The plethora of things in your house may make it really difficult to stay on top of everything. There is a growing awareness these days and people are moving to a lifestyle where they do not keep anything that is superfluous around. They stick with the basics of what is required. This is minimalism.
Does That Mean You Never Buy Anything?
Obviously not. Most homeschool families that try out the minimalist lifestyle will try to stick with the things that they already have, and reuse them with each academic session. However there will be times when you need to buy new things in terms of teaching resources or study materials. The idea is not to end up buying things that lie unused in your homeschool classroom for years. Instead focus on what the homeschool students need and buy only if you can’t already use something available at home.
How Does One Maintain the Minimalist Lifestyle?
The answer to that is simple – decluttering. There is a constant ongoing process where the homeschool teacher looks for things that are no longer in use and gives them away. No holding on to junk that is never going to be used. No hoarding excess materials in the hope that you may use them one day. No hanging on to old used worksheets that are never ever going to be reused again. The task may seem difficult when you start out, but if you maintain the practice, it will get easier.
How To Decide What Stays and What Goes?
The key question here is – Are you using the item? If not currently using them, do you intend to use them within the next six months? If the answer to both questions is no, ask if the item is easily available in the market if you need to use it in the future? Is there someone you know who can use it right away? In case the answer here is yes, you have identified an item that you can give away. Naturally you can keep family heirlooms and keepsakes which are unique and have memories associated with them.
