For me, toys are one of the hardest things for me to deal with in my quest for a well-organized home. We seems to have a lot of toys for the kids, and they tend to get more and more of them. Then of course, they are hard for me to get rid of. The kids seem to want to keep all of them all of the time, even the ones that they don’t play with. Then of course, I have a hard time getting rid of toys, too, since I remember the fun times that we had with them. They serve, also, as a reminder that my kids are growing up fast.
Still, it is important to maintain a balance between the amount of toys and a comfortable home. No one is going to be happy if mom or dad breaks a leg stepping on a lego or if the favorite toys and games get broken because there are too many for them to be stored properly.
I’m still struggling with de-cluttering toys, but here are some of the things that I find make it a little easier.
Have a charity or friend who could use the extra toys. Knowing that we could bless many other children through our church nursery makes it a little easier for both mom and kids to select some toys to leave the home and get new life somewhere else.
Let go of the idea of hand me downs. While it is great to put away certain special toys for the next child when an older child has outgrown them, keep in mind that children and trends are all different and may not want the same things. One child may really be into star wars while the next prefers Toy Story. Or you may have a puzzle lover who is followed by one who loves to play outdoors.
Find a place for everything. If you have designated spots for everything to go (I recommend baskets and bins) then you can easily see when toys have expanded past the space that is available. If something new comes in then something old has to leave in order to make room. Sometimes this will help you save money, too, since your children may prefer to hold on to the things that they already have instead of asking for new.
Allow yourself some sentimentality. Even if a toy is technically outgrown, it may still have a special place in your child’s heart (or your heart). If that is the case, why not hang a shelf or find another place of honor for the toy? This way it is out of the way of the everyday functioning of your home.
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