Real Organizing for Real People

Hi, my name is Heather. I've been a pack rat my entire life (by nature and by nurture), and now I am trying to learn to purge after catastrophe.

To complicate matters:

1) I am the daughter and granddaughter of packrats          2) 1 parent is a hoarder who visits and brings stuff          3) my 18 year old daughter is a hoarder          4) my house is has been under continual DIY reconstruction after Hurricane Gustav's devastation last year                                             

Where do I start?

How do I encourage my daughters (ages 10-18) to assist with purging when we are all just overwhelmed by trying to finish the home reconstruction?

By nature of reconstruction (when 1/3 of the house was affected to varying degrees), tools are everywhere and it feels like everything is out of place. It's like we have to either stop everything and do construction or stop everything and do housework. When one is going on, the other suffers.

Suggestions for reclaiming sanity?

One good thing is that we have already taken several truck loads to the battered women's shelter, so we have a place to deliver the 'stuff'.

Help...

Welcome to the board Hsurena :-)

I'm sure Jamie will be along soon to add some suggestions, in the meantime have you seen her article here Overcoming the 8 Biggest Organizing Fears   

WTG on starting your decluttering and passing on stuff to the refuge, that is great!