Living In an RV With Kids Part 1 – Stuff

photo credit: striatic

RV living is one that not many people could imagine. The space is small, things become cramped very easily, and personal space gets thrown out the window. To make the decision to live in an RV, whether part-time or full-time, means letting go of much of the lifestyle you have grown accustomed to over the years. Doing so with children makes the choice seem even harder.

Americans are hoarders by habit. We grow large collections of this and that, typically buying up the latest toys and gadgets being advertised. When a family makes the choice to go small in an RV, they have to surrender that impulse. Limited space means that only what is critically important can come along.

Of all Americans, kids are probably the the worst hoarders around. There are so many toys, games, en electronics that are marketed for kids. Add to that the fashion industry’s insistence that even young children need a large collection of the latest styles, and even a large home can become full of all the things we think we need. To make a successful move into an RV, most of this will have to go.

RVs come in a variety of styles and sizes. Some have an endless supply of storage cabinets that can be filled with the things you need. Others however, only provide enough space for the bare necessities. No matter the size, it is likely that many things will have to go.

Parents can help children of any age to downsize their things in order to fit more easily into an RV. The first rule is to examine what you use on a frequent basis. Look around at all the things you own. Separate your possessions into two piles, the things you have used in the last 6 months and the things you have not. Anything that has not been used in that time is subject to be tossed. Sentimental ideas will have to be pushed aside. No matter how much a certain doll or video game is remembered fondly, if it is not being used it needs to go.

Take what is left and do the process again, this time only keeping what is used in the last three months. Some items, such as seasonal toys and clothing, can be kept if you are certain your child will use these things again in the coming year. If you can afford it, renting a storage building to return to when the seasons change is a simple way to hang on to these items without having them take up too much space.

Parents who choose to travel by RV with their children often have different tricks for helping them cut down. Some give each child a single laundry basket that they can fill. Once it is full, anything remaining must be purged. Larger RVs with many cabinets may have space to allow each child two drawers, or a closet, that they can fill with what they want to bring along. Be realistic about how much space you have, there is no room for the overflow in an RV.

Of course, this applies to parents as well as children. Many parents have piles of photos and clothing that they keep as mementos from when their children were younger. While these items certainly have sentimental value, they also take away from the available space for living. Consider transferring the photos onto an external hard drive to make them easier to carry. Old clothing can be made into special quilts that will provide all the sentimental feelings, with enough practicality to be worth bringing along.

If you cannot bare to part with these items, use a rental storage space or a family home where you can keep these things safe without taking up much space.

Once you have sorted your things into what will go and what will stay, give your child a chance to decide what to do with the things being parted with. Some sentimental items, your child may want to give to friends or other family members as gifts. Most can be donated to local charities and organizations that help other families in need. You can even hold a garage sell to earn a little extra money for the new adventure. Letting children decide what to do with their things can make it easier for them to part with them. This is a big change for kids, and it can be difficult and painful for some to shed off the layers of possessions they have help onto.

Ready for part 2 – personal space?

Tags: children, home, life, living in an rv with kids, RV living

Summer is a freelance writer and mother of 3, searching for herself amongst the Legos and blocks. After moving a couple hundred miles away from home, and fighting a few dragons, she's figuring out that she needs to be her own biggest fan to get through the world.


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