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Clutterfree with Kids
Children add joy, purpose, and meaning to our lives. They provide optimism, hope, and love. They bring smiles, laughter, and energy into our homes.
They also add clutter. As parents, balancing life and managing clutter may appear impossible—or at the very least, never-ending. But what if there was a better way to live?
Clutterfree with Kids offers a new perspective and fresh approach to overcoming clutter. With helpful insights, the book serves as a valuable resource for parents.
Through practical application and inspirational stories, Clutterfree with Kids invites us to change our thinking, discover new habits, and free our homes. It invites us to reevaluate our lives. And it just may inspire you to live the life you’ve been searching for all along.
They also add clutter. As parents, balancing life and managing clutter may appear impossible—or at the very least, never-ending. But what if there was a better way to live?
Clutterfree with Kids offers a new perspective and fresh approach to overcoming clutter. With helpful insights, the book serves as a valuable resource for parents.
Through practical application and inspirational stories, Clutterfree with Kids invites us to change our thinking, discover new habits, and free our homes. It invites us to reevaluate our lives. And it just may inspire you to live the life you’ve been searching for all along.
197 pages, Paperback
First published January 14, 2014
340 people are currently reading
5114 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Becker
27 books812 followersJoshua Becker is the #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of The Minimalist Home, The More of Less, Things That Matter, Clutterfree with Kids and Simplify.
He is the Founder and Editor of Becoming Minimalist, a website dedicated to intentional living. His websites are read by over 1 million readers every month and has a social media following of over 4 million.
His blog was named by SUCCESS Magazine as one of the top ten personal development websites on the Internet and his writing has been featured in publications all around the world.
He is also the co-creator of Simplify Media, the parent company of Simplify Magazine and Simple Money Magazine.
Joshua and his young family were introduced to minimalism twelve years ago during a short conversation with their neighbor. Since then, Joshua’s story and writing have inspired millions around the world to find more life by owning fewer possessions. Today, based on his thoughtful and intentional approach to minimalism, he is one of the leading voices in the modern simplicity movement.
He is also the Founder of The Hope Effect, a nonprofit organization changing how the world cares for orphans. Currently, he lives in Peoria, AZ with his wife and two young adult children.
His online course, Uncluttered, has helped over 95,000 people declutter their homes and live a more intentional life because of it.
His app, Clutterfree, is the only app to create a personalized, room-by-room decluttering to-do list for an individual’s unique home.
And his YouTube channel has over 350,000 subscribers.
He is the Founder and Editor of Becoming Minimalist, a website dedicated to intentional living. His websites are read by over 1 million readers every month and has a social media following of over 4 million.
His blog was named by SUCCESS Magazine as one of the top ten personal development websites on the Internet and his writing has been featured in publications all around the world.
He is also the co-creator of Simplify Media, the parent company of Simplify Magazine and Simple Money Magazine.
Joshua and his young family were introduced to minimalism twelve years ago during a short conversation with their neighbor. Since then, Joshua’s story and writing have inspired millions around the world to find more life by owning fewer possessions. Today, based on his thoughtful and intentional approach to minimalism, he is one of the leading voices in the modern simplicity movement.
He is also the Founder of The Hope Effect, a nonprofit organization changing how the world cares for orphans. Currently, he lives in Peoria, AZ with his wife and two young adult children.
His online course, Uncluttered, has helped over 95,000 people declutter their homes and live a more intentional life because of it.
His app, Clutterfree, is the only app to create a personalized, room-by-room decluttering to-do list for an individual’s unique home.
And his YouTube channel has over 350,000 subscribers.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
February 17, 2014
I am a minimalist. I believe that stuff can consume our time and resources in ways that we don't anticipate when we acquire them and I am constantly striving to reduce the amount of time and energy I spend on owning stuff.
I got this book because I read a great review of it online which included some quotes that were in line with my own philosophy about stuff and since I'm a new parent, I was hoping for some insight into how to both: live minimally with kids and the tsunami of stuff they require and don't require but get anyway, and how to pass along this philosophy to children so they aren't burdened with stuff either.
Full disclosure: I didn't make it past 30% of the book (on a kindle). In the first THIRD of a book with kids in the title, the author talked about kids a small handful of times, and referred to their stuff as secondary to his main thesis, which seemed to be …that becoming a minimalist is the route to total happiness and a fuller life. I gave up reading the book because, hello, I have kids and don't have the luxury to waste my time on books that don't get to the point. I was also mildly affronted by the tone the author takes which has an almost religious overtone to it. It made me feel less like I was reading an organizing or minimalist book and more like I was reading a zen buddhist treatise. Not what I signed up for.
Disappointed.
I got this book because I read a great review of it online which included some quotes that were in line with my own philosophy about stuff and since I'm a new parent, I was hoping for some insight into how to both: live minimally with kids and the tsunami of stuff they require and don't require but get anyway, and how to pass along this philosophy to children so they aren't burdened with stuff either.
