家に長年住んでいると、物が増え、整理が難しくなることがある。遺産整理も困難で、子供たちに負担をかけたくないという思いがある。年を取ると体力も落ち、物を処分することが大切。物をたくわえず、整理整頓の習慣を身につけることが重要である。一方で、物を捨てすぎても問題がある。身近に必要なものを持つバランスが大切。緊張せず、ほどほどに生活することが楽しみを増やすコツである。
Living in a house for many years, there are many things used in everyday life. However, over time, unused items accumulate, and the house can become cluttered with unnecessary items. When this happens, you may think about cleaning up, but a mother in the Mama Star community asked the following question:
“Both my mother-in-law and my mother are full of stuff, and they are both elderly and no longer earning money, so they leave everything to their children.” Seeing this situation, I tried to minimize my belongings, but my husband laughed at me. He said, “I can still move around, and there are things I still use, so we don’t need to do it now.” If we don’t do it when we can, the next generation, and the next generation after that, will have to clean it up. Is it strange to not want to inconvenience my only son? “
Both parents’ houses, as well as their parents, have a lot of items, and they are getting older, making it difficult for them to tidy up themselves. They pass on the cleaning to the next generation, but it can be a bit troublesome considering the time, effort, and cost involved. The author doesn’t want to impose the same burden on their children, so they try not to accumulate belongings. While the husband doesn’t seem to be thinking practically yet, other mothers are thinking about downsizing rather than expanding.
As you age, you start to think about disposing of things without accumulating them.
“I’m almost 60 years old, so over the past two years, I’ve been getting rid of a lot of things so that we don’t accumulate anything more. Ultimately, it was very difficult for us to move away from our parents.”
A mother who is almost 60 years old has struggled with organizing her parents’ house. It may have taken too long to clean up because there were too many things accumulated over the years. So, she started decluttering about two years ago and has been consciously trying not to accumulate more belongings.
“My parents, who are still alive, bought a new condo after retiring and reduced their belongings significantly when they moved. I disposed of a lot of my father’s suits, got rid of the chest of drawers, and only bought one bed. I got rid of a lot of dishes, so now only my favorite ones are left.”
One mother’s parents got rid of a lot of things when they moved. They seem to have gotten rid of unused suits and dishes, living only with what they need. This way, being surrounded by things they love makes for a pleasant living environment.
“When you turn 50, it’s a good idea to start decluttering slowly, so you don’t accumulate too much. By the time you’re over 60, your physical strength deteriorates, and you start feeling sad about many things. If you dispose of unnecessary items in your 50s and avoid excessive storage, your later years will be much easier.”
While individual differences exist, when you’re over 60, your physical strength decreases, and your income decreases, so you may feel reluctant to throw things away. This makes cleaning less enjoyable. From your 50s, when your physical and decluttering motivation peak, some suggest reducing the amount of belongings. Developing a habit of organizing and decluttering without accumulating things from a young age can help you continue this practice later on.
Why do we have difficulty throwing things away and end up hoarding them?
“Some people stock up on old designs or patterns they never use, thinking they might need them someday or keep them for their children. “That’s the parents’ intention, and it doesn’t necessarily mean the kids will use them.”
Having difficulty cleaning the house or getting rid of items may stem from the belief that you might need them someday. You don’t know when that “someday” will come or if it will ever become a reality, but you don’t want to cause inconvenience at that time. Some people don’t want to throw things away because they think their children or grandchildren might use them. However, even if parents think that way, it doesn’t guarantee that the children will use them.
“My husband’s mother wasn’t someone who could throw things away or keep things organized, so it was difficult to organize her belongings after she passed away. Even a letter set alone was worth a boxful of cardboard. I want to write a letter, but since I can’t find the letter set, maybe I should buy it! I think such things are increasing.”
Even if you think you already have something at home, you might end up buying it again when you can’t find it when you need it. One mother’s mother-in-law was this type of person and had a significant number of letters. Perhaps realizing that it was not that expensive, and considering the effort to search for it, she ended up purchasing it.
There are several things to consider when cleaning up.
“If you work in a hospital or facility, I think it’s better not to reduce the amount of clothing too much. Even when replacing old things, it’s better to have a certain amount of stock so that your family won’t be inconvenienced in case of sudden hospitalization or hospitalization. If you don’t have enough clothes, the sizes don’t fit, or you don’t like them, even if you buy them within the deadline, both parties feel sorry.”
By tidying up the house and organizing belongings, you can reduce the burden of cleaning up for your children. To proceed with things properly over time, it may be helpful to start early and make it a habit. On the contrary, having too few clothes may lead to problems later on. In the event of sudden hospitalization, you may run out of clothes to change into. Even if you buy them within the deadline, they may not fit in size or taste. Once you reach a certain age, it might be a good idea to keep some clothes aside for hospitalization or facility stays.
“I think moderation is key. If you’re too tense, you won’t be able to enjoy life.”
Furthermore, if you think too extreme about throwing away things or not accumulating them, you may end up depriving yourself of things you want. Also, having more belongings from family members can sometimes lead to frustration. Constant tension can lead to exhaustion, so it may be essential to live a certain amount of freedom.
Article by: Komomo, Edited by: Miho Arimura, Illustration by: Ponko