toys-on-floor
Spring cleaning is a difficult task, and one of the parts that makes the chore even harder for many parents is tackling the job of cleaning out our children’s toys. No matter how many times we try to pick them up, sort them out, put them back together, or simply sweep them aside, toys have the frustrating tendency to seemingly multiply and spread throughout even the tidiest homes whenever our backs are turned. If your kids are anything like mine, they want a new toy all the time, and within about 24 hours of receiving one, that new toy finds itself tossed aside and quickly forgotten and ignored. This results in piles of toys being strewn across the house instead of contained in the playroom, and it makes the task of cleaning the house feel like a futile effort. If your children’s toys have taken over your house, here are a few tips on ways to clear through the mess and lessen the clutter.
Begin the Process Alone - Even though you might want your kids to have a say in what to keep and what to toss or donate, having your children “help” clean out the toys can be a big mistake. They will most likely want to begin playing with every toy you ask them about, and they will fight you on getting rid of all of them, even the ones they have definitely outgrown or lost interest in long ago. The old motto “out of sight, out of mind,” is definitely true here. If you show them a toy that they had long forgotten about, reminding them of it is not the best way to convince them to now get rid of it. Wait until you have completed most of the work before saving a few, more significant toys to then give them the options of keeping or donating to another child less fortunate than themselves.
Throw Away All of the “Junk” Immediately - Junk toys are the unimportant ones that are cheaply made and easily broken, such as the trivial ones given out at fast food restaurants, goodie bags, school holiday parties, etc. These toys take up space, don’t hold a child’s interest for long, and are likely played with once or twice and then never again. Don’t stress, just clear them out. They will not be missed by anyone!
Apply the “Six Month Rule” - Much like when you clear out your closets of clothes you no longer find yourself ever wearing anymore, the same process can and should be applied to your kids’ toys. Try to remember when you last saw your child playing with each toy as you go through them. If it’s been easily accessible and they still haven’t chosen to play with it in over six months, it’s time to donate it to another child who might enjoy it right now, instead of keeping it in hopes that your own child might one day enjoy it again.
Try to Keep Your Own Emotions Out if It - This is actually a tip that I find myself trying to remember, as I have certain sentimental feelings about some of my children’s toys. Whether it’s a toy you bought them yourself that you thought for SURE they would love (but they didn’t), or it’s a toy from a special relative that you feel obligated to hold onto in hopes that your child will someday show an interest in it, it’s important to step back and think about whether or not your child actually enjoys the toy themselves. Sometimes we hang on to toys passed down from older siblings because we believe that the younger child will love playing with it as much as the older one did, or we keep toys that our children have long outgrown because it makes us reminisce about them when they were small and cuddly. The problem is that we are holding on to these toys because of our own feelings about them, and not because of how our children feel about them. In the words of that beloved Disney princess, simply “let it go!” By doing so, you will inevitably provide your children enough play space to really focus on the important toys that stay; the ones that teach them something, help them develop, and that give them the joy that toys were made for, after all.