Full disclosure: I didn't make it past 30% of the book (on a kindle). In the first THIRD of a book with kids in the title, the author talked about kids a small handful of times, and referred to their stuff as secondary to his main thesis, which seemed to be …that becoming a minimalist is the route to total happiness and a fuller life. I gave up reading the book because, hello, I have kids and don't have the luxury to waste my time on books that don't get to the point. I was also mildly affronted by the tone the author takes which has an almost religious overtone to it. It made me feel less like I was reading an organizing or minimalist book and more like I was reading a zen buddhist treatise. Not what I signed up for.
Disappointed.
March 13, 2014
This was a tough rating; I think it's a great book for parents who are unfamiliar with minimalism and how it could apply to their lives. I'm a parent who is familiar with minimalism and the author's blog (which I recommend) and was hoping for fewer generalizations about the merits of less and more in-depth specifics on the challenging reality of life and stuff with kids.
February 17, 2015
I think this book is rather poorly titled. A better description would be: how to become minimalist even with having kids. The book expounds on the joys of owning less and gives helpful pointers. My only problem, is that it still treats objects as easily disposable. Just throw it away! Give it away! I wish it were a bit more non-consumer in that regard. It is still rather inspiring.
January 11, 2020
Meh. I expected more specific ideas related to the issues facing parents and the clutter they deal with from their kids. Instead I felt as if the book was an overview of minimalism & how you can pursue that in many avenues, but not specifically through managing children's clutter. Perhaps if the title were different I would not have been disappointed.
On the positive side, it was a quick & easy read & I do enjoy his writing style.
On the positive side, it was a quick & easy read & I do enjoy his writing style.
April 22, 2025
Always looking for a more effective way to manage STUFF (especially with 6 kids at my house), I started reading this expecting a typical organization how-to. What I got instead was essentially a guide to re-prioritizing yourself emotionally.
The author suggests that with our insane consumer-driven society, we focus SO much on earning, shopping for and managing possessions, we leave little room, time and money for the things of real significance (such as relationships and character development).
Becker states that minimalism isn't about living without stuff necessarily, it's about living intentionally. When minimalists DO buy stuff, it's with purpose, because there's a sincere need or want not swayed by trends or emotions and it's an investment in time and money.
GREAT read and the principles are already transforming our life! (giant garage sale in the works :)
(FYI, I received this ebook free in exchange for my honest review.)
The author suggests that with our insane consumer-driven society, we focus SO much on earning, shopping for and managing possessions, we leave little room, time and money for the things of real significance (such as relationships and character development).
Becker states that minimalism isn't about living without stuff necessarily, it's about living intentionally. When minimalists DO buy stuff, it's with purpose, because there's a sincere need or want not swayed by trends or emotions and it's an investment in time and money.
GREAT read and the principles are already transforming our life! (giant garage sale in the works :)
(FYI, I received this ebook free in exchange for my honest review.)
April 29, 2018
Could have been written by a pastor.
I wanted to read something by Becker ever since I saw the documentary "Minimalism" on Netflix. He seemed like such a cool guy, who really felt like an expert on the matter. This, however, is not what I got out of his book.
My biggest complaint of this book is that the message of minimalism all of the sudden has to be embedded in conservative elements, such as judeo-christian values, old-fashioned family hierarchies, etc. I get that Becker is a "spiritual man", but I was expecting a somewhat more "neutral" approach to minimalism. I happen to agree with many of his points on minimalism, but ended up very distracted by remarks about cursing in the household, remarks about monogamy, etc. These are all valid points, but they felt utterly misplaced.
Religious undertones aside, the book, for me at least, also doesn't really bring anything new to the table in terms of approaches to minimalism. Becker spends too much of the book either talking about his own journey to a more minimalistic life, or simply asking self-evident rhetorical questions after each chapter. One thing I did like was his use of real-life examples from people from all over the world. Unfortunately however, those were the only authentic parts that stood out.
I wanted to read something by Becker ever since I saw the documentary "Minimalism" on Netflix. He seemed like such a cool guy, who really felt like an expert on the matter. This, however, is not what I got out of his book.
My biggest complaint of this book is that the message of minimalism all of the sudden has to be embedded in conservative elements, such as judeo-christian values, old-fashioned family hierarchies, etc. I get that Becker is a "spiritual man", but I was expecting a somewhat more "neutral" approach to minimalism. I happen to agree with many of his points on minimalism, but ended up very distracted by remarks about cursing in the household, remarks about monogamy, etc. These are all valid points, but they felt utterly misplaced.
Religious undertones aside, the book, for me at least, also doesn't really bring anything new to the table in terms of approaches to minimalism. Becker spends too much of the book either talking about his own journey to a more minimalistic life, or simply asking self-evident rhetorical questions after each chapter. One thing I did like was his use of real-life examples from people from all over the world. Unfortunately however, those were the only authentic parts that stood out.
April 22, 2019
I’m really disappointed with this book. I hoped it would be full of helpful tips to encourage kids to live with less, or clean up after themselves, or something. Instead it was poorly written, and what little content there was to be found in the choppy sentences was pseudo-religious, promising Purpose, if only you can be Minimalist like the author, without delivering any ways to achieve minimalism or any meaningful definition of Purpose. I couldn’t finish it.
