How to get the whole family into de-cluttering your home for spring

WINNIPEG — Spring is the time of year for many families to spruce up their homes both inside and out.

Parenting expert and author Kathy Buckworth said de-cluttering the home is a good place to start the spring cleaning ritual. She joined Global News Morning with tips on how to get all members of the family involved.

WATCH: Kathy Buckworth shares spring decluttering tips for the whole family

Buckworth said toys can contribute to the clutter around the home, and one way to encourage children to let go of their unused toys is to start when they are young.

She advises parents to first move unused toys to a box in plain sight. This allows children to see firsthand the toys they don’t play with anymore. The next step is to then have a conversation with them about donating or selling these untouched toys.

RELATED: How to donate used clothing and items responsibly

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There are many charitable organizations in the city that accept gently-used items, including Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Canadian Diabetes Association and Siloam Mission to name just a few. Some have pick-up services and will come to your home while others have drop-off bins around the city. Still others are glad to receive donations at their storefront locations. Find a directory for charities here.

Buckworth said it helps to get children involved in the process.

“If they got something as a gift, maybe they should get to make the money [from it]. Maybe they run a garage sale, or maybe they go online.”

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According to Kijiji’s fourth annual Second-Hand Economy Index, 85 per cent of Canadians participated in the second-hand economy in 2017, and the top earners last year were residents of the prairies with an average of $746.

READ MORE: Prairie residents spend and earn the most in second-hand economy: report

Buckworth said some of the top items exchanged through the second-hand economy include toys, games, clothes, books, electronics, and furniture. She said online platforms such as Kijiji are great tools in facilitating these exchanges, but community sales like garage and yard sales also have a lot to offer.

When using online platforms, Buckworth advises to post on Sunday nights, “That’s when most people go online and your item will turn up as a new listing.”