What are you doing with all of the new toys and such? Are you getting rid of (or did you already) some old toys?
What things are you or could you purge to make room for the new things? For example, do you kids still play with little people? Play food? baby dolls?? Things like that? Or have they moved on?
We are struggling with this. They don't want to part with ANYTHING and once they see things, they "realize" they loved that toy so much, they can't bear to get rid of it. But there are a lot of things they just don't play with anymore.
I would really like to get rid of Anna's dollhouse, actually. They don't use it, and never really have-I guess it was a steal for a reason. I would much rather have space to get her a Barbie sized dollhouse-someplace where they could STORE all of this junk as well. But everytime we talk about it, Anna says she is going to play with it, and she wants to keep it.
Hannah is the same way. We went through the toys in the basement a few weeks ago, and Hannah parted (easily) with her Snap N' Style dolls since really they are just a bigger version of Polly Pockets (which she's moved on to)... she helped bag them up and everything, gave them to a friend... cut to a playdate over there a few weeks later and she's going apeshiz that she NEEDS them back. Her life is over, I'm mean, you know the drill. She was still talking about it until a few days ago when she was like, "I don't need those, because Pollies are for big girls, and I'm big."
I purged last week when Hannah was doing something else. She hasn't asked for any of it, eventhough I know she would have went Captain Crazypants on insisting we keep some of it just because I wanted it gone. I didn't get rid of anything she uses or loves, obviously, but she hasn't noticed any of it missing.
Even after Christmas, we still have room for more stuff... which is a refreshing change, lol. (Although I need a ton more plastic gerber baby food containers now, to organize it all.)
We have so little space, we purge every few months.
I usually box some things that are less popular while they are sleeping and put them in my closet. If a month or two goes by and no one brings it up, I bring it to Salvation Army.
As soon as anyhthing breaks, it is gone. Missing most of the pieces? Gone. Little crappy dollar store toys or mcd's toys get tossed every few months or so.
We have bins for everything in the living room. There are no toys except a few stuffed animals in their room.
We have bins for pretend play, wooden puzzles, cardboard puzzles (all out of the boxes, in ziplocs so they fit in a small bin), floor puzzles, bristle blocks, Animals/Dinosaurs, and action figures/transformers. Oh wait, we also have Leapster, word cards, coloring books, playdo, and crafts. Then we have a step 2 toy box for anyhting that doesn't fit one of those bins. Under the train table is a large bin on wheels that all things train fit into. Any outdoor toys fit in a tupperware container in the closet by the front door.
Everything has a very specific home. It is the only way we survive in this apartment.
I was just looking today and spy a few stuffed animals and toys that will be going into my closet tonight.
As for little people and such, we have parted with the last of those toys. The only toddler toy that remains is a shape sorter because for whatever reason, they both still love it. Full little people sets have gone into storage for hopeful baby #3 at some point.
I usually do my kids toys purge when theyre not home or asleep. My kids would suddenly want to play with something that they havent played with in ages if i say I'm going to give it away so it's just better I keep a eye on what they dont play with and just put it away when theyre not looking =)
i think after the kids go back to school next tuesday I'll go through daniel's toybox--which is actually in a corner in my living room.
he's all about any kind of vehicles and building things...any people that come with the vehicles are nothing more than victims for him to plow over with said vehicle.
Whatever gets pulled out will go to the local hospital thrift store...or depending what it is, i may take it to Ronald McDonald house if it might be something kids there might could play with.
Rule number one of parenting, never do a toy sweep while your kids are awake.
LOL.
Out of sight out of mind.
My kids would never let me get rid of anything if I gave them an option.
Even if they haven't played with it in 5 years.
ITTTTTAAA!!!!
you need to purge when the girls are not around.
i do it when clara is at school. little crappy stuff gets tossed directly. (broken, pieces missing, the occasional happy meal toy etc)
other stuff i put in a box in the basement to "hold" for a while an if she doesnt ask for it, it gets tossed in about a years time.
there are of course other toys that are worth saving but they have outgrown or no longer get played with - those get boxed in the basement with a list of the content details taped to the front of the box.
i do this for cecile and clara 2-3 times per year, and definitely at the beginning of dec for christmas preparation - i HATE toy clutter.
I really need to purge....but I am waiting until January. I did it a few months back when I re-did her room and only put stuff that she played with back in there, like her baby dolls, kitchen set, and the rest of her toys, I organized in her bookcases. I sold her little people stuff on CL and she asked about it but I told her it was gone. Most of her stuffed animals, I put in the armoire. I have tons of her baby toys boxed up in the basement and if she goes down there and sees it, she will ask for it but nooooo! My main goal is to get all her toys on the second floor tv room and her room. I don't want any on the first floor where the living room/dining room/kitchen is. It is too much of a headache to pick up if we have company over.