November 6, 2015
There is no magic wand. The magic is in what happens by inviting less into your life and finding so much more.
The author introduces the reader to "minimalist living" via his own life-changing anecdote. Before reading this book I was unaware of his first book SIMPLIFY: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone De-clutter Their Home and Life. He also has a blog: Becoming Minimalist.
I was already on this journey of letting things go and acquiring less. Hence, what he shares was very welcome to me.
The book is divided into three sections -- Change Your Thinking / Discover New Habits / Free Your Life
His gems in the first section include how his 5-year-old launched his journey, how simplicity leads to better living, the parenting benefits of fewer possessions, the "road to clutter free", and suggestions of how to include your children in the process.
In the second section he tackles by category toys, clothes, artwork, sentimental items, collections, screens, photos, gifts, packing, schedules, and preparing for a baby.
In the third section he expounds on keeping momentum, clutter free parenting, clutter free with a reluctant partner, becoming a one-income family (for those who desire this), and stopping comparing your life to others and living more fully with what you have and are.
Following are the highlights I would have made in the book had it been my own:
p.31 Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts from it.
p.33 a quote from Leo Rosten: "I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all."
p.39 (from a study published in the March 2011 issue of The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology by Margaret Clark) ... those who do not feel internally secure in their personal relationships will often put a higher value on physical possessions.
p.41-44 -- an alphabetical list of gifts parents can give their children (sans the descriptions)... Affirmation ~ Challenge ~ Compassion ~ Contentment ~ Curiosity ~ Determination ~ Discipline ~ Faithfulness ~ Generosity ~ Integrity ~ Hope ~ Imagination ~ Intentionality ~ Lifelong Learning ~ Nature Appreciation ~ Opportunities to experience new things ~ Optimism ~ Peace ~ Pride ~ Self-Esteem ~ Sense of Humor ~ Spirituality ~ Stability ~ Time with your undivided attention ~ Uniqueness
p.49 a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
p.54 (when training for his first marathon he found this approach which he found in a book by Grete Waitz and suggests this approach to any hard thing)
Day 1: run 1 mile Day 2: rest Day 3: run 1.5 miles Day 4: rest etc.
p.63 a quote from Elaine M. Ward: "The rules for parents are but three... love, limit, and let them be."
p.77 I'm not anti-toy. I'm just pro-child. So do your child a favor today and limit their number of toys.
p.85 Project 333, founded by Courtney Carver, is a 3-month long experiment in personal fashion. The rules are simple: Wear only 33 articles of clothing for 3 months. All clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes count towards your number -- exceptions being wedding ring, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lunge wear, and workout clothing. Clothing that no longer fits or becomes in poor condition may be replaced during the time period.
p.86 Boundaries promote creativity. Orson Welles said, "The enemy of art is the absence of limitations." Limiting your clothing items for 3 months forces art. Limiting your wardrobe does not rob you of personal style -- it causes you to find it.
p.88 You can typically cut down your wardrobe by over 25% by simply asking, "If I was out shopping right this second, would I buy this?" If the answer is no, throw it into a donate, sell, or recycle pile.
p.89 Turn around all the hangers in your child's closet. When an item is worn, return it with the hanger facing the normal direction. After the season is over, remove every article of clothing that wasn't worn.
p.96 I have begun to realize the important truth that keeping everything is the same as keeping nothing.
p.98 With the use of a camera or scanner, even people with limited Internet and/or artistic prowess can create beautiful, lasting, and clutterfree souvenirs using any number of Internet websites. Snapfish is one example.
p.105-6 If you have been saving printed photographs, documents, receipts, and other paperwork for years, it might be time to digitize your docs. Sort through it all and toss the trash. Scan the rest or hire someone to do it for you, and organize in folders. From there, back it up through Dropbox.
p.110 Opportunity cost is a business term that represents the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. In nonbusiness terms, it simply refers to the fact that every decision we make has consequences. Saying "yes" to anything requires us to say "no" to everything else -- that is the opportunity cost.
p.132 ...follow this formula: request quality over quantity, needs over wants, and experiences over products.
p.145 ...eating together as a family during adolescence is associated with lasting positive dietary choices in the future. Eating together as a family promotes relationship, understanding, and love. It provides opportunity for kids to digest not only their food, but also the events of the day. Elevate its importance. Guard it. Most likely, you will not be able to eat together every night of the week. But using it as a reference point in your decision-making will provide a valuable filter in saying yes or no to future opportunities.
p.160 Make gratitude a discipline. Gratitude serves little purpose as merely a response to positive circumstances. Gratitude holds its greatest potential as an attitude in undesired circumstances. Embrace it as a discipline during seasons of plenty and seasons of want. Begin focusing more on your blessings than your troubles.
