I meet a lot of people who come into conflict with their partner and/or family over the amount of 'clutter' they each consider to be acceptable. Usually the person who speaks to me is the tidy, organised member of the family. This person is being driven mad by the perceived untidyness of the other person.
Of course in this situation there is little I can do. It would be wrong for me to descend on someone's home and declutter the belongings of anyone other than the person who hired me. I would also apply this rule to a child's toys and games, for instance. It would be quite upsetting to come home from school and find your favourite toys had gone. Parents often think that consulting the child will result in everything being kept. It does depend on how the idea is presented to the child! Basically the idea needs to be sold to the child so they can see the benefit.
Of course if you're not inclined to being orderly and like a bit of muddle around then you would be no doubt be annoyed and upset if your nearest and dearest was constantly tidying up after you.
You want to be loved and appreciated for who you are - right? Anything other than this acceptance can be felt as judgement.
It's unlikely that you would choose your life partner on their Stuff Acceptance Threshold (SAT)! You do however, need to face the fact that until you live with your beloved, you're never going to really know if you see eye to eye in the clutter department. Being in love can be like wearing rose tinted spectacles. You visit your loved one at home and fail to notice the piles of magazines that go all the way up the stairs or the fact that you can't sit down in the lounge until some stuff has been moved. Equally, you might not notice the degree of minimalism they seem to prefer, no ornaments, no magazines or plants - a bit sterile maybe?
I'm fortunate, my husband Graham and I have very similar SATs, so have minimum conflict in this area.
So, what's the answer? Surely the best way is to appreciate each other's viewpoint, but to come to an amicable compromise? Meet halfway, that way neither of you is unduly stressed and your relationship survives intact.
If this resonates with you, then the best starting point is to broach the subject with your loved one, pointing out that what you want is a compromise. I'm happy to help you with the journey - just to prove that decluttering doesn't have to be stressful or excessive!