I made EJ do a toy purge about a month ago--he picked out a few things and I did the rest. I also did a book purge, getting rid of any ripped ones, boxing up the ones that are too babyish for Ethan.
But truthfully, Ethan still uses most of his toys. He has a bin of cars, bin of superheroes, bin of transformers, bin of star wars guys, and some blocks. A few other random things but most fall into those categories.
I'm debating getting rid of his kitchen. He never uses it. Some of our neighbor kids do. I may just stow it in a closet and when we get a house, which we are hoping to get in the spring/summer, we'll hopefully have an actual playroom.
i purged yesterday and the day before. two grocery bags full. mainly little bits that have no place to go, things that have been in the bottom of the bin for a year, puzzles with lost pieces, etc. i bought two new bins from BB&B for $5 each, and made one for fake food/teaset stuff and one for little people, calico corners animals, and other people/animal type things. those are the main things they play with. i told them that that's where they go now. so last night and tonight and everynight hereafter, before bed we're going through the house with a bucket each, picking up all the stuff, and putting them all in the bins.
the kids didnt really get all that much for christmas. not enough to not have room, and nothing big. so i got lucky with that. we actually have less right now than we did before chrsitmas, bc of my purge. it's nice.
Our purge a couple of weeks ago was wildly successful. Even Mason got in the spirit and agreed to let go of a ton of toys. We donated 5 boxes of toys, 2 boxes of kids' clothes, 3 boxes of adult clothes, and a box of Christmas lights and decorations that we never use.
The best part is, Mason didn't get a ton of new toys for Christmas! He got plenty of stuff, but few actual toys. He wasn't disappointed - we got Disneyland and SeaWorld annual passes.
I've held on to baby and toddler toys for the most part, but since Evelyn is fo sho our last baby, as she grows out of things, they are GONE!
the kids didnt really get all that much for christmas. not enough to not have room, and nothing big. so i got lucky with that. we actually have less right now than we did before chrsitmas, bc of my purge. it's nice.
Our purge a couple of weeks ago was wildly successful. Even Mason got in the spirit and agreed to let go of a ton of toys. We donated 5 boxes of toys, 2 boxes of kids' clothes, 3 boxes of adult clothes, and a box of Christmas lights and decorations that we never use.
The best part is, Mason didn't get a ton of new toys for Christmas! He got plenty of stuff, but few actual toys. He wasn't disappointed - we got Disneyland and SeaWorld annual passes.
I've held on to baby and toddler toys for the most part, but since Evelyn is fo sho our last baby, as she grows out of things, they are GONE!
OMG, I am SO jealous of that. This is a big problem for me because I hate to get rid of everything!!! I hope we will have more, kwim? I can not wait until we get to that point and we can just get RID of everything as the last one outgrows them!!!!
What are you doing with all of the new toys and such? Are you getting rid of (or did you already) some old toys?
What things are you or could you purge to make room for the new things? For example, do you kids still play with little people? Play food? baby dolls?? Things like that? Or have they moved on?
We are struggling with this. They don't want to part with ANYTHING and once they see things, they "realize" they loved that toy so much, they can't bear to get rid of it. But there are a lot of things they just don't play with anymore.
I would really like to get rid of Anna's dollhouse, actually. They don't use it, and never really have-I guess it was a steal for a reason. I would much rather have space to get her a Barbie sized dollhouse-someplace where they could STORE all of this junk as well. But everytime we talk about it, Anna says she is going to play with it, and she wants to keep it.
UGH.
We must part with some things...
This is exactly what I deal with. Which is why ds is in the master bedroom with all the toys and we still overflow like crazy. Things are piled floor to ceiling in most places in that room (well, actually all over the house) but they still won't let me get rid of anything. Rebecca and Crystal will let me get rid of things they don't play with any more but the younger three insist they play with it. And they do play with most of it, just not all. Still they won't let me get rid of anything. It drives me nuts. And dh is just as bad as the kids about it. Grrrr!
This year I got them only small things and was glad to see other people who sent things did the same for the most part. Unfortunately, we got a lot of games and puzzles this year from other people and I have no idea how to reorganize what we have to give more room. Maybe put puzzles in a different place?......But where?....
As for what they still play with, pretty much most things. They play with potato heads, little people, weebles, even those little see-through blocks. One thing I do have to say about kids getting older is what they're interested in gets smaller. More expensive, yes, but smaller.