Practice generosity. The surest path to contentment is generosity. Giving forces us to recognize all we possess and all we have to offer. It allows us to find fulfillment and purpose in helping others. Remember, generosity always leads to contentment with far greater efficiency than contentment leads to generosity.
p.172 Our role as parents is not to eliminate the opportunity for envy. Our role is to parent kids intentionally and train them to think mindfully about envy and learn to overcome it.
The author introduces the reader to "minimalist living" via his own life-changing anecdote. Before reading this book I was unaware of his first book SIMPLIFY: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone De-clutter Their Home and Life. He also has a blog: Becoming Minimalist.
I was already on this journey of letting things go and acquiring less. Hence, what he shares was very welcome to me.
The book is divided into three sections -- Change Your Thinking / Discover New Habits / Free Your Life
His gems in the first section include how his 5-year-old launched his journey, how simplicity leads to better living, the parenting benefits of fewer possessions, the "road to clutter free", and suggestions of how to include your children in the process.
In the second section he tackles by category toys, clothes, artwork, sentimental items, collections, screens, photos, gifts, packing, schedules, and preparing for a baby.
In the third section he expounds on keeping momentum, clutter free parenting, clutter free with a reluctant partner, becoming a one-income family (for those who desire this), and stopping comparing your life to others and living more fully with what you have and are.
Following are the highlights I would have made in the book had it been my own:
p.31 Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts from it.
p.33 a quote from Leo Rosten: "I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all."
p.39 (from a study published in the March 2011 issue of The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology by Margaret Clark) ... those who do not feel internally secure in their personal relationships will often put a higher value on physical possessions.
p.41-44 -- an alphabetical list of gifts parents can give their children (sans the descriptions)... Affirmation ~ Challenge ~ Compassion ~ Contentment ~ Curiosity ~ Determination ~ Discipline ~ Faithfulness ~ Generosity ~ Integrity ~ Hope ~ Imagination ~ Intentionality ~ Lifelong Learning ~ Nature Appreciation ~ Opportunities to experience new things ~ Optimism ~ Peace ~ Pride ~ Self-Esteem ~ Sense of Humor ~ Spirituality ~ Stability ~ Time with your undivided attention ~ Uniqueness
p.49 a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
p.54 (when training for his first marathon he found this approach which he found in a book by Grete Waitz and suggests this approach to any hard thing)
Day 1: run 1 mile Day 2: rest Day 3: run 1.5 miles Day 4: rest etc.
p.63 a quote from Elaine M. Ward: "The rules for parents are but three... love, limit, and let them be."
p.77 I'm not anti-toy. I'm just pro-child. So do your child a favor today and limit their number of toys.
p.85 Project 333, founded by Courtney Carver, is a 3-month long experiment in personal fashion. The rules are simple: Wear only 33 articles of clothing for 3 months. All clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes count towards your number -- exceptions being wedding ring, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lunge wear, and workout clothing. Clothing that no longer fits or becomes in poor condition may be replaced during the time period.
p.86 Boundaries promote creativity. Orson Welles said, "The enemy of art is the absence of limitations." Limiting your clothing items for 3 months forces art. Limiting your wardrobe does not rob you of personal style -- it causes you to find it.
p.88 You can typically cut down your wardrobe by over 25% by simply asking, "If I was out shopping right this second, would I buy this?" If the answer is no, throw it into a donate, sell, or recycle pile.
p.89 Turn around all the hangers in your child's closet. When an item is worn, return it with the hanger facing the normal direction. After the season is over, remove every article of clothing that wasn't worn.
p.96 I have begun to realize the important truth that keeping everything is the same as keeping nothing.
p.98 With the use of a camera or scanner, even people with limited Internet and/or artistic prowess can create beautiful, lasting, and clutterfree souvenirs using any number of Internet websites. Snapfish is one example.
p.105-6 If you have been saving printed photographs, documents, receipts, and other paperwork for years, it might be time to digitize your docs. Sort through it all and toss the trash. Scan the rest or hire someone to do it for you, and organize in folders. From there, back it up through Dropbox.
p.110 Opportunity cost is a business term that represents the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. In nonbusiness terms, it simply refers to the fact that every decision we make has consequences. Saying "yes" to anything requires us to say "no" to everything else -- that is the opportunity cost.
p.132 ...follow this formula: request quality over quantity, needs over wants, and experiences over products.
p.145 ...eating together as a family during adolescence is associated with lasting positive dietary choices in the future. Eating together as a family promotes relationship, understanding, and love. It provides opportunity for kids to digest not only their food, but also the events of the day. Elevate its importance. Guard it. Most likely, you will not be able to eat together every night of the week. But using it as a reference point in your decision-making will provide a valuable filter in saying yes or no to future opportunities.
p.160 Make gratitude a discipline. Gratitude serves little purpose as merely a response to positive circumstances. Gratitude holds its greatest potential as an attitude in undesired circumstances. Embrace it as a discipline during seasons of plenty and seasons of want. Begin focusing more on your blessings than your troubles.
