If you were a neat freak in your past life (i.e. in your life before kids), you may be wondering what in the world has happened to your house. Unless you’re one of the few parents who has managed to keep the toy craze at bay, you may be constantly stepping on toys or finding them under the sofa or in your bed.
To Tame the Toy Madness, Try the Following:
1. Rotate the Toys: If your child has more toys than they know what to do with, try rotating them. For example, separate the toys into 4 bins and rotate the bins each month.
This allows kids to feel like they’re playing with “new” toys every month while reminding them of the toys they already have. This works well with books, too.
2. Try the “One In, One Out” Rule: Every time a new toy comes into your home, consider donating an old one. This is easier said than done, but something to aspire to. You can try this with clothes, too.
Not Ready to Donate? Put the excess toys or clothes in boxes and store them away. If you don’t use them for the next 6 months, donate them.
PediaTip: Although I’m big on transparency, it’s usually better not to let your child see you throw their toys away (think: tears and tantrums). Donating toys is a different story, though, because it teaches generosity (although your child might not see it that way at first or might not understand the concept until they’re a bit older).
3. Remember the Saying “A Place For Everything and Everything In Its Place”: It helps to separate the toys into different bins by category. Once every toy has a “home,” you can teach your child to put things back where they found them. This makes cleanup (and finding the toys in the first place) easier.
4. Go Beyond “Spring” Cleaning: Periodically weed through your child’s toys to get rid of the ones they’ve outgrown. Doing this once a season is easier and less overwhelming than doing one big purge per year.
5. Make Peace with “Some” Mess: It’s nearly impossible to have a Pinterest-perfect home when you have kids. Kids tend to have a lot of crap. To have an austere, perfectly organized home, you would have to be on your child’s case constantly, which would create a stressful vibe. Ask yourself whether (or not) this is worth the anxiety.
Bonus Tips
- Pay Attention to Your Buying Habits: It can be hard to say no to the latest and greatest toys, especially with Amazon Prime’s one-click “Buy Now” option staring you in the face. When browsing the web in the wee hours of the morning, a giant unicorn, a miniature football helmet, or a child-sized Adirondack chair may seem like must-have items.
To cut down on your impulse buys, store the desired products in your virtual cart for a day or two. If the adorable toy hedgehog is still calling your name after a couple of days, then go for it. If not, let it go. Don’t worry, something else will surely pop up in its place.
- Go Easy on the Grandparents: Relatives and friends will want to shower your child with gifts. Grandparents, especially, love to get in on the present-giving action. Either set boundaries around gift-giving or let gramps and gran have their fun and indulge. There are bigger and more important fish to fry.
The Bottom Line
Try the tips above to prevent your child’s toys from taking over your home.
