We just run out of space.

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Having run a Google search on various combinations of "children" and "pack rats", I've discovered, somewhat to my surprise, that though children are often considered messy, the quality of being a pack rat is reserved for adults. Perhaps in order to be considered a compulsive hoarder you've got to accumulate years of experience - and if not experience, then at least of stuff.

I've observed many children who, when told they should clean up their rooms would seem to exhibit the same behavior as I exhibit when I'm told that I have to throw things out. But for some reason, rather than this behavior being interpreted as "compulsive hoarding", or as an identifiable disorder, it's simply considered childish. I'm not sure why this might be, though there may be a rather simple explanation: The behavior may be there all the time, but when we're younger we haven't yet succeeded in accumulating enough stuff to make it into a tangible, and visible, problem.

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Go to: Holding on / Letting go.