By: Carey Snide
Do you have a pile of toys putting Everest to shame?
Are you overwhelmed and wondering what do with the massive collection?
Here are some tips you can use to reclaim precious space in your home while not causing a major meltdown. Avoiding "That's my favorite!" when it is a toy that you have not seen her play with in 3 years is key!
Prep by doing a purge:
Involve your kids. "We have to make room for all the new toys. "Let's find all the broken ones and pick the ones you want to give to a kid who does not have toys."
Broken Toys or toys with missing parts: go straight in the trash.
Out grown toys can be donated: homeless shelters, churches, second hand stores, local foster care organizations. Go together and praise them for being generous.
For those precious, hard to part with items: take a picture, turn them into art, or keep a small bin that is packed away.
For gift receiving occasions, here are some gift ideas that won't add to the pile:
Focus on Experiences: Ask relatives to give riding lessons, museum passes, lunch dates, or movie passes.
Limit the number of gifts: purchase that one big ticket item and then only buy a few small ones.
Buy consumable gifts: paper, tape, glue sticks, paints, that sugar cereal they beg for but you normally would never buy.
Gift cards: they can buy game time, music, maybe a subscription to a streaming service they have been begging for.
For more parenting tips and to learn more about all of our support groups, be sure to check out our website at www.youhaveavillage.com
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