Ask:
Hi, I am trying to simplify my life but have a major obstacle which is DH and his "stuff." I am testing a theory that people who moved around or had a lot of instability as kids, accumulate and hang on to their stuff as adults. I used to work with kids in a shelter who were too disturbed for foster care, or they had repeated foster placement failures, and they hoarded a lot of things. DH had a good family but moved around often as a kid and I think it must be hard; friends change, schools change, houses change, cultural/regional attitudes change, even the weather changes ....but the toy or picture or book stays the same wherever you are.
Just a theory. What do you think? I am trying to be understanding of the way DH is is this regard...even though it drives me nuts. I'm interested in what others think.
Answer:
I grew up military and never lived any where longer than 3 yrs until I was an adult. I love to toss things!!! I am far from a pack rat!!! My dh lived in the same house most his life and is a huge pack rat!
Answer:
I moved A LOT as a kid and I don't hang on to much. It seems we have a lot of stuff (because there are now 6 of us hanging on to "stuff") but I tend to follow the following rule... If you haven't seen it, used it, thought about it in a year, and it doesn't have TRUE sentimental meaning.....IT'S GONE!
I would think it would be the opposite...if you didn't move around much you would collect more stuff because you never had to move it. Hmmmm - it will be interesting to see the results of what everyone says
Answer:
Interesting theory! I must say that I have never tied the 2 together but I AGREE. I moved around a lot at a child - lived in 8 states by the time I moved to Kansas at 13 years old and lived in over 15 houses. I am a HUGE pack rat. I have very few possessions from when I was growing up because we went through stuff every time we moved and just threw away momentos instead of moving them. We also were pretty poor so didn't have a lot to begin with. Now, I've been in my house 10 years and it's overflowing because I've not moved so I don't go through stuff and throw it away. I'm trying to be better about it but it's really hard.
It's hard with DS stuff too since I don't have mementos or papers from when I was little I want to save everything of his but we have basically no storage and little organization for it so it just takes over the house!
Interesting theory.
Answer:
I lived in two houses growing up - one from birth through 5, the other from 5 to 17. When I was a senior in high school we moved to another house, which my parents are still in today (20 years later). All of these were in the same town. And I am a HUGE pack rat! I think for me it's more the way I was raised. Mom was VERY poor growing up, and she is a hoarder of giant proportions. I was taught that EVERYTHING is important, and to not get rid of anything, because you never know when you are going to need it. I think my simplifying process is actually a therapeutic process for me, because my mom's issues with "stuff" are not healthy, and I have some of the same issues. Didn't mean to ramble there, but in my case, moving has nothing to do with my pack-rat tendencies!
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I'm a HUGE pack rat, and I never moved as a kid...my sister still lives in the house I grew up in. BUT, my parents are pack rats, as were my grandparents, so I feel like I learned it from them
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I'm a military brat - moved about every two years until I was 17. I'm definitely NOT a pack rat. I have some things that I keep for sentimental reasons but I can't stand to have too much stuff lying around and will go through my things every now and then looking for stuff to donate. However, I would say that both of my sisters are basically pack rats.
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Hubby is the pack-rat. He grew up in one house, which is still in the family!
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Its an interesting theory but I think it might work the other way.
I'm a packrat b/c I didn't move until I was 15--the first time but I've moved a ton since then. So I didn't have to get rid of anything. DH didn't move as a child but since he was in the military he got used to only keeping a minimal amount of things so it would be easier to move and he's still that way now. He hates "stuff" everywhere