Practice generosity. The surest path to contentment is generosity. Giving forces us to recognize all we possess and all we have to offer. It allows us to find fulfillment and purpose in helping others. Remember, generosity always leads to contentment with far greater efficiency than contentment leads to generosity.
p.172 Our role as parents is not to eliminate the opportunity for envy. Our role is to parent kids intentionally and train them to think mindfully about envy and learn to overcome it.
August 6, 2017
This is a great book if you're dipping your toe into Minimalism. I have read a lot on the subject and was hoping for more practical advice and suggestions. This was more abstract advice.
There's great stuff in here, but I already knew a lot of it. I would recommend this to anyone who is a parent looking to declutter but who wants more advice on the subject rather than a how to. If you're looking for a how to I suggest The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. That book helped me start the process of declutterung. This novel just gave me some good information on why I should.
There's great stuff in here, but I already knew a lot of it. I would recommend this to anyone who is a parent looking to declutter but who wants more advice on the subject rather than a how to. If you're looking for a how to I suggest The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. That book helped me start the process of declutterung. This novel just gave me some good information on why I should.
January 7, 2018
Eye opening
With kids comes clutter, but this book opened my eyes to ideas of living intentionally with the "stuff" we love most and what to do with the rest. Excellent suggestions in almost every chapter. Highly recommend.
With kids comes clutter, but this book opened my eyes to ideas of living intentionally with the "stuff" we love most and what to do with the rest. Excellent suggestions in almost every chapter. Highly recommend.
May 21, 2014
This is a surprisingly good book. I've heard read variations on this theme many times; where a character will say that 'any book with the word garden/cooking/hairstyle/decorating and I can't help but buy it' but for me it's any book that has the word 'clutter'. I am endlessly thinking that I'd like to improve our quality of life by lessening the clutter and would like it even more if I could get the kids involved. It sounds like a pie in the sky kind of thing and I hesitated before I began reading Joshua Becker's book (thinking, is it really worth my time...) but I was so pleased by the whole project.
He provides great background on why he thinks life will be improved by lessening clutter - from the simple to the grandiose - and then provides practical ways to accomplish this. He doesn't sugarcoat the hard stuff and absolutely comes clean (unintentional) about how hard it can be to change habits and make the adjustments to control the chaos in lives with kids. I was fully prepared to dislike the author of this book, thinking he'd be a paragon of great parenting with organic cleaning products that are specialized for detailing our file folders made of hemp, but he was not that kind of guy at all.
It's actually a practical book, despite the brevity, and I'll be checking it out again once the warm days of summer hit. I know that at least 1/2 of the things he suggests here are possible and the way he describes it all left me feeling inspired. I rarely like books like this one because I finish reading them and feel guilty and even more overwhelmed. Not this time. Joshua Becker's book is so good I might even check out his blog. Yup. I just might.
He provides great background on why he thinks life will be improved by lessening clutter - from the simple to the grandiose - and then provides practical ways to accomplish this. He doesn't sugarcoat the hard stuff and absolutely comes clean (unintentional) about how hard it can be to change habits and make the adjustments to control the chaos in lives with kids. I was fully prepared to dislike the author of this book, thinking he'd be a paragon of great parenting with organic cleaning products that are specialized for detailing our file folders made of hemp, but he was not that kind of guy at all.
It's actually a practical book, despite the brevity, and I'll be checking it out again once the warm days of summer hit. I know that at least 1/2 of the things he suggests here are possible and the way he describes it all left me feeling inspired. I rarely like books like this one because I finish reading them and feel guilty and even more overwhelmed. Not this time. Joshua Becker's book is so good I might even check out his blog. Yup. I just might.
March 26, 2015
This book was a lot about the philosophy behind minimalism and encouraging clutterfree THINKING more than the nuts and bolts of reducing kid related clutter (though there was some of that, too). I think someone who hasn't read much about minimalism would get a lot more out of this book than someone like myself who has read quite a lot about it already.
An interesting thought in chapter 4: that a lot of people contemplating minimalism start worrying right away about the hardest thing (family heirlooms, a spouse who has a lot of clutter). The author reminds us to start with the EASY things to declutter and worry about the hard things when you get to them.
I've read many times that you should involve your child in the toy declutter process, but I finally took the advice this time with my almost-4-year-old. He did GREAT!
A favorite quote from the book: Realize your money is only as valuable as what you choose to spend it on. The financial resources we have earned or been given hold great potential. They can be used to provide for those without. They can be used to bring justice and hope to a world desperately searching for both. And we ought to dream bigger dreams for our money than the clearance rack at a department store. (pgs. 159-160)
An interesting thought in chapter 4: that a lot of people contemplating minimalism start worrying right away about the hardest thing (family heirlooms, a spouse who has a lot of clutter). The author reminds us to start with the EASY things to declutter and worry about the hard things when you get to them.
I've read many times that you should involve your child in the toy declutter process, but I finally took the advice this time with my almost-4-year-old. He did GREAT!
