First, I have four children, the ages range from going on 12 to turning 2 today. For the most part I’m an Okay mom, no I’m not perfect. Even though I’d love to be that Beverly Cleaver mom, I already know I’m not her. I’m also a sentimental mom, every piece of clothing and toy has a speacial memory that goes along with it. Yes, even that little onesie that Aunt J got for SoccerBoy before he was born. You know the one that was a baseball uniform. No, he can’t wear it anymore but I still have it. I also have the tattered stuffed bunny that has a rattle in his tail that Aunt S. got him. I just never could part with such items.

With each child they were played with, but we also added more toys to the collection. Not all of them were played with as much, some still look brand new. My kids have never been rough with their toys so when one does get broke I’ve always tossed it. I always thought I was doing “Spring Cleaning” and taking out items that weren’t needed. You know illiminating my pack-rat status.

But it seems I haven’t. I do have a downstairs playroom, however the light has been out and it is a REALLY high ceiling. Basically this means we don’t go down there unless it is sunny out, during the winter it became a room of passing through to do the laundry. However, I suspect with the warmth coming we’ll be down there more. This will be a whole new land for them, kind of like a toyland or Christmas Time. Old toys, will now be new.

Okay the question is….What is a pack-rat to do with all these toys?   I can’t seem to just toss them all. I no longer think I’m being thrifty by passing them down, just prolonging the inevitable that my little ones are growing up. But I do know that they will be played with. Solutions?

IMG: The Life of a Home Mom

Post from: Blisstree

Confessions Of A Pack-Rat Mom

My father is a pack rat. It seems like he saves everything – empty coffee cans, old computer monitors, broken stereo speakers – you name it, and Dad might have one or three out in his storage building. He’s even been known to pocket a few twisty tie things from break loaves in his day.

I mean, honestly. It drives my mother up the wall.

However, Dad’s pack rat tendencies have come to the rescue on more than one occasion. Whenever something malfunctions, it seems like all he has to do is wade through his hodgepodge of junk to find a tool, a replacement, or some other sort of solution.

This is why I’m not too ticked off about having inherited his pack rat behavior.

However, there’s a fine line between being a pack rat and being a compulsive hoarder, according to WebMD feature article writer Kathleen Doheny. In her article, Harmless Pack Rat or Compulsive Hoarder? 3 questions to help you decide if you’ve crossed the line into hoarding, and how treatment can help you de-clutter, Doheny provides statistics and back story about hoarders, a profile outline of hoarders, and questions to help you determine whether you are a harmless pack rat or compulsive hoarder.

During my first skim of the article, I discovered that I share all four of the traits listed in the hoarder profile: an urge to acquire, perfectionism, indecision and avoidance, and a sense of responsibility.

Uh oh, I thought.

However, once I dug a little deeper and answered the questions, I realized that I only slightly share these traits in relation to saving stuff.

Whew. I’m safely settled as a harmless pack rat.

What about you? Check out the article and feel free to share your findings!

Want additional resources regarding compulsive hoarding? Refer to:

• OCD and the Need to Hoard, from the WebMD blog Anxiety and Stress Management written by Pat Farrell, PhD.
• The Obsessive Compulsive Foundation’s Compulsive Hoarding Web site.
• The Bio-Behavioral Institute’s section on compulsive hoarding.

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Post from: Blisstree

Compulsive Hoarding: Do You Fit The Profile?