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Be the Boss of Your Stuff: The Kids’ Guide to Decluttering and Creating Your Own Space
Give your kids the decluttering guide that will encourage their independence and create a more peaceful home for your family. Allie Casazza has created a resource for you to show kids how to create and design their own space, offering practical ideas on organization and productivity, kid-friendly inspiration for mindfulness, and interactive pages for creativity. Allie has encouraged women to simplify and unburden their lives as the host of The Purpose Show podcast and through her first book Declutter Like a Mother . Now she's helping you equip your kids and tweens to discover the same joy of decluttering as they Your kids will start to understand that the less they own, the more time they have for what's important. Written in Allie's fun, motivational voice, Be the Boss of Your Stuff As your kids become more proactive in taking care of their stuff, you'll find your whole family has more time and space for creativity and fun. After all, less clutter, less stress, and less chaos in your kids' lives means more peace, more independence, and more opportunity to grow into who they're meant to be. Read Allie's first book, Declutter Like a Mother , to further equip yourself in decluttering while you empower your kids to embrace their space.
160 pages, Hardcover
Published March 8, 2022
43 people are currently reading
2050 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 14, 2022
This is an okay book geared towards children to help them learn to declutter and design their rooms. It has a lot of places where you're supposed to write down how you feel in your room or draw a picture of yourself in your room, which some kids will like and others will find annoying. There are some stock images of children's rooms and a few of the author's kids' rooms, though I wish they were of the whole room and not one small bit. They did feel staged. For instance, the author's daughter likes to do art and it shows her desk but the desk has one artful vase of colored pencils fanned out and one artful vase of number two pencils fanned out on it, and basically nothing else. What artist needs an entire vase of perfectly fanned number two pencils? If we're going to be minimalist, how about keep two and then fill the vase with things you actually need like pens, paintbrushes, etc.? It just looked like it was done for Instagram or a blog post, not like an actual used space.
It's a nice touch that two of the author's kids contribute to the book. She is friendly to the reader. I appreciate that she tells parents not to try to control their kids' spaces or get rid of any of their stuff, which is ironic because she became famous in the first place after a blog post went viral about how she got rid of almost all of her children's belongings.
All in all, I like this book a lot more than her book for adults, which read like one long ad for her paid courses and almost no helpful information. This one recommends her courses and podcasts too, of course, but has more actual advice.
Her takeaway for kids is that the more stuff you have, the more time you have to spend cleaning it. There's also a focus on spending time designing your room, painting it, choosing furniture and so on. This may not be helpful for families who can't afford this type of room renovation.
I'm not sure what the ideal age range for this book would be. It's a LOT of text and I think my 10 y/o would be bored silly by it. My older kids would probably consider it too babyish, but younger kids would be lost in all the text and exercises. Kids who enjoy journaling and reading self help books are likely to find it a good fit.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book via Net Galley.
It's a nice touch that two of the author's kids contribute to the book. She is friendly to the reader. I appreciate that she tells parents not to try to control their kids' spaces or get rid of any of their stuff, which is ironic because she became famous in the first place after a blog post went viral about how she got rid of almost all of her children's belongings.
All in all, I like this book a lot more than her book for adults, which read like one long ad for her paid courses and almost no helpful information. This one recommends her courses and podcasts too, of course, but has more actual advice.
Her takeaway for kids is that the more stuff you have, the more time you have to spend cleaning it. There's also a focus on spending time designing your room, painting it, choosing furniture and so on. This may not be helpful for families who can't afford this type of room renovation.
I'm not sure what the ideal age range for this book would be. It's a LOT of text and I think my 10 y/o would be bored silly by it. My older kids would probably consider it too babyish, but younger kids would be lost in all the text and exercises. Kids who enjoy journaling and reading self help books are likely to find it a good fit.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book via Net Galley.
February 8, 2022
Thank you, Tommy Nelson/Thomas Nelson, for the advance reading copy.
For someone who still struggles with keeping the room all organised as an adult, I do feel the need of such books to be introduced at the right time at the right age. I wish I read a few books on basic life skills that nobody would actually teach you as you grow up unless you have an adult who looks into these things more strictly.