A favorite quote from the book: Realize your money is only as valuable as what you choose to spend it on. The financial resources we have earned or been given hold great potential. They can be used to provide for those without. They can be used to bring justice and hope to a world desperately searching for both. And we ought to dream bigger dreams for our money than the clearance rack at a department store. (pgs. 159-160)
May 5, 2015
After reading Marie Kondo's excellent, entertaining, and useful book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I wished for some specific strategies for American families, as Kondo's book focuses on people living alone in Japan. Becker's book is not what I hoped for, perhaps because I'm already committed to minimalizing in life, and I already espouse most of what he recommends. This book is a cheap, unattractive book, self-published with a stock photo cover, cheap paper, ugly font and typesetting. It is full of to-me uninspiring stories, along with countless platitudes about living more simply, and very few actual strategies for doing so. The strategies he does recommend--declutter a junk drawer! put stuff in bins!--are ones that I've found ineffective over the long run, which Kondo's book does a great job of explaining why. I started to read, then skipped to skimming because of the superficial content and simplistic writing. Even so, I failed to take away a single strategy I'm not doing already. This book was a waste of my time, even skimming! But, because I borrowed it from the library, at least not a waste of money. I recommend you buy or borrow Kondo's book, and adapt her strategies to family life.
April 18, 2025
One star for false advertising.
Where is the part where the author talks about living clutterfree with kids? Because after spending the first 33% introducing me to the merits of minimalism (as if I’m not already sold on the idea of less stuff), he starts listing specific stuff to minimize that may or may not be relevant to parenting.
The author refuses to offer any practical advice stating that everyone will do minimalism differently and books are more for inspiration than information anyway.
I’m sorry, what??? I have been inspired. What I wanted from this book was practical advice on how to keep my house from looking like a tiny tornado hit it while raising toddlers. There is absolutely nothing in this book that aids in that plight.
I’m realizing the author and I appear to have different definitions of the word “clutter” because he seems to think I need to abandon my consumerism mentality, but I don’t think I have one. I have purged everything that seems reasonable to purge. I certainly feel like my kids have too much stuff, but when I look at the things with the mentality of getting rid of them, I realize it’s not that much stuff; I just don’t have a good enough system for maintaining it. I was hoping this book would offer me a system, but it doesn’t even try.
The author had written a previous book titled Simplify and, while I will not be reading it merely to satiate my curiosity, I wonder how different it was from this book because that title would have been more appropriate for the content found within these pages. Maybe Clutterfree is an appropriate title, but Clutterfree with Kids is entirely misleading for how little information this book contains.
Where is the part where the author talks about living clutterfree with kids? Because after spending the first 33% introducing me to the merits of minimalism (as if I’m not already sold on the idea of less stuff), he starts listing specific stuff to minimize that may or may not be relevant to parenting.
The author refuses to offer any practical advice stating that everyone will do minimalism differently and books are more for inspiration than information anyway.
I’m sorry, what??? I have been inspired. What I wanted from this book was practical advice on how to keep my house from looking like a tiny tornado hit it while raising toddlers. There is absolutely nothing in this book that aids in that plight.
I’m realizing the author and I appear to have different definitions of the word “clutter” because he seems to think I need to abandon my consumerism mentality, but I don’t think I have one. I have purged everything that seems reasonable to purge. I certainly feel like my kids have too much stuff, but when I look at the things with the mentality of getting rid of them, I realize it’s not that much stuff; I just don’t have a good enough system for maintaining it. I was hoping this book would offer me a system, but it doesn’t even try.
The author had written a previous book titled Simplify and, while I will not be reading it merely to satiate my curiosity, I wonder how different it was from this book because that title would have been more appropriate for the content found within these pages. Maybe Clutterfree is an appropriate title, but Clutterfree with Kids is entirely misleading for how little information this book contains.
May 29, 2019
If you want to read about navigating the idea of minimalism with kids, this is the book for you.
However, I think I have some qualms with the whole idea itself just a little bit. Often when people become "minimalist" that becomes what they find their identity in it seems. I think that's kind of weird, quite frankly. I personally love the idea of simplifying my lifestyle and find it aligns well with my personal convictions as a Christian, but I do not want to label of "Minimalist" along with that. I feel there are certain expectations one can place on someone if they carry that label around. I'm not comfortable with that. It can get kind of obsessive. I have a manageable amount of OCD but I don't want it to take over my whole life. This is in some ways a whole new level of obsessivenss. Instead of obsessing over consumerism, you can actually start obsessing over having less, which I find odd but true.
Who wants their house to look like a hotel room? Okay maybe some people out there do, but I don't.
This book also needs some serious editing, as there are apparently 4 chapter 16's in the book, and then it goes to chapter 20.
However, I think I have some qualms with the whole idea itself just a little bit. Often when people become "minimalist" that becomes what they find their identity in it seems. I think that's kind of weird, quite frankly. I personally love the idea of simplifying my lifestyle and find it aligns well with my personal convictions as a Christian, but I do not want to label of "Minimalist" along with that. I feel there are certain expectations one can place on someone if they carry that label around. I'm not comfortable with that. It can get kind of obsessive. I have a manageable amount of OCD but I don't want it to take over my whole life. This is in some ways a whole new level of obsessivenss. Instead of obsessing over consumerism, you can actually start obsessing over having less, which I find odd but true.
