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Help! Mom is drowning in toys
Filed under: Babies, Toddlers Preschoolers, Preschoolers, Big Kids, Tweens, Teens, Relatives, Toys
My children own far too many toys. I can't really pinpoint when it became out of control. First, there were just two or three baskets spread throughout the house, and now we are drowning in them. I rarely actually purchase a toy (new) for them myself, unless it's a special occasion, so it must be their grandmothers' fault. I may have to create a rule -- "If you bring a toy in, you must take two out with you."I know I'm not the only one. In fact, Kristin recently wrote about Lori Popes, who started Baby Plays, a toy rental service. Baby Plays runs much like the DVD service Netflix does -- pay a flat subscription fee and have a new set of toys delivered to your door every three months.
We're really too far gone to take advantage of Lori's service now, but I've read about a system that just might save us yet. Some organizational experts recommend having three or four tubs of toys in rotation at all times. Bring out a tub, and when your kids get bored, pack the toys up and bring out a different one. Apparently with kids, when it's out of sight, it's out of mind and the toys feel new again. Has anyone ever tried this? Is it worth my effort next time I weed through our toy boxes?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
3-02-2008 @ 9:59AM
Judy said...I have tried switching them out, and never saw much of a result. Instead, I've tried organizing them better and laying out different areas. We find that there are certain toys my boys play with all the time, and others that will get their attention for awhile. But they never seem to want to play with what I suggest, so I just leave them all available for them, and some days it's nothing but trains, then the next they are building major set-ups with blocks.
I hear you on drowning in toys, though. It was already really bad, then Christmas, with my mom visiting (and overloading them with more toys) pushed us over the top. I can't bring myself to get rid of very many, either, because most of them *do* get played with.
We have birthdays coming up - one turns 4 in about a week, the other 2 in 6 weeks - and we are just getting BOOKS for presents. Lots and lots of BOOKS!!!
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3-02-2008 @ 5:42PM
Jamie said...I switch out toys. I do it about once a quarter and therefore it is a real treat for my son and for myself. It makes a great stuck inside activity. I accomplished a lot by bringing up our old toys while my son was sick with pneumonia. Also, we can borrow toys from our local early education center for free. Toys are donated and then lent out to families in the school district. I have even donated some toys myself.
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3-02-2008 @ 8:53PM
Mary said...Switching out toys worked for me. If they haven't seen them for a while, when they're brought out it's like they're new. Plus we week out toys that they seem to have outgrown, gotten too old for and we clean them up and give them to other family members and friends for their children of that age.
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3-02-2008 @ 9:00PM
Mary said...I used to sort them out and put half of them away in a tub. When they were brought out and switched with the current toys they were always happy to see and play with stuff that they hadn't had in a while. It always worked at our house. Also I would go through them periodically and pull out the ones that they had outgrown or didn't have any particular interest in and clean them up and give them to mothers with children in that certain age group. We pass everything down, clothes, toys, anyting that could used again that is in good shape.
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3-09-2008 @ 8:12PM
Kelly said...I think that it is a wonderful idea to put the toys up and bring out a different tub like every two or three months. I have actually done this with my three children even though they usually remember the toys that i bring back out there still excited to see them again.
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