I like the illustrations. The best parts of the book are the prompts in the form of QnAs (questions and answers) in between the chapters to encourage the reader.
The book focuses more on decluttering and basic organisation of the bedrooms. Love the real different pictures of different bedrooms.
The book can be used as a journal as it has all the basic journal prompts and spaces provided.
For someone who still struggles with keeping the room all organised as an adult, I do feel the need of such books to be introduced at the right time at the right age. I wish I read a few books on basic life skills that nobody would actually teach you as you grow up unless you have an adult who looks into these things more strictly.
I like the illustrations. The best parts of the book are the prompts in the form of QnAs (questions and answers) in between the chapters to encourage the reader.
The book focuses more on decluttering and basic organisation of the bedrooms. Love the real different pictures of different bedrooms.
The book can be used as a journal as it has all the basic journal prompts and spaces provided.
September 9, 2022
I listened to this as an audiobook.
Content warnings: none that I can think of.
You might be asking why I rated this so low. Well, I'm not a kid and don't ever plan on having any of my own. Why did I read this? You know, sometimes I like to look at all facets of a topic - for some reason my guilty pleasure is reading books on decluttering. I thought that there might be something of interest even with a book like this because my hobbies aren't the most "adult" hobbies. I read A LOT of books, I play video games, I am extremely crafty and love drawing and building things. You don't really ever see these kinds of hobby areas being talked about in other decluttering-type books. I thought maybe reading a decluttering book for kids who may have these kinds of hobbies might be helpful.
Unfortunately (for me, but I'll say not for kids or parents of kids), this was too simple for me. I don't know why I expected anything less from a book literally designed for kids. It also mostly talks about bedrooms because that's really a kid's only personal space in a family home. This may actually be very helpful for those whose kids need help containing their stuff in one room.
So, do I recommend? For me, no. For parents or kids themselves, yes. I will say, since I listened to the audiobook, I didn't get the benefit of being able to view pictures as I was listening (but I think the audio does contain a PDF), so I actually recommend finding the physical book, especially if your kid is a visual or hands-on learner. The audio does have lists and prompts where it tells you to pause the audiobook to write your own thing down. Some people might find that helpful if they don't care about visuals.
Content warnings: none that I can think of.
You might be asking why I rated this so low. Well, I'm not a kid and don't ever plan on having any of my own. Why did I read this? You know, sometimes I like to look at all facets of a topic - for some reason my guilty pleasure is reading books on decluttering. I thought that there might be something of interest even with a book like this because my hobbies aren't the most "adult" hobbies. I read A LOT of books, I play video games, I am extremely crafty and love drawing and building things. You don't really ever see these kinds of hobby areas being talked about in other decluttering-type books. I thought maybe reading a decluttering book for kids who may have these kinds of hobbies might be helpful.
Unfortunately (for me, but I'll say not for kids or parents of kids), this was too simple for me. I don't know why I expected anything less from a book literally designed for kids. It also mostly talks about bedrooms because that's really a kid's only personal space in a family home. This may actually be very helpful for those whose kids need help containing their stuff in one room.
So, do I recommend? For me, no. For parents or kids themselves, yes. I will say, since I listened to the audiobook, I didn't get the benefit of being able to view pictures as I was listening (but I think the audio does contain a PDF), so I actually recommend finding the physical book, especially if your kid is a visual or hands-on learner. The audio does have lists and prompts where it tells you to pause the audiobook to write your own thing down. Some people might find that helpful if they don't care about visuals.
April 1, 2023
I borrowed this from the library and was able to skim it in one day. As much as this is intended to be for kids, I don’t see many kids actually reading through this and responding to the journal prompts thoughtfully. However, as a guide for parents helping their kids go through their rooms it was good. I took lots of notes on questions to ask and how to bring my kids through the process of decluttering their rooms.
I haven’t read Casazza’s book for adults, Declutter like a Mother, so I don’t know if this is consistent with her style. But at times I felt her suggestions and discussion points were a bit privileged and detached from the reality of many families. The skeleton of her advice, the main collection of her points, is solid though.