Who wants their house to look like a hotel room? Okay maybe some people out there do, but I don't.
This book also needs some serious editing, as there are apparently 4 chapter 16's in the book, and then it goes to chapter 20.
November 6, 2023
There is nothing groundbreaking in this book for people that are already familiar and on-board with the idea of minimalism and the title isn’t completely lived up to in terms of focusing on kids.
There are a few chapters based on living with children and some of them have great points BUT this book felt way more like a solid introduction to minimalism with “children specific” parts sprinkled in.
Saying this… it is written well with first hand experience, it has an easy to follow structure and some very practical, actionable advice.
Well worth reading if you are new to minimalism. Maybe not that useful if you have already embraced it. Or at least tried to (easier said than done with children)…
There are a few chapters based on living with children and some of them have great points BUT this book felt way more like a solid introduction to minimalism with “children specific” parts sprinkled in.
Saying this… it is written well with first hand experience, it has an easy to follow structure and some very practical, actionable advice.
Well worth reading if you are new to minimalism. Maybe not that useful if you have already embraced it. Or at least tried to (easier said than done with children)…
January 12, 2025
I very nearly didn't continue past the first few chapters of intro (just seemed very generic) and skim-read most of this book. Eventually, however, more specific chapters on topics like preparing for baby, schedules, etc. delivered some helpful food for thought. I liked the questions to ask oneself provided at the end of each chapter. Since this is a quick, easy read, it would be a good complement on how to actually implement advice in books like Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids.
November 5, 2020
I’ve been reading/listening to/watching content regarding minimalism for years so nothing in this book was necessarily ground breaking or new however the format was enjoyable and provided a lot of thought provoking moments. I had to laugh that I started reading this book during a hectic period of my life - living with family, belongings in storage, preparing a home for us to move into it and then unpacking items that have been away from us for a few months.. it was great timing though and I’m feeling more encouraged to further declutter our lives for the benefit of my family.
March 13, 2017
If there is a book that will inspire me to do another round of decluttering then I'll give it 5 stars. I've read about this topic a lot and have been slowly getting rid of extras in my house, but I'm ready to really make a big difference. This book would be a great introduction to this subject, especially for anyone with kids. It was the first book I've read that talks about a minimalist life with kids, and I appreciated the realistic suggestions.
January 9, 2018
Changed my way of thinking about organizing and decluttering. It made me realize how many resources I put into organizing items and how I can take back my time, money and attention by getting rid of items and buying less to begin with. Made me think of the whole picture when it comes to organizing our stuff and prioritize what is important to me--time with my family.
March 19, 2023
This man changed my life 8 years ago
May 15, 2022
"Gratitude holds its greatest potential as an attitude in undesired circumstances."
January 24, 2021
On the topic of only bringing the highest quality items into my house, I need to internalize the lesson to stop buying blog posts turned into books. There's nothing wrong with this book, and if you're not familiar with what's been written on minimalism, it isn't a bad place to start. But it didn't hold much value for me, particularly since on each of the topics, there wasn't much depth. Just a high level overview.
June 11, 2021
Over the last few years and especially through the pandemic, I have realized how much decluttering and leading a more sustainable life means to me and I am taking small steps towards it. This book was one such attempt to know more especially because as a society we have been trained to think about all the 'stuff' kids 'need'!
This is not a revolutionary book nor does it offer any new a-ha moments. But for me, this was an important read. Until now, I have been thinking more about organizing and decluttering but this book made me think of the importance of owning less in the first place and that was a massive thought process change for me. Now it's not just about finding more plastic containers to store stuff but about evaluating the need for that stuff in the first place. For that distinction, I am grateful for this book.
It is an easy quick read and has good tips about including children in this journey so they are aware of getting ensnared by marketing messages. Here are my favorite quotes:
-- "There is more joy to be found in owning less than can ever be found in organizing more. This is a foundational understanding that is rare in our culture. Our society has trained us to think just the opposite. for that reason, it is important to take a step back and rethink our passion for possessions."
--quote from Leo Rosten in the book "I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. it is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all."
--the tip about adopting a museum mentality with regard to kids' art is very helpful.
--"You cannot outpace envy. The game of comparison and envy and jealousy is a game that can never be won."
This is not a revolutionary book nor does it offer any new a-ha moments. But for me, this was an important read. Until now, I have been thinking more about organizing and decluttering but this book made me think of the importance of owning less in the first place and that was a massive thought process change for me. Now it's not just about finding more plastic containers to store stuff but about evaluating the need for that stuff in the first place. For that distinction, I am grateful for this book.
It is an easy quick read and has good tips about including children in this journey so they are aware of getting ensnared by marketing messages. Here are my favorite quotes:
-- "There is more joy to be found in owning less than can ever be found in organizing more. This is a foundational understanding that is rare in our culture. Our society has trained us to think just the opposite. for that reason, it is important to take a step back and rethink our passion for possessions."
--quote from Leo Rosten in the book "I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. it is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all."
