Decluttering has health benefits

Class time for the children at Lil Newton's Nest in Plymouth consists of a variety of activities, such as yoga in the classroom, and art projects involving paint.

The latter can be a messy proposition, and the teachers certainly do their part to clean up the mess.

"At Lil Newton's Nest, we're very much involved in cleaning on a daily basis," said Carrie Lofgren, area director for Lil Newton's Nest.

But the teachers also teach the kids to pick up after themselves before moving onto the next activity.

"We want to make sure that they have a decluttered environment," Lofgren said.

Lofgren says the importance of decluttering goes beyond aesthetic purposes, there's also a mental component that's essential to learning.

"We want to make sure that they finish their yoga lesson before going to their art lesson, and then when they're doing their art lesson, make sure they have that all cleaned up before they go to their reading lesson so they can completely be focused," she said.

Lofgren says a messy environment can weigh on people's minds, so they clean at the childcare center to create a sense of structure.

"I think you have to have organization to have any successful business, classroom, or even day," Lofgren said.

Not only do the kids keep the rooms clean, but what they learn in the classroom will help prepare them for the rest of their lives.

Lofgren says that 90 percent of what we learn, we learn by the age of 5.

"So if we don't teach these kids how to be responsible for their belongings, how to clean up after themselves, and how to have an organized life, by the time they're 20, 30, 40 years old, if they have to learn it then, it's gonna be much tougher," she said.

It's a little life lesson that can go a long way.

"The main goal is to cut down on the clutter, but also to cut down on the germs," Lofgren said.

Teachers at Lil Newton's Nest say when parents declutter with their children at home, it's a great time to teach them lessons about donating items they can't use anymore rather than simply throwing them out.

Delane Cleveland
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