I haven’t read Casazza’s book for adults, Declutter like a Mother, so I don’t know if this is consistent with her style. But at times I felt her suggestions and discussion points were a bit privileged and detached from the reality of many families. The skeleton of her advice, the main collection of her points, is solid though.
February 26, 2023
The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Be the Boss of Your Stuff has a lot of really good aspects, like expressing to children that they should take ownership and pride in their room and belongings, showing the importance of surrounding yourself by things you really love, and describing how to declutter and clean. However, I couldn't quite tell who the book was aimed for. It's definitely written for children, but some parts seem babyish and other parts have way too much text for a young person. Overall, I think a family could really benefit from this book, but only if the "grownups" read it first and approved for the child.
Be the Boss of Your Stuff has a lot of really good aspects, like expressing to children that they should take ownership and pride in their room and belongings, showing the importance of surrounding yourself by things you really love, and describing how to declutter and clean. However, I couldn't quite tell who the book was aimed for. It's definitely written for children, but some parts seem babyish and other parts have way too much text for a young person. Overall, I think a family could really benefit from this book, but only if the "grownups" read it first and approved for the child.
April 19, 2022
Self help for kids, such an interesting idea. As a mom who struggling to keep life balance and healthy, I knew living with kids and their " creativity messy" isnt easy. The idea of this book to help my kids to starting take responsibility and handle their personal space and belonging is great.
I love how good this book explain about transform personal space and declutter stuff. My minor problem maybe the illustrations are pretty but so intragramable. Maybe before after pic is better.
Thanks Netgalley to providing me with this useful book.
I love how good this book explain about transform personal space and declutter stuff. My minor problem maybe the illustrations are pretty but so intragramable. Maybe before after pic is better.
Thanks Netgalley to providing me with this useful book.
March 21, 2022
I've been following Allie's guides for decluttering my home, and this book helped my kids get on board to get a handle on their own things. We read through the book together and went step by step. They really do feel better and are loving their space and freedom from cleaning taking forever. Highly recommend.
December 31, 2022
This book is a great guide for kids to learn how to declutter and create a peaceful living space. I read this on my own, read parts of it aloud to my boys, and my two older boys also read it on their own. We’re still working on putting these principles into practice, but reading this book has been such a great starting point for them!
August 23, 2022
Note: I did not read this book cover to cover. I skimmed and read bits and pieces here and there.
Overall, this is a fun and quirky book about how to clean and declutter. I would imagine children who are of the personality to enjoy planning how they do things or who are good with checklists and similar will have no problem going through this book and following its directions. For children who aren't as visually oriented or who struggling with things like a checklist, this may be a difficult book to use on their own and would require A LOT of adult supervision (perhaps reading them the sections and answering the questions or doing the activities together.)
The Good:
*There is a theme of positivity and that the goal here is to make a space you can feel happy in, not to merely get rid of everything.
*Bright colors break up sections with clear indication of what are callouts and what is main text.
*The colors are fun!
*There are questions to answer and 'role playing' type scenarios to help them practice with someone else's things instead of their own.
*Lots of check lists.
*Asking the child to think through and make their own decisions and write it down before acting.
*There are callout blocks reassuring them if they are scared about giving things away. Telling them it's all right not to keep gifts and similar.
The Meh:
*As many others have said, many of the photos are obviously stock photos.
*Similarly, there is a little inconsistency on the age level of the tone and activities, but not so much that I felt it was unreasonable. If I had to ballpark the target age, I'd guess this is aimed at upper elementary or early middle school (8-12 years old). It would certainly feel dumb or cheesy to most of those older and may be too difficult a read for those younger. That said, if you have a particularly check-list-oriented teen or adult who is looking for guidance, they may still find the information useful.
