Decluttering clears the way for more movement

“Without exception, when you throw away 90 percent of the toys you think your kids need, they come into the room and start dancing,” says organizing expert Peter Walsh in an article on oprah.com.

The battle of accumulation has been ongoing in our house. Our big mistake was accepting every free hand-me-down toy that was offered to our kids when they were little. Now we declutter as often as possible, and even though toys are becoming less of a draw, it takes years to undo all of the accumulation.

Still, without fail, whenever the floor is cleared of stuff my son does cartwheels and jumps from floor to couch to ottoman and back again.

When kids are faced with an open space, they move. It doesn’t even have to be a big space for this to happen.

It’s something I wish I knew when I was filling the house up when they were little. It’s so much easier to start with less than to find ways to take it away after they get used to it.

I’d give you tips for decluttering but you’d be better off getting them from experts like Walsh.

But I will say, as a mom looking back, I wish I had considered how it important it is to have space to move inside the house. It would have been healthier for all of us.

If you have babies or young kids, check out these other articles for more inspiration:

Setting up baby’s environment: 5 tweaks that encourage movement

Is your baby starting to move around? These tweaks to your living environment can help you go from just baby-proofed to creating areas in your home that are safe and that promote lots of movement.

6 fun household hacks for active toddlers

For the two-and-up set, these hacks from a seasoned mom help continue the habit of moving at home.

4 fun ways to get kids cleaning up and developing skills

Another regret I have is not getting my kids into the daily habit of cleaning up way sooner. These games get your kids moving and your house clean.

Watch out for the dancing and cartwheels … they are coming.