Look familar? College rooms all over the country are being packed up for the summer...randomly...things thrown into boxes, loaded into cars and deposited....you guessed it...right into our home! Yikes.
Here are a few tips for summer storage...also know as Tips from the Frontline....(this is year number 12 of doing this...three children times four years each!)
1. If your student arrives home with random items tossed into boxes....make sure they go through each box, discarding trash and getting rid of items they no longer want. Leave in the box any items that are still needed but will not be used during the summer. If not at the end of the summer...they will grab what they want and leave you with the box full of trash and unwanted items.
2. LABEL boxes by categories: Kelsey's Kitchen, Kelsey's Bathroom etc...that way it is easy to grab what is needed from each box should the need arise.
3. Move those boxes to the garage or basement....leaving them stacked in the bedroom not only produces and overwhelming feeling but also invites them to dig and rummage through the boxes all summer long!
4. Discard any damaged or unwanted furniture NOW....don't wait until the end of summer.
5. Insist on a clothes and closet check....force the issue of getting rid of clothes that no longer fit or aren't "in style" any more, otherwise they will linger in the closet for eternity.
6. Throw away food items. You have no idea how long they have lingered in shelves or in dorm room closets.
7. Do all of these as quickly as possible. Everyone will feel better when things are organized and tidy!
I'd love to hear tips from others about managing the college-home for summer mess.!
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