The bad?:
* (The reason I decided on 4/5 stars.) Some of the assumptions in this book are very upper middle to upper class. It seems to be assumed the child has their own room, other than a brief section near the end with suggestions on how to make it feel like they do if they're sharing, as well as having other spaces in the house where things may be stored (like athletic gear in the garage or recording equipment in the space where they record videos). There are also sections on things like changing to new furniture/bedding/similar including repainting (either walls or furniture). Similarly, while there is discussion of how nice it is to donate things they aren't using, there isn't mention that perhaps a sibling might be interested in the item or it will need to be saved for them to grow into. This is left as statements like "discuss with an adult your decisions" before proceeding to donation leaving it to the parent to explain such an option/need.
* (Occurred to me while writing this review.) As the adult, be aware many of these things are geared at neurotypical kids. You may find you need to explain various alternatives to your child, particularly if they are younger, when it comes to making a space they can feel comfortable in. For a child who likes to be able to see everything, the idea of having it "hidden" away, could be very intimidating. While the book doesn't always argue for things being out of sight, it doesn't make it super clear on the alternative either.
(I received this book from a GoodReads Giveaway.)
Overall, this is a fun and quirky book about how to clean and declutter. I would imagine children who are of the personality to enjoy planning how they do things or who are good with checklists and similar will have no problem going through this book and following its directions. For children who aren't as visually oriented or who struggling with things like a checklist, this may be a difficult book to use on their own and would require A LOT of adult supervision (perhaps reading them the sections and answering the questions or doing the activities together.)
The Good:
*There is a theme of positivity and that the goal here is to make a space you can feel happy in, not to merely get rid of everything.
*Bright colors break up sections with clear indication of what are callouts and what is main text.
*The colors are fun!
*There are questions to answer and 'role playing' type scenarios to help them practice with someone else's things instead of their own.
*Lots of check lists.
*Asking the child to think through and make their own decisions and write it down before acting.
*There are callout blocks reassuring them if they are scared about giving things away. Telling them it's all right not to keep gifts and similar.
The Meh:
*As many others have said, many of the photos are obviously stock photos.
*Similarly, there is a little inconsistency on the age level of the tone and activities, but not so much that I felt it was unreasonable. If I had to ballpark the target age, I'd guess this is aimed at upper elementary or early middle school (8-12 years old). It would certainly feel dumb or cheesy to most of those older and may be too difficult a read for those younger. That said, if you have a particularly check-list-oriented teen or adult who is looking for guidance, they may still find the information useful.
The bad?:
* (The reason I decided on 4/5 stars.) Some of the assumptions in this book are very upper middle to upper class. It seems to be assumed the child has their own room, other than a brief section near the end with suggestions on how to make it feel like they do if they're sharing, as well as having other spaces in the house where things may be stored (like athletic gear in the garage or recording equipment in the space where they record videos). There are also sections on things like changing to new furniture/bedding/similar including repainting (either walls or furniture). Similarly, while there is discussion of how nice it is to donate things they aren't using, there isn't mention that perhaps a sibling might be interested in the item or it will need to be saved for them to grow into. This is left as statements like "discuss with an adult your decisions" before proceeding to donation leaving it to the parent to explain such an option/need.
* (Occurred to me while writing this review.) As the adult, be aware many of these things are geared at neurotypical kids. You may find you need to explain various alternatives to your child, particularly if they are younger, when it comes to making a space they can feel comfortable in. For a child who likes to be able to see everything, the idea of having it "hidden" away, could be very intimidating. While the book doesn't always argue for things being out of sight, it doesn't make it super clear on the alternative either.
(I received this book from a GoodReads Giveaway.)
March 26, 2022
Minimalistic living swings down to a middle grade level to spark ideas, possibilities, and inspiration to get rid of unnecessary clutter and such.
This book gets down to business and explains not only how to transform a messy room into a decluttered bedroom but presents the reasons why it's worth giving it a go. It's clear that the author does have kids of their own as the writing, while rolling through with a clear purpose, doesn't talk down to the reader or hold a preachy tone. It explains things clearly and addresses the areas which are important to the age group, and never makes their belongings seem childish or ridiculous. The tips are, for the most part, do-able and never come across as forceful.
