After 8 years of being a parent, you would think I've got this down. After a lifetime of organizing & loving every moment of it, you would think I would not be here, in this situation, AGAIN. After threatening, bribing, coercing, begging & pleading, you would think we would ALL be better at this. So, I am downright BEGGING for your help. This is what our playroom is reduced to about once a month. 3 rambunctious kids & a mom who is just too plain busy to watch their every move and we are once again standing in front of this nightmare come alive. You can tell I have more than enough shelves, drawers, compartments & ways to organize & keep everything separated. Ways that are simple for children to understand, ways that make it easier to get a favorite toy & then PUT THAT TOY BACK WHERE IT BELONGS.
My real issues is this....... My children simply have too much stuff. The last time I went through their toys for our yard sale, I really thought I had condensed, that I had gotten rid of all the nonsense, but apparently I have not. I know I need to cut down. I know that if they didn't have SO MANY choices, then there wouldn't be such a mess of this size.
The help I need..... what do 3 kids need as far as toys go? What is the bare minimum I can let them keep? I am willing to throw it ALL away & go back to letting them entertain themselves with books, crayons, outdoor activities & homemade toys like pots, pans, boxes & bubble wrap. But, it's hard to throw away all the things you know you bought them for birthdays & Christmas, because it's so hard to admit to yourself that you bougth them too much or that they really didn't want that toy & only played for it with a few days before they tossed it aside never to look at it again.
So, I am welcoming any & all opinions & ideas about what to do. Please no comments on how terrible it is or how did I ever let it get this bad. I have beat myself up enough, thank you, but I am so ready for any & all ideas on how to CUT BACK. I know how to organize it, I just need to know what to get rid of.
PLEASE HURRY!
3 comments:
This is by far my one and only talent. I am a pro at getting rid of stuff. Yes, my house is messy but I can throw stuff away like it's a marathon. First, wait until the kids are at school, friends house, or in bed at night. Everything that they don't play with on a regular basis gets put in a black garbage bag (this way they can't see through the bag and find out what you did). The less there is, the more they play. Sometimes having a lot of toys can be overwhelming. Their favorites you just can't get rid of. They can be put in a tote or on a shelf though. If you don't want to get rid of stuff then you can put toys in totes and just have a little out at a time. As far as cleaning is concerned, good luck. We have tried everything. Right now we are doing chore lists. They have a list that they walk around with and check off the items that are completed. They get 5 cents for each item that is checked. At the end of the week it really adds up. Also, we have resorted to taking their Webkinz and tying them up like hostages. The only way they can get their webkinz back is by paying their ransome by doing their chores. It's funny but useful. I'm glad to hear that I am not the only one that has to deal with this issue.
I have been given a few ideas, but have yet to put them into practice. 1. Go through all the toys. If they havn't played with it in 6 months it gets taken to good will or given away. Then of the ones you want to keep, half go in storage bins and half go on the shelves. When they tire of or get bored with the ones on the shelves. You trade them out for the ones in storage and so forth.
2. To keep from stock piling toys, for every new toy they receive at Christmas or birthdays, they have to give an old toy away or take to good will. This way they learn how to give as well as to receive. Hope this helps. If you try them, let me know how it goes?
See that 6 month thing works for more than just closets, haha. Inside joke, Maria laughed at me b/c I was getting rid of stuff I hadn't worn in 2 years. Anyway, I think the bag thing would work. You already know they are playing with the toys otherwise they'd still be on the shelf and not the floor, but the question is will they remember it? After you let them have a few back out of the bag, then you can always take the rest to goodwill. And the best part?? Its already bagged and ready to go!
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