Can you believe that Christmas is just around the corner? 26 more days until the big day! There are so many things to think of at this time of year. I am constantly making lists. I have lists for
- my baking
- gift lists
- tasks I want to accomplish before Christmas
- Christmas card list
- movies we like to watch at Christmas.
I am constantly thinking of ways to “streamline” the holiday. Donna and I ask the question, “Is there anything you can do now to make Christmas easier?” Well, this is where today’s blog comes in – what can I do to declutter some toys before Christmas, to make room for the new items coming in?
If you have been around Donna and I long enough, I am sure you have heard us say, “one item in and one item out”! This is our ideal scenario but when it comes to toys – I don’t see children lining up with a bag full of donations at the thrift store every time they get a new toy. This is a great opportunity for parents to model and train children that they can’t keep everything and that we all have categories that need to be pared down.
My daughters are now 18, 16 and 14 so we don’t have toys sitting around like we used to.
I remember the days when they ranged in age of 6-10. We had lots of toys ranging from stuffies to Barbies, from Polly Pockets to Littlest Pet Shoppe. Sometimes it felt like a full time job to keep up with their toys and games.
Our suggestion is to take stock at least twice a year. Assess the number of toys in the house. Do we have a “reasonable” quantity of toys. Are they all over the house? Are there so many little pieces that you are stepping on them everyday?
At the end of November is the perfect time to organize and evaluate children’s toys. We are not doing our children a favour it we secretly sneak things out the back door without them knowing (although that is necessary at times). If that is our habit, our children grow up with the perception that we can keep everything. We need to teach them to evaluate their possessions and determine what they use and what they “used to use” or have outgrown.
It is important to teach our children how to share and donate to others who do not have as much as they do. There are many creative ways that you can bless others this Christmas season, with the toys you aren’t using anymore. Less is more. Take the time to sit down with your children and go through their things to make room for the new Christmas presents arriving in less than a month. If they have 30 stuffies, ask them to pick out their favourite 10 stuffies to keep. You get the idea.
Ask the questions:
- What toys have they outgrown?
- What toys need to be discarded because of safety reasons or because they are broken?
- What sorts of toys do they have too many of?
- What toys can be donated to the local thrift store?
If we continue to accumulate and never pass things on to others, our house will be full in short order. Organizing and purging is a life skill that children need to learn. As we purge the items we don’t need, we feel better because life is easier with less stuff AND we bless someone else.
That sounds like a couple of great reasons to declutter those toys! We are cheering you on!
If you would benefit from some side by side help and encouragement then Heart of the Matter would love to be your success partners. Mention this blog and get 15% off your project!
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