OK, so I am decluttering my office

[miss mopple]

and want to know,is it just me that has accumulated a stack of childminding related books, course handouts, magazines and other paraphanalia that never actually gets looked at I have file after file of torn out pages of activities etc that I collected over the years and never refer back to as I usually search the net for planning, ditto for activity/craft books.

I have bits of paperwork and planning for kids that left me ages ago, ratio and meal planners etc that are really old and several rainforests of other bits there is little point on keeping.

Please tell me Im not alone in this

I seriously need to get a grip of it as I am drowning under the stuff! Im getting tough and all non essential papers like old newsletters that predate my last inspection are going and I WILL claim part of the office and my sanity back

[sarah707]

Good for you!

When you've done yours would you mind coming and sorting mine out please?

[miss mopple]

With pleasure Sarah I love a good declutter (although you'd never believe it looking at the state of my house )

[sarah707]

Actually I got all those magazine cut outs and downloaded things and put them in 2 big files in alphabetical order by theme a short while ago.

Now when something comes up or a child has an interest I have a useful resource in which I can find things

[huggableshelly]

I attempted mine last wk, managed to dump it from my desk area to a box in the spare room ... well 4 boxes LOL but yep tuns of old stuff that I dont need to keep anymore but it needs sorting before dumping.

[miss mopple]

Actually I got all those magazine cut outs and downloaded things and put them in 2 big files in alphabetical order by theme a short while ago.

Now when something comes up or a child has an interest I have a useful resource in which I can find things

That was my thinking too when I filed them all. Still forget to use them for reference though

[Pipsqueak]

I had a mini-declutter and collate this morning - my desk is now piled high with stuff to file.

[sillysausage]

My house is like that too....I have sooo much stuff, bits of paper, craft materials etc and I keep accumulating more

[loocyloo]

i have 2 big files full of activities/downloads/printouts/idea etc, by theme and cross referenced aplhabetically ( i have no idea when i had time to do this! ) but i can honestly say that since i did them, probably at least 3 years ago, i have never looked at them! all downloads etc are filed on the PC, and so are most of the worksheets/activity ideas too!

so i think i might dump the files! maybe going through and scanning in anything i like the look of still! and then, anything i think of tearing out could be scanned in too! then all i need to do is organise my 'activites file' !!!

[TheBTeam]

I did this a year or so ago, and got rid of all of the course handouts, activity stuff etc, I have kept one childminding purple box of stuff to do with things like safeguarding, and guidelines etc the rest has gone, I have listed all of the leaflets etc that I have kept in the relevant EYFS area so that I can see from the list if I have something useful and the file doesnt really see the light of day!

[karen m]

will need to de clutter now am moving

[miffy]

When you've done yours would you mind coming and sorting mine out please?

And mine - I have so much I've forgotten what half of it is!

Miffy xx

[Beetlejuice]

Nope you are not alone - you've just described my office. It's so bad I can't actually use the PC in there now so tend to work on the netbook downstairs instead

I will get round to it, just want to get the NVQ out of the way first. Study seems to be taking priority over everything atm.

[jumpinjen]

I am like that too, but now I restrict myself to one shelf full of folders and what doesn't fit has to be culled!!

I have started to build a folder of continuous provision and keep general planning ideas in there for sensory play, sand play etc but other activity ideas no longer get kept.... I use the internet or my own ideas now as i found I never did look at them, however well organised they were!!!!

It needs culling again, i juts haven't got the energy right now!!!!

Jen x

[RedDragon]

I have a little box (ooh ya) that I put next to my PC-it's for really important immediate things - I keep forgetting it's there

[jumpinjen]

I have a little box (ooh ya) that I put next to my PC-it's for really important immediate things - I keep forgetting it's there

It's called a recycling box in my office!!!

[sandy64]

and want to know,is it just me that has accumulated a stack of childminding related books, course handouts, magazines and other paraphanalia that never actually gets looked at I have file after file of torn out pages of activities etc that I collected over the years and never refer back to as I usually search the net for planning, ditto for activity/craft books.

I have bits of paperwork and planning for kids that left me ages ago, ratio and meal planners etc that are really old and several rainforests of other bits there is little point on keeping.

Please tell me Im not alone in this

I seriously need to get a grip of it as I am drowning under the stuff! Im getting tough and all non essential papers like old newsletters that predate my last inspection are going and I WILL claim part of the office and my sanity back

lol no you are not alone sounds like my kitchen i seriously need to do mine and rest of house lol