Finding A Solution

Playrooms… one of the biggest pain points within a home. This space is intended to help your child hone in on their creativity, imagination, and so many other skills. But more often than not, this space can be so full of toys that it becomes overwhelming for your child.

We also know that not every child has a dedicated playroom, so the majority of their toys may be housed in their bedroom. This makes having structure within the room even more important because of the limited space.

So what’s the solution? Through our team’s expertise and experience, we have found that regularly sorting, purging, and organizing your child’s toys can help keep your child’s spaces functional.

Making It A Habit

Regularly purging your child’s toys is our biggest piece of advice when it comes to tackling this pain point. Like any other space in your home, no matter how organized it is, if there is just too much, then it cannot function efficiently. Having organized systems in place are definitely beneficial, but they will be hard to maintain if there is a massive amount of items in the room.

The key word to remember is regularly. By making this a habit, your child will learn and expect to make decisions on their toys. Familiarizing them with this will make the process easier as time goes on. It will also teach them a sense of responsibility. Over time, they may even get to the point where they are ready to get rid of toys without you having to prompt them.

We understand that during birthdays and holidays your child will get more toys. That’s expected! But if you are making this a habit, these times will not be overwhelming because you will already have space for new toys.

Reaping The Benefits

Not only will this allow you to free up space in your home, but it will also help teach your child decision making skills and help them become familiar with giving to those in need. Instilling these principles in your child at a young age is very beneficial. As your child grows and their interests change, they will be bringing different and new items into your home. As that happens, them being able to recognize that toys may only be needed for a season and would better serve someone else will be much easier if they have had practice doing so.

Tips For Decluttering Toys

1. Include Your Child

The biggest piece of advice we can give is to include your child in this process. We know that including them will make the process take longer than if you just did it all yourself, but if you get rid of items without making your child part of the process, it could be traumatic for them.

2. Prepare Your Child

It is also very important to have a serious conversation with your child about the process before ever starting. You need to prepare them for what to expect and allow them the opportunity to ask questions. While you talk to them, they may even have a few ideas on how to do this better than you thought!

3. Encourage Your Child

If your child isn’t warming up to the idea of getting rid of some of their toys, encourage them with a few reasons why this is a good idea. You can remind them of how doing this will give them even more space to play, how they will always be able to find their favorite toys, and how fun it can be to give toys to others.

4. Have Fun With Your Child

Make the process fun! Try to make a game out of it and be sure to affirm your child as they make decisions. Remember to be patient with them as well. Some decisions may take longer than others. If your child needs guidance or help when making decisions, give them choices within boundaries. For example, if they have ten baby dolls, ask them to show you their four favorite dolls. After they choose their favorite dolls, talk to them about how fun it would be to spend even more time with their favorites dolls. Then talk to them about how someone else could love the other dolls as much as they love these four!

Bonus Tip!

If there are any toys that your child is hesitant to give away, separate them and keep them somewhere out of sight. If they miss one and ask about it, give it to them. After a few months, if they haven’t asked about the toys, you could donate them. Be sure and include your child when donating items as well. It will help them feel involved of every part of the process.