The Toy Takeover

Do you feel like toys are taking over your life?  Are they everywhere you turn?  When there are toys everywhere our kids as well as ourselves get overwhelmed.  It is not enjoyable for kids to walk into the playroom and not knowing where to turn.  There is a feeling of emotional disconnect for them.  

When there's toys everywhere it leads to more chaos in your home.  A cluttered room with toys everywhere is not healthy for them.  It leads to toy overload.  They are not able to use their imagination.  

Toys were taking over my home.  It looked like a bomb hit and there was a toy explosion.   I have four kids in different age frames so I literally had toys everywhere.  I felt like it was a never-ending battle of trying to clean up the toys.  I would tell the kids it was their responsibility to clean up their own toys.  Sounds fair. Right?  The problem was they didn't know where to put anything because there was way too many toys and no real system.  

It would lead to everyone being frustrated and the job not done.  I got to the point where I just gave up.  It was easier to leave it the way it was.  I accepted it the way it was. 

I made excuses  My house is too small.  I don't have enough space.  I blamed it on the kids.

One day, I just had enough.  I realized this was not a healthy way to live.  I spent all my energy on being frustrated but not doing anything about it.  I knew I had to come up with a solution.  I was determined!

I call it "The Toy Purge".  I committed the next three days to making a change.

Day 1

*Grab a few garbage bags.

*Start putting toys and play sets together.

*If a toy has missing pieces or broken parts throw it right into the garbage bag!  That is an important step!  Remember your kids are not playing with it so don't feel the need to hold onto it.

Day 2

*Grab a couple large boxes and mark "Donate" on them.

*Start sorting toys and ask yourself these questions:

          -Has my child outgrown this toy?

          -Is it age appropriate?

          -Do we need all of these? For example, 35 Barbie dolls or 50 Hot Wheels?

           -When was the last time my child played with this toy?

          -Does my child get excited about playing with this toy?

If you answered "NO" to most of these questions, than it's time to Donate them.  Donate to your local preschool, church, or charity!

Day 3

*Grab a few clear bins, labels, & sharpie.

*Start sorting and labeling bins.  If you have Legos, label the bin and throw them right in.

At the end of each day, you are going to feel like a ton of bricks lifted off your shoulders and by day 3 you will love walking into your play room and you children will be able to enjoy playtime. 

What  have accomplished:

-Clean up time will be easier.

-Everything has a place.

-Independent play will be more enjoyable

This is how toys stopped taking over my house. 

*