kids and the stuff

so i want to make the kids clean their rooms and have less stuff. but my house is full of my stuff. why can't the kids have their own stuff. why should i be the one to tell them that the rock collection they started 2 years ago is not precious and needs to be thrown outside. or all the countless magazine and calenders they save. do i need to be the one who throws those away? my usual technique is to put stuff in boxes in the garage for a month. if they don't ask about it then it goes to goodwill. it seems to work. i just have to somehow sneak everything into the garage. i go back and forth about letting them be their own people or forcing them to fit into my box of semi-cleanliness. i have a ton of books. i mean a ton. if joe made me throw some away i would be crushed and quite pissed. when i get sick of looking at certain things i get rid of them but it's all on my own timetable. if certain people had their way in my house it would be overhauled~ taking 2 dumpsters. i might do the closed door technique for a few more weeks.