omg, this makes me cringe and gives me anxiety!
Kids need variety, there's absolutely nothing wrong with having a various amount and types of toys. These people who did this "study" have obviously never been into a massive hoard, like those shown on Hoarders.
It’s mostly my fault but I’m definitely the one who hates at the most I wanna just throw it all away but when I go to do it I see value and I think to myself I should sell these things I will never ever sell these things although I should I should just throw them in the trash
I’m a man and it makes me nuts I hate clutter stressses me out
PURGE!!!!
Consumeristic society like the USA has a stake in keeping this train going.....you are made to feel as though you havent accomplished what you need to do in life if you dont have stuff.. and thus its a wheel like a hamster. buy stuff work to pay for stuff so you can buy more stuff. and being bombarded with commercials etc to buy more stuff.. along with public pressure to have more stuff. its sick..... and at the end we are not happy...think about it
it IS an ongoing burden to manage for Mom!
I am against wasting useful stuff i recycle as much as I can
full of junk
Try Konmari to declutter.
me, a european, watching: 👁👄👁
geez..who are these people? who needs all that stuff? so many kids have next to nothing, why not give some toys away?
no one can really say they don't hoard something in america.
Ariel Genevieve Stanley singletary lee mactoumb binsalmon
uh - just looking at this makes me nervous. I'm so glad I don't do this. It makes me a wreck.
a Scholar,, pause pause pause,,, just pause because,, pause pause pause,, they have a ,,, pause,, preten----cious style of speech,,, pause X 3,, is Not really,, pause THAT impressive.
Isn't a big part of the problem that in the US there is no way to recycle anything other than food bottles/cans? In the UK, I saw recycling centers for old furniture, outdoor tools, and all manner of things. In the US people don't want to dump things into the garbage, so they just go into the garage. If the US got serious about recycling all kinds of objects, people would probably hoard less.
😱😱😱 it's a disease! And I have that!😱😱😱