Families often contact me because they are overwhelmed by the clutter caused by toys and stuffed animals. It’s common for parents with young children struggle with the amount of toys and children/baby belongings that quickly seem to be taking over the home.
Do children really need all these toys?
Simply do a google search and you will find one article after another about parents eliminating a large portion of their kids toys and never looking back. The results are usually that families are happier with less! Purging toys and play spaces is the same as decluttering the rest of the home – Less Really Is MORE! Parents are not the only ones lovings the decluttering of toys, children are actually thriving when surrounded with fewer toys.
When children have fewer toys in the home they have time for more:
Creative Play
Reading
Playing Outside
Adventures
Imaginative Play
Drawing, Painting & Coloring
Inventive Play
Time with Pets
Cooperative Play
What are parents saying about purging toys?
One mom said, “I finally got my life back”. Another parent was elated with the way her kids got along together and had cut back on 95% of the arguing after most of the toys were donated. She was thrilled to not be dealing with fights and arguments all day. The most impactful was the woman who stated that getting rid of the majority of the toys actually saved her marriage. Don’t forget the amount of time parents gain are reducing the number of toys and stuffed animals – not wasting hours on picking up, organizing and cleaning the mess from toys. The benefits are numerous!
If you are interested in reducing the number of toys in your home here are some tips:
- Lead by Example – Let the kiddos see you purge, eliminate and donate items that are no longer of value to you.
- Start with a Basic Purge – Toss or donate broken toys or games and puzzles with missing pieces. These items don’t need to be discussed and can be easily discarded because they do not work and no longer serve a purpose.
- Gather and Sort- Gather all of the toys in one general area and sort them into categories. Ask the kids this one powerful question……“WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KEEP?”(I wrote a detailed post on this method and it works well with children and adults. I highly encourage you to check it out before beginning any organizing or purging project.)
- Organize and Store – Find proper storage and organization systems based on what the kids want to keep and put the items away.
- Donate – Donate the rest of the toys, you might have a garage sale and/or give toys still in good condition to friends, family or organization.
- Celebrate and Do It Again – Celebrate that you finished this big project and enjoy. After a few months you can go through the process again and eliminate even more toys.
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Lauren is a professional home organizer and owner of Intentional Edit in Scottsdale, Arizona. Intentional Edit is an organizing service and lifestyle company focused on consciously editing to create efficient and organized spaces. Lauren believes that a functional home that looks and feels pretty has a positive effect on all aspects of life. While design trends come and go organization is always in style!
If you are in the Phoenix area and interested in our services of creating individualized solutions for your home or office click here to see our services and how the process works
I’m Lauren, and I’m passionate about being organized and efficient and making spaces beautiful at the same time. I hope to inspire you to live your best organized life.