For each chapter, which leads down the path of de-clutterisation, there aren't only reasons and hints, but plenty of questions readers can answer or images they can create to help them along the way (such as sketching their own dream room). There are quite a few of these to fill in, and while fun for some readers, I can see it getting to be a bit much for others. But decluttering isn't everyone's thing. This book also gives hints to parents to help them guide the reader in the right direction without taking over. There are bright illustrations included right along with photographs, which are supposed to inspire. Unfortunately, the photos are not realistic and fit more of the type of room found in a magazine than one many middle graders would enjoy living in. Also, the messy end would have been nice to see as well so readers could see a transformation.
This is a pretty well-done guide to help edge middle graders toward a more orderly room. There is quite a bit of text and explanation, but this can also be skimmed across and used a little more as a pick and choose. The ideas are good, the writing well done, and readers will leave with, at least, a few ideas of how they can approach their own rooms. I received a complimentary copy and found it well done.
This book gets down to business and explains not only how to transform a messy room into a decluttered bedroom but presents the reasons why it's worth giving it a go. It's clear that the author does have kids of their own as the writing, while rolling through with a clear purpose, doesn't talk down to the reader or hold a preachy tone. It explains things clearly and addresses the areas which are important to the age group, and never makes their belongings seem childish or ridiculous. The tips are, for the most part, do-able and never come across as forceful.
For each chapter, which leads down the path of de-clutterisation, there aren't only reasons and hints, but plenty of questions readers can answer or images they can create to help them along the way (such as sketching their own dream room). There are quite a few of these to fill in, and while fun for some readers, I can see it getting to be a bit much for others. But decluttering isn't everyone's thing. This book also gives hints to parents to help them guide the reader in the right direction without taking over. There are bright illustrations included right along with photographs, which are supposed to inspire. Unfortunately, the photos are not realistic and fit more of the type of room found in a magazine than one many middle graders would enjoy living in. Also, the messy end would have been nice to see as well so readers could see a transformation.
This is a pretty well-done guide to help edge middle graders toward a more orderly room. There is quite a bit of text and explanation, but this can also be skimmed across and used a little more as a pick and choose. The ideas are good, the writing well done, and readers will leave with, at least, a few ideas of how they can approach their own rooms. I received a complimentary copy and found it well done.
October 10, 2022
This book has lots of great, age-appropriate advice for kids, but it is so long and wordy that it will be above the reading level of many children who need it, and older tweens and teens likely won't care for the author's juvenile tone. She doesn't talk down to kids, but she's definitely directing this towards nine-year-olds, not fourteen-year-olds. The mismatch between the writing voice and the text density are unfortunate, since there's a lot of great information here.
The pictures look very staged and Instagram-perfect, which could inspire frustration and envy for children living in families with limited resources, especially if they are sharing their bedroom and play spaces with siblings. The sections about redecorating your room and finding your personal style also assume that the family has money to spend on interior design instead of just using what's available.
This book is best for kids ages 8-12 from middle class or wealthier families, if the younger ones have an advanced reading level or are reading this with a parent. There's lots of helpful advice here about decluttering, choosing which of your belongings are most important to you, dealing with gifts and new stuff, and shifting your perspective to focus on experiences and free time over accumulating things that you have to spend time keeping neat and organized. This is a worthwhile book that I would recommend to the right audience.
The pictures look very staged and Instagram-perfect, which could inspire frustration and envy for children living in families with limited resources, especially if they are sharing their bedroom and play spaces with siblings. The sections about redecorating your room and finding your personal style also assume that the family has money to spend on interior design instead of just using what's available.
This book is best for kids ages 8-12 from middle class or wealthier families, if the younger ones have an advanced reading level or are reading this with a parent. There's lots of helpful advice here about decluttering, choosing which of your belongings are most important to you, dealing with gifts and new stuff, and shifting your perspective to focus on experiences and free time over accumulating things that you have to spend time keeping neat and organized. This is a worthwhile book that I would recommend to the right audience.
April 9, 2022
I won a copy of this book to read and review.
I appreciate that the author was aware of the changing family units and used inclusive language. The children that this book was written for were urged to consult their grown up (not parent) to help them. This book seems like it would be appropriate for many ages.
