Advertisements
How do you get the toys weeded out because they have so much? They won't fit into their bedroom or closest let along our closet. I have talked to them about letting go certain toys to give away and they will bring them to me and then an hour later they are playing with it but haven't played with it for months. I know it needs to be a day that they are both gone and I need to clean out the room and have done that before but I then get the question of where is this and where is that? Anyone have any great solutions or comments for me? I explain to both that all toys can't stay and some have to go and we talk about how they will go to other little boys who don't have toys. But still a no go. I have one solution but would love to hear more!
Like
Share
If my boys don't pick up their toys, those toys disappear.As far as weeding out goes, I pay my sil to come when none of us are home, because she knows which ones are played with and has no emotional attachment to the ones that are not played with.I have a friend who before birthdays and Christmas makes each kid give at least 1/3 of their toys away.
Advertisements
This has been a problem at our house, too. We are about to do a "swap" party. There are 5 or 6 women in my firm that have all had kids within the last 3 years. We're going to get together and everyone's bringing their "don't want it, didn't use it, never wore it, won't play with it, got a duplicate of it, outgrown it, no more space in the house" stuff to my house, we have drinks and snacks, trade, then take all the stuff that doesn't get swapped to the women's shelter in town. Everyone's excited along the spectrum---those who don't have contributions to bring are doing the ones at the other end of the spectrum the favor of clearing space in their houses. And in the middle, you're swapping a toy they don't play with or a book they don't read for a new one.
HBV - I love the idea of swap parties, especially for younger kiddos. My cousin's Mom's group do them once a year and I was thinking of trying to get it going in my Mom's group!We don't have a playroom yet, just a corner of our living room where everything goes. The overflow was getting crazy! So my solution for now (and my guy is young enough to do this still) I rotate (except for the couple we are attached to!). I have one bin (small recycle bin) for toys, then room for one or two bigger things. The 1st of every month, when ds is down for his nap, I switch them out. I only have a reasonable amount and he is now really playing with all his toys. I've kinda been doing themes each month: This month it is 'tools', 'music toys' and lots of floor space to dance! Last month was 'cars, trucks and trains', we had his little train table up. The month before we had his ball tent (minus the balls) with litttle people set up in it.My DH put up some shelving in the basement so it is easy to keep things organized and simple to rotate. But I am sure this will only work until a certian age!
Advertisements
I do this after the kids go to bed sometimes, but our big plan this year is for the kids to go to the cousins' house and play all day and come home to a decluttered toy bin. :evilgrin: I don't tell them this ahead of time and I sincerely doubt they'll really notice, other than they'll be able to see and get to the toys they like. LOLI've also seperated their toys into smaller plastic bins or boxes. I put an equal number/type in each box, but make sure they are not parts of sets. (I put sets in another place.) I then only have out one box at a time. Every other week or so I rotate toys. In this way we rotate toys, we find the ones easily that they like, and the toys don't get quite (so) out of hand. It also keeps it manageable to find the ones they don't play with and to quietly slip those into the give away box when they are not in the room.I like the swap ideas, and the non-emotionally attached SIL idea. Those are great!
I put the toy bins that are 'out of circulation' for a time in the top of my closet, in the outside storage, anywhere that the kids aren't allowed to get into. A locking cabinet, garage, pantry, basement, box room, attic...I don't have most of those areas so sometimes they became my bedside table or some other useful piece of furniture with a table cloth over it. :p The trick for me was to do it without the kids seeing me do it. If they see you, they think about it. If it's done while they are away or asleep, they don't think about it...as much! LOLWe have legos (well, duplos. no little ones yet!) in one box, the train set is neatly put up in plastic shoe boxes stacked together, building blocks in another set of boxes, etc. Legos, train, and blocks are all toys that they have to ask to play with so that we can all keep track and remember to put them neatly away. Other toys are in two or three mid-sized boxes, about 18"x24"x36" that I have out, one at a time, for free access. Sadly these unused boxes are currently stacked in my room due to remodeling going on in two other rooms. Dh had this idea that we'd take the kids to play with the cousins at their house and we'd declutter our room by emptying the whole thing at once, only putting back what we love and what belongs. LOL Soon, I hope! I am a bit worried about what to do with what doesn't belong, though.... :rolleyes:
Oh my gosh Mrsred....my boys have the same toys....I really stuggle to keep all picked up and organized. The vacume doesn't like legos...lol Tranfomers and bionicles are the worse on a vacume cleaner....not good.....but lost of bins are good.... The ideas are great all...keep them coming! I already have some great ideas. Thank you
they have tons of legos, transformers, bionicles... all those things with lots of peices. I have all sorts of bins for them, but they still tend to drag out several different things at once.
Advertisements
okay, so here is my idea for the legos/bionicles mess... all I have to do is get dh to build it:
a piece of plywood, about 5'x4', could be a bit bigger, probably not much smaller, then a 3"-4" rail/edging/fence going all the way around and painted with a semi-glossy or glossy paint.
Legos/bionicles stored in the long flat "under bed" type of storage bins, as it is easier to find the pieces they want that way. Large fenced board is used for all lego/bionicle building. Any lego or bionicle pieces found off the building board will be disposed of.
Like I said, now I just need to get dh to build it. Maybe I need to send him into dh's room, barefooted to gather dirty clothes... then let him pick up all the legos... then let him attempt to vacuum.
Dh has a plan similar to this for the train set. His idea was that it would hinge and fold up against the wall, though, since we don't have 100 square feet of space for it to remain down all the time. I like the idea of containment and treating items left lying on the floor as...well, trash. Do post when you get it built and have had it in use for a few days!