This is a video from my archive, and bringing it back felt like a little repurposing of its own.
I went back and forth about sharing it, because many people probably already reuse their containers. But I thought it was worth sharing with a new Dooley Method perspective, to bring teaching children how to organize into the mix.
I’ve always been diligent about recycling, and sometimes it feels like a hobby and creative challenge. Before something goes in the bin, I like to pause and ask what else it could be.
It reminds me of the children’s book Not a Box by Antoinette Portis. I want to show my kids that not everything has to be conveniently disposable.
One of my favorite uses: I love making food for my elderly neighbor, putting it in a glass jar, and adding a bow.
Finding new uses saves money and resources, and if you end up with too many, recycling is always an option.
This is also where I start with clients. Before anyone buys a new bin, we look at what’s already in the home. Whenever we find the containers that fit just right, it’s like we’ve struck gold!
Try it with your kids
When kids grow up with this mindset, they learn to look around before looking to buy. It’s an inventor’s way of seeing: looking at an object and imagining what else it could be.
Next time, give your kids a few empty containers, let them organize something of their own, and see what they do with it. I’d love to hear how it goes.
If you are new to Dooley Noted
I’m Ann, a connection-first family organizer and the creator of the Dooley Method. I’m also a certified parenting coach, a Master Level KonMari Consultant, and a mom of two boys.
I help parents and kids organize together, so the home becomes a place to practice skills like noticing, making decisions, and following through.
I write here on Substack to share what I’ve learned from my own home and the families I work with, so parents have somewhere to start, wherever they are.
If you’d like help bringing this kind of thinking into your whole home, with your kids as part of the process, let’s talk.