The author is helping children to empower themselves in regards to their belongings and their space. I can imagine that there are some caregivers who would not be willing to allow the children to decide for themselves what toys, clothes, books etc to keep and which to not keep.
Within the book children were given tasks, like lists or to make a drawing, to help make their room or part of a shared room the one that works best for them. Children were also reminded that some of their possessions that they weren't keeping could be recycled or donated to others in need.
I will be sharing this book with the youngest members of my family so that they can learn these lessons for themselves and take a critical look at their space and belongings. I know that these ideas can help many children and adults if they read and apply them.
I appreciate that the author was aware of the changing family units and used inclusive language. The children that this book was written for were urged to consult their grown up (not parent) to help them. This book seems like it would be appropriate for many ages.
The author is helping children to empower themselves in regards to their belongings and their space. I can imagine that there are some caregivers who would not be willing to allow the children to decide for themselves what toys, clothes, books etc to keep and which to not keep.
Within the book children were given tasks, like lists or to make a drawing, to help make their room or part of a shared room the one that works best for them. Children were also reminded that some of their possessions that they weren't keeping could be recycled or donated to others in need.
I will be sharing this book with the youngest members of my family so that they can learn these lessons for themselves and take a critical look at their space and belongings. I know that these ideas can help many children and adults if they read and apply them.
July 2, 2022
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. I like how Allie Casazza's book helps kids see that the less they own, the more time they have for what’s important and I would recommend it book for anyone who wants their kids to take a more objective look at how they are using their rooms.
The main message of the book is that, after all, less clutter, less stress, and less chaos in your kids’ lives means more peace, more independence, and more opportunity to grow into who they’re meant to be.
Allie Casazza uses age-appropriate (but not dumbed down) language and examples to give kids reasons and methods for being better managers of their stuff. The photos, illustrations, and tip boxes throughout are bright and fun, definitely styled to appeal to kids in the 8-12 age group. She also includes several pages with quizzes and spaces to write so that kids have a place to respond to some of the prompts that are intended to help them think about their space and belongings.
The main message of the book is that, after all, less clutter, less stress, and less chaos in your kids’ lives means more peace, more independence, and more opportunity to grow into who they’re meant to be.
Allie Casazza uses age-appropriate (but not dumbed down) language and examples to give kids reasons and methods for being better managers of their stuff. The photos, illustrations, and tip boxes throughout are bright and fun, definitely styled to appeal to kids in the 8-12 age group. She also includes several pages with quizzes and spaces to write so that kids have a place to respond to some of the prompts that are intended to help them think about their space and belongings.
February 17, 2022
Helpful book for middle grade and older kids to take ownership of their rooms and their things. The framework is for the kid to imagine their dream room, and then work through the steps to declutter, organize, and finally design that dream. There are multiple pages where the kid is asked to draw something, and lots of journal type spaces for answering questions.
There's a lot of good ideas in here, and kid-friendly references and thoughts from two of the author's own kids.
I didn't find the room photos to be realistic - quite a few of them seemed like a decorator's version of what a stylish preteen room would be, but not what an actual kid would likely choose.
This is similar to Casazza's Declutter Like a Mother book, just spinning the content to be more kid-focused and bedroom/toy specific.
There's a lot of good ideas in here, and kid-friendly references and thoughts from two of the author's own kids.
I didn't find the room photos to be realistic - quite a few of them seemed like a decorator's version of what a stylish preteen room would be, but not what an actual kid would likely choose.
This is similar to Casazza's Declutter Like a Mother book, just spinning the content to be more kid-focused and bedroom/toy specific.
November 25, 2024
Likes: Chapters 4-6. These chapters were great and very practical, and honestly, helps solve the issues that are likely the most challenging for the majority of kids.
Dislikes: the instagram-ready photos of rooms. Is this the model of rooms that we want our kids to strive for? The photos were so obviously staged and not what an actually lived-in kid’s room looks like. Also I didn’t love any of the chapters about redecorating, choosing a style, etc. These were just not a good fit for our family at all.
