With Christmas just a few weeks behind us and my daughters first birthday only a few months away, I am amazed at how much “stuff” she has already accumulated in only nine months. I tend to like a minimalist style in our home and too much stuff in the house really stresses me out. The toys have taken over our small home! After talking to my mommy friends I know that I am not alone in feeling overwhelmed by the “stuff.” But how do you limit the amount of things that well intentioned family and friends give to your children?
Let go of the guilt! Don’t be afraid to donate or toss something just because you’re afraid of hurting the feelings of the gift giver. If you get rid of something that someone gave your child, it doesn’t mean you are diminishing their generosity towards your child. Letting go of some of the toy clutter gives you and your family more space to enjoy. If I’m having trouble getting rid of something I say to myself “If I get rid of this, I will never have to clean it, store it, save it, or trip over it ever again!”
Semi-annual de-cluttering! If you go through the toys twice a year, usually before the winter holidays and before a birthday, you can get rid of some of them before the new influx of toys. This method really helps to keep toy clutter under control.
Re-gift! Some people are very anti re-gifting, but I think it is perfectly fine to re-gift something that my child doesn’t need to someone who will appreciate it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t re-gift something used or broken, but a brand new toy or outfit with tags still attached is perfect for re-gifting!
Stash it! If your child gets an overload of gifts for a holiday or their birthday, give your child a few of the toys to play with and then store the rest for later. For older children, let them pick which toys they want to play with now. Every few weeks, you can rotate the toys by storing the ones they have already tired of and bringing out new things. This also helps with children that tend to get bored easily. What could be better on a rainy day when your child has whined “I’m bored” for the hundredth time than surprising him or her with new toys to play with!
Create a wishlist! Websites like Amazon.com let you create a wishlist for any occasion. I have made one for my daughter’s birthday and it consists mostly of books and a few toys that I picked because they would grow with her. You can slip a paper into your child’s birthday invitation with the link or you when someone asks you what your child would like, you can mention the wishlist.
Consign! Consignment shops will often accept toys, and this is a great way to make a little money back on toys that your children have tired of. Call your local consignment shop and ask about their policies.
If you decide to donate toys, I suggest researching shelters or charities that accept toys. If you bring your child with you to donate the toys and explain how the toys are going to children that don’t get many toys, it could turn into an incredible learning experience.
How do you plan to tackle the "stuff" this year?
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Comments (12)
each of our kids have a toy box, and thats how many toys they have out.(gotta love LittleTykes.. our son has a red one and the princess just got her pink toy box! so easy for clean up too!)
In the basement we have 2 huge bins of "overflow" and every month or so I will switch out half (or sometimes all) the toys so they have new stuff to play with.
Anything they out grow, or seem more intent on destroying then playing with (4yr old boys oy!) gets sent off to the thrift store up the street for another child to buy.
We do the Amazon wishlist (this is especially great because we are in Canada and my hubby's family is in the the US.. so they can order stuff for our kids and us for theirs and shipping usually ends up free! Its great!).. and the thing I really like is that our kids get a LOT of books.
We do the re gifting thing too.. but that is a whole other issue for us.
I've been work on de-cluttering our toy selection as well! We don't give the kids huge amounts of presents for birthdays and xmas. We use the old Victorian rule: "Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read." And then we usually add in a few things that both children would like and HAVE to share. We have a separate toy room, but I still keep things to a minimum. If I haven't seen them play with it recently (assuming it hasn't been shoved to the bottom of a basket), it goes into a box to be donated. The children are also part of this decision, unless it's something that I feel is a worthless toy, such as McD's toys or other cheap plastic garbage. I prefer sturdy wooden toys and toys that don't require batteries to be played with, things that can be used for multiple games and adventures. Once a battery operated toy is broken, there's usually nothing it can be used for except garbage fodder.
Because our toy room is upstairs, along with the bedrooms, I keep a small book case stocked with small bins of toys and kid-friendly games in the living room as well. I have one corner of the room dedicated to the kids. They have a play kitchen and a small folding table. And a second bookcase just for books.
We don't really have a problem with family buying too many toys for the kids because we live in a different state. We all have an understanding that if it can be mailed cheaply, then you can send it. So mostly we just send small homemade gifts, cash, or gift cards. It's difficult to know what to buy when you only see the children a couple times a year.
With a child so young, it's best to keep things simple when organizing and storing. You might start out by printing out a picture of the toy and attaching it to the box where it belongs. Include the written name as well and it will give your child a head-start on associating written language with objects. You'd be surprised at how quickly young children catch on to picking up their toys, especially if you make it into a game. My children are a bit older (3 1/2 and 1 1/2), so we set the timer and race to see how many toys we can pick up before it goes off. Then all the work isn't just the parents' and it helps to get rid of some of the excess energy. Good luck with purging and organizing!
My MIL visits quite often, they live an hour away, and she always brings toys for my daughter from the thrift store she works at. I don't have a problem with the toys being second hand, I just wish she would ask me first! Does my 2 year old really need a sit n spin? No, she doesn't and I hate the thing. We don't have a lot of space and I don't like big toys. I've taken so many toys to our thrift store and I've got another box to take! Oh, and DD was born 11 days after Christmas....
How in the world did a 9 month old make that big of a mess?!
Thou must consult Ikea!
We don't give the kids huge amounts of presents for birthdays and xmas.
Jewelry cardsMetal labelsFabric labelsZip PullersBarcode labelsShoes hangers*Freecycle (freecycle.org) is a great way to give away toys and meet other parents in the area. You post a description of the item you wish to give away and wait for requests from members of your freecycle group. If it's an item in high demand, you get to pick and choose among responses. It's easier to let go of a toy when you know it's going to another child who will love it!
*Taking children with you to volunteer at a family shelter also changes their perspective on "want" versus "need".
*Give children experiences for gifts (trip to the zoo, aquarium, etc.). Less clutter, more memories. The pictures and stories will light up their faces for years afterward.
:O its like colorful "hoarders" in that pic
My kids had two laundry baskets with their toys in them. The rest of the time was devoted to outdoor or indoor play activities, teaching them how to read, sitting at the table doing projects, watching minimal t.v. I can't see how all those toys will benefit a child's brain cell growth, which is the most during the first three years. Also, how on earth can the kids learn the responsibility of picking them all up at the end of the day if the house is saturated with stuff that's only purpose is to spoil them?
Our rule is, however many gifts he's getting for Christmas, we go through a pick out that many to donate or pass on to friends with younger kids before Christmas. I find there are a finite number of toys that will receive his attention on any given day, and don't want more and more to pile up, especially since we live in such a tiny apartment.
Basically, we go through our kid's stuff right after the holidays. For whatever reason, it always takes a few days for the toys to make it from under the tree into their rooms (we don't have a general play room). We look at what we have, and make them get rid of enough old toys to make room for the new. If they don't, we threaten giving the new ones away. We take the kids with us when we drop off their old toys at Goodwill, so they can feel a part of the process and realize how much their donations can help folks.
I am a stasher/re-gifter of gifts that are unopened or unused (tags still on). No reason that stuff should go to waste.