--the tip about adopting a museum mentality with regard to kids' art is very helpful.
--"You cannot outpace envy. The game of comparison and envy and jealousy is a game that can never be won."
March 12, 2014
I thought this was a decent book and it was helpful. It's nice that it's short and to the point. The first chapters about the reasons for minimalism struck me as very "rah-rah everything is wonderful" where I prefer more down-to-earth principles, but that's just my taste and I understand the author is trying to appeal to a broad audience and make his book appealing to people he's about to tell they need to throw out a lot of their stuff. Not an easy task. Anyhow, the basic idea of the whole book is that we need to prioritize what is really important in life (relationships) and owning less stuff helps us to do that, and frees us up in time, money, and emotional energy to do what really matters.
If you only want one book on being minimalist, I recommend (based on the two I've read) Tsh Oxenreider's Organized Simplicity, because that is a more thorough treatment of cleaning out (she really is minimalist, but doesn't use the term) AND disciplining your entire life (finances, hobbies, relationships, "stuff") in order to maintain that focus. And it seems a little more down-to-earth.
If you only want one book on being minimalist, I recommend (based on the two I've read) Tsh Oxenreider's Organized Simplicity, because that is a more thorough treatment of cleaning out (she really is minimalist, but doesn't use the term) AND disciplining your entire life (finances, hobbies, relationships, "stuff") in order to maintain that focus. And it seems a little more down-to-earth.
April 15, 2017
If you are looking for a book on organizing, you might be surprised that is book really isn’t it. Pleasantly surprised though, I PROMISE! Clutterfree with Kids, isn’t about buying more bins and shelves for your kids toys and hiding things away when you have guests. It’s about learning that owning less is better than organizing more, and joy in life isn’t found in owning more. A blogging minimalist, Joshua Becker helps you dive right in and let go.
What is minimalism? Everyday more and more people are discovering now that the excess we thought we needed years ago doesn’t really make our lives better. Let Joshua lead you on this counterculture journey!
If you are looking for more joy and less organizing, than any one of Joshua’s books can help you get started, but if you have kids, I would highly recommend Clutterfree with Kids!
What is minimalism? Everyday more and more people are discovering now that the excess we thought we needed years ago doesn’t really make our lives better. Let Joshua lead you on this counterculture journey!
If you are looking for more joy and less organizing, than any one of Joshua’s books can help you get started, but if you have kids, I would highly recommend Clutterfree with Kids!
February 24, 2014
Brilliant! This is *not* just another declutter / organise book. It's about putting anti consumerism / materialism theory into practice. I was half way there already, but this book has strengthened my resolve to pursue the simple, one income family life. I'm not going to launch us immediately into full scale minimalism but before I'd finished this book I'd cleared out 6 binbags and a box full of clutter in just a couple of hours, and it feels good!
I would add that the author can come across as a bit ’preachy’ at times, and there is a tiny bit of (sexual) moralising in there - I sense Christian undertones, which is so not my thing - but I can overlook a sometimes less than attractive tone and put it down to Becker's enthusiasm and belief in his chosen lifestyle, which really resonates with me.
I would add that the author can come across as a bit ’preachy’ at times, and there is a tiny bit of (sexual) moralising in there - I sense Christian undertones, which is so not my thing - but I can overlook a sometimes less than attractive tone and put it down to Becker's enthusiasm and belief in his chosen lifestyle, which really resonates with me.
February 4, 2021
I was pretty disappointed with the strategy or more correctly stated lack-there-of in this one. Joshua Becker is a big minimalist voice and I enjoy his blog posts fine. I was curious what suggestions he had for parents specifically as child clutter is an overwhelming problem for most parents. Unfortunately, the book was all about the benefits of being a minimalist, not practical strategies for implementing it. It was really preaching to the choir. If a parent picked up the book, they want to know how to do it, don't waste time philosophizing on the benefits.
Granted I was on page 101 when I had to send it back to the library, so maybe it miraculously gets better. I'm putting this on my paused list so I can considering getting it again, but the part I read wasn't helpful to anyone already familiar with minimalism.
March 23, 2017
It's hard for me to rate this so low, but I literally got nothing from it. It's more of an introduction to minimalism than a guide to help you live minimally with kids. There are already a lot of resources out there on minimalism. There are not, however, many resources on minimalism with children (I'm specifically looking for help in the toy category). Going by the title, you would think you hit the jackpot on how to live a minimal life with kids, but that isn't the case. I could have written a more in-depth guide than this and I have only been doing this for 3 years vs. the 9 years the author has been a minimalist. Perhaps I should write a book?
October 9, 2017
I so liked the Marie Kondo books and am interested in minimalism, so I thought that more information on the subject would be a good thing. But after reading Kondo, no more information is necessary. She says it all and gives you the tools to do it. This book was boring, banal and offered nothing new on the subjects of clutter or minimalism. I've read three books now where authors offer their opinions and generalizations of what people think and do, with no evidence cited, and follow that with extra-obvious common sense advice. No more! If I want a refresher or an answer about clutter, I'll just re-read Kondo.
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