My kids very quickly discarded the book. They said it was too wordy and they got bored. The length of the book suggests it’s for older kids… the voice it’s written in seems somewhat geared towards younger. I’m not sure what age it truly is intended for.
Dislikes: the instagram-ready photos of rooms. Is this the model of rooms that we want our kids to strive for? The photos were so obviously staged and not what an actually lived-in kid’s room looks like. Also I didn’t love any of the chapters about redecorating, choosing a style, etc. These were just not a good fit for our family at all.
My kids very quickly discarded the book. They said it was too wordy and they got bored. The length of the book suggests it’s for older kids… the voice it’s written in seems somewhat geared towards younger. I’m not sure what age it truly is intended for.
March 31, 2025
Perfect. Like she had been in our home
Going through this with my kids is a game changer. The analogy of teaching them to fish rather than giving them a fish a day. We've decluttered before. I try personally to live a clutter-free life but it's been hard to get my family on board. The way Casazza speaks directly to the kids and uses notes from her kids' point of view is so helpful. She connects with my kids, empowering them to make decisions and control their space. As a result there's more happiness, less contention and greater love in the home. Highly recommend this book even for adults without kids. Sometimes a simple explanation that kids can grasp helps me to understand and apply better than a more in-depth book.
Going through this with my kids is a game changer. The analogy of teaching them to fish rather than giving them a fish a day. We've decluttered before. I try personally to live a clutter-free life but it's been hard to get my family on board. The way Casazza speaks directly to the kids and uses notes from her kids' point of view is so helpful. She connects with my kids, empowering them to make decisions and control their space. As a result there's more happiness, less contention and greater love in the home. Highly recommend this book even for adults without kids. Sometimes a simple explanation that kids can grasp helps me to understand and apply better than a more in-depth book.
May 14, 2022
Be the Boss of Your Stuff is fabulous! It is packed full of great helpful hits and ideas written in words that kids will easily understand. My two kids found it very useful in taking back control of their messy rooms and transforming the rooms into a useable, non-cluttered living space and have learned techniques into keeping their newly organized rooms clean for months to come. This book should be in all households with kids. Quite frankly, I found it useful for my own clutter! Highly recommend!
July 2, 2022
This is a great book! I hated being a kid and my mom would tell me to clean my room but would never really explain HOW. This book really gets kids thinking about HOW to clean their room, especially perpetually messy kids who can’t seem to get ahold of themselves. There’s quite a few journaling prompts and exercises of that nature in this book that I didn’t necessarily find useful, but a kid probably would! Four stars.
February 16, 2022
There were some parts of the book that I just could not foresee a child implementing, even with the help of their parents, a little sceptical there.
However, overall, most of the suggestions listed wasn't just about physical declutter, but also about emotional and mental declutter.
Good for kids, parents, and anyonr really.
Way more reasonable than the marie kondo keep the 30 books (or something) you love... eesh...
However, overall, most of the suggestions listed wasn't just about physical declutter, but also about emotional and mental declutter.
Good for kids, parents, and anyonr really.
Way more reasonable than the marie kondo keep the 30 books (or something) you love... eesh...
April 6, 2022
This is an absolute perfect book for Pre teens and teenagers. My niece has already begun to work on some of the projects that the book has the dumb to do to get organized.
I think almost every parent should be able to get this book and teach this to their children, well teenagers.
I want this book and a good reads Give away for my honest opinion.
I think almost every parent should be able to get this book and teach this to their children, well teenagers.
I want this book and a good reads Give away for my honest opinion.
December 23, 2022
This is a great read and a great tool for helping kids/ teens/ even adults learn the power of decluttering. The book offers tons of ideas, suggestions, examples, and insights through questions, activities, and pictures. I love this book and believe whole heartedly in Allie’s message and mission!
February 2, 2022
Really cute book on decluttering. Definitely helpful and worth every penny
February 8, 2022
This book is fantastic! So many kids and families can benefit from this practical guide for creating a space that works.
*Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
*Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
March 29, 2022
Although this is aimed at the 8-12 age group, this is such a GREAT book for helping kids of all ages to organize a space they can be happy with. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend!
