Drowning in Toys

I'm drowning in a sea of plastic toys. They're organized, but I was watching an episode of Clean House this morning and realized than if we keep going at this rate, I'll be buried in 5 years. Currently we keep a toy rotation going (bring out some, put others up, rotate - rinse - repeat). For those of you with slightly older toddlers, do they really even notice if you discretely remove (goodwill) some of the ones they don't use so much? If I get rid of my kids' toys before they're old enough to consent to it, does that make me a bad person? :blush:

 

[ If I get rid of my kids' toys before they're old enough to consent to it, does that make me a bad person? :blush:
[/quote]

I still do it without their consent as one of the girls doesn't like to get rid of anything. If I'm sorting out with her sister (things to give to goodwill), she's like I'll have it etc.. even though she has one exactly the same. I read somewhere for every new toy u bring into the house u should get rid of one, so at birthday's/Christmas etc.. time to do a big sort out.

I am buried at 5 years especially as they just had their birthday with 16 guests (that's beside family presents), time for another sort out haha

 

OK, I have to tell you this now. Taking/giving/throwing away toys does not make you a bad mother. Now, with that said, my kids each have 10 toys. They are happy, I am happy, clean up doesn't take 3 hours.

eta: I almost forgot to mention that if they get a new toy, then an old toy needs to go bye-bye.

 

QUOTE(Her Royal Jennyness @ Jun 30 2008, 02:57 PM) [snapback]853473[/snapback]
OK, I have to tell you this now. Taking/giving/throwing away toys does not make you a bad mother. Now, with that said, my kids each have 10 toys. They are happy, I am happy, clean up doesn't take 3 hours.

eta: I almost forgot to mention that if they get a new toy, then an old toy needs to go bye-bye.



I think deep down I realize that, but old habits are hard to overcome. I'm going to start digging through their stuff this week. I'll see if I can take some before and after pictures so you guys can laugh at me! :laughing:

 

We do the rotation too. Even with a toy rotation, and a relatively concerted effort at weeding out the out-grown ones, we have a shameful amount of toys. :blush:

I do a big purge before bdays and xmas. I decided that our current toy storage was the most toys we needed (and will hopefully downsize as they get older)...if it doesn't fit, something else has to go.

I also let the kids help me. I show them the pile of 'bye-bye' toys and they help me pack it up and we take it to the food bank. I like that they are involved in the removal too (that I'm not sneaking them out).

 

Mine don't notice at all. I will go through the toys about every four months and get rid of those they absolutely do not play with. I box them up and either give to goodwill or sale in a yardsale.

 

Mine don't notice, either but my dh does! He doesn't mind the toy so much, just the money that was spent on it. He doesn't understand that they grow out of some toys. I don't think you should feel bad about it, though.

 

Orestia, I forgot where in Houston you are, but most of the mom's of multiples groups do 2 buy/sells per year. This is how and when I get rid of the non important plastic junk... It really will get better w/ time... I kept the all important, or faves, and anything tiny that was 'senitmental' the rest went to new nephews, and the buy/sell...same thing w/ clothing, strollers, etc... right now, you are in the thick of it. I remember a time when my entire house all 4,000 sqft of it, looked like toys r us had thrown up in it! everything primary colored and plastic!!!! Now, after their 8th bday party, everything toy like is in the playroom only, and is in organized bins.
it really and truly will improve w/ their age...

 

I also do a purge pre-birthday and Christmas, and if I just get sick of tripping over stuff. I offload some less-played with toys to my parents' house, where then they become new and novel, or say some are going to "new babies" and stick them in the closet or give them away.

 

sell them on craigs list
thats what i do and than you can use the money for other items that they need, new clothes, sippy cups etc
as they get older i will have them help decide what to get rid of some to donate and some to sell and use the money they make with old toys to save up for new items that they want.

 

I have always gotten rid of toys as they outgrow or break them. If there are missing pieces or they don't really care for them. You are mom, that is your job to go through stuff and get rid of what is not needed. They will probably not notice since you remove and rotate them anyway. I would keep their favorites and get rid of others. Usually at Christmas and birthdays when they get a lot of new stuff, I get rid of a lot of old stuff. We are still buried but not as bad as if we kept everything. I am hoping to avoid this with the twins, we will see though.

Jen

 

You do NOT need consent!!! :lol: If you were throwing a lovie away, I might tell you to save it in private and keep it hidden. But no. You are the "manager" of the goods!!

My next task is to get my garage sale together. I have TONS of stuff and stand to make some $$$ if I can get my butt in gear!!

 

We do a rotation too, putting roughly half in the basement...switch them out a few weeks later - you would think they were brand new!! I also pull out things that don't seem to get attention regularly & donate them. It seems taht someone is always sending a truck out collecting - kidney foundation, amvets...I think there is one more. I don't ask DD either. I started to do it when she was too young really and I've just never started. Maybe I should start? She does know that I give things away to "new babies" and occasionally she will ask for something. If it's in the basement rotation I'll go ahead & let her have it when she asks, if I already gave it away she is sad...for maybe 5 seconds :winking0009: ...and then it's over.

Wow Jenny - my new goal will be to geet us down to 30 toys in this house...I have no idea how many we have, but no doubt it's way more than they need :blush:

 

QUOTE(ThreeLittleSnowflakes @ Jun 30 2008, 07:38 PM) [snapback]853961[/snapback]
Wow Jenny - my new goal will be to geet us down to 30 toys in this house...I have no idea how many we have, but no doubt it's way more than they need :blush:

Well, I just flipped out one day. My kids threw all their toys around the playroom after I'd spent 45 minutes cleaning it. I told them to pick up or I was going to throw away all their toys. (I was desperate and it sounded scary.) Well, they dawdled for 30 minutes so I grabbed a trash bag (consistency, consistency, consistency!) and they tossed out all their toys except for the 10 I let them keep. I put the bags of toys in the shed thinking they could be used as leverage later, but the kids actually seem happier with less toys. So they went to the goodwill and we never looked back!

Now, the outside toys need to be purged. I'm thinking 3 per kid sounds reasonable.