July 20, 2022
Simple decluttering for kids.
December 15, 2022
Great decluttering book for older kids
March 9, 2024
A good listen with the girls (age 5,7,9) over the course of many car rides 🚗
Read
May 7, 2024I can’t really rate this because I didn’t finish it
November 30, 2025
I accidentally read this book intended for kids but it still was helpful lol
June 20, 2022
Be The Boss of Your Stuff: The Kids Guide to Decluttering and Creating Your Own Space! Beautiful pictures of children's rooms.
The comments from the authors children really help reinforce points made; a wonderful addition to this book for children.
If you keep everything, it’s overwhelming. How can you enjoy and treasure your things if you have so many things you are overwhelmed by them? Keep only the things that you use and that you would miss.
I kept thinking that this is the Marie Kondo book for kids. This book is genius and perfect. I wish that I had read this when I was a kid. I’m a 50+ yr old adult with no kids, but took points away from this book. (and signed up for the author's podcasts!)
Maybe it sounds trite, but I like the comments that the author has added such as … Done and done! Congratulations! Good work! In thinking back to my childhood, things I did never seemed quite good enough, so I may have developed some bad habits. If you are never complimented or have an opportunity to feel proud of what you did, (in my opinion) then you are less likely to develop good habits. So the child reading this book may be short on compliments, it is sad if this book is where a child might be finding positive reinforcement. But if they are finding it here, my heart goes out to them … but I have a feeling that they need it.
I also like that the pictures of the children’s rooms are not something unobtainable; they are bright and fun.
Page 135 is titled Buy Thoughtfully IRL (I needed to google … In Real Life). Yes, I'm old.
Page 140-141 are some of my favorite pages in the book. “Doing one positive thing will motivate you to do something else good.” And “It’s really all about respecting yourself and your space.” … “Respect is also a way to show you care.”
Allie Casazza is also the author of Declutter Like a Mother and the podcast host of The Purpose Show. Thank you to NetGalley for introducing me to Allie!
Thank you to NetGalley, Allie Casazza the author and the publisher Thomas Nelson Childrens for the opportunity to read Be The Boss of Your Stuff in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 01 Mar 2022.
Down graded review. Evidently Allie is so successful now that she is rolling in dough. Good luck. I’ve unsubscribed to her “I’m so rich” emails.
The comments from the authors children really help reinforce points made; a wonderful addition to this book for children.
If you keep everything, it’s overwhelming. How can you enjoy and treasure your things if you have so many things you are overwhelmed by them? Keep only the things that you use and that you would miss.
I kept thinking that this is the Marie Kondo book for kids. This book is genius and perfect. I wish that I had read this when I was a kid. I’m a 50+ yr old adult with no kids, but took points away from this book. (and signed up for the author's podcasts!)
Maybe it sounds trite, but I like the comments that the author has added such as … Done and done! Congratulations! Good work! In thinking back to my childhood, things I did never seemed quite good enough, so I may have developed some bad habits. If you are never complimented or have an opportunity to feel proud of what you did, (in my opinion) then you are less likely to develop good habits. So the child reading this book may be short on compliments, it is sad if this book is where a child might be finding positive reinforcement. But if they are finding it here, my heart goes out to them … but I have a feeling that they need it.
I also like that the pictures of the children’s rooms are not something unobtainable; they are bright and fun.
Page 135 is titled Buy Thoughtfully IRL (I needed to google … In Real Life). Yes, I'm old.
Page 140-141 are some of my favorite pages in the book. “Doing one positive thing will motivate you to do something else good.” And “It’s really all about respecting yourself and your space.” … “Respect is also a way to show you care.”
Allie Casazza is also the author of Declutter Like a Mother and the podcast host of The Purpose Show. Thank you to NetGalley for introducing me to Allie!
Thank you to NetGalley, Allie Casazza the author and the publisher Thomas Nelson Childrens for the opportunity to read Be The Boss of Your Stuff in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 01 Mar 2022.
Down graded review. Evidently Allie is so successful now that she is rolling in dough. Good luck. I’ve unsubscribed to her “I’m so rich” emails.
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