Note from Hint Mama: Taming my daughter’s ever-growing toy collection is still on my to-do list. I’m hoping these five tips from Hint Mama contributor Karen Witham, who writes over at Thoughtstream, will finally inspire me to take back our living room.
In my last hint, I shared one trick for purging the toys that overrun our living spaces (think out with the old, in with the new). In today’s hint, I offer five more tips for taming your kid-related stuff.
1. Work through — and accept — the grief. I sobbed my way through our first yard sale (see #2), where I got rid of the baby swing, bouncer and other tokens of the first year. I was not only letting go of “things,” I was processing the idea that our family was complete. No more pregnancy, no more newborns, no more first year. It’s harder than you might think, and the strong feelings I had took me by surprise. (Read an essay along these lines at Today’s Parent.)
2. Don’t have a yard sale. Seriously, hosting your own yard sale is a huge hassle (I know from experience) and if your kids are there, watching other kids walk off with their stuff can be stressful for everyone. We had a yard sale to get rid of baby items and the hours of work we put into it didn’t compensate us for the couple hundred dollars we made. I would have felt better about donating the items to a friend, a charity or a community yard sale. If you have a few really nice toys that you want to sell, you can try a consignment store or selling online via a local parenting email list, Facebook group or craigslist.
3. Have a system. Have some clear guidelines for deciding what stays and what goes. For instance, if a toy hasn’t been played with in over six months, get rid of it. Unless it’s something that was super special at one time and that you want to save as a memento (see #4), chances are your kids have forgotten about it or lost interest. If it’s a great toy, but it has been buried in a closet or bin, rotate it to the top of the pile to see if it sparks renewed interest. If that doesn’t occur, donate it. Check out the “Four Container Method” found in About.com’s Housekeeping section for more inspiration.
4. Save only a few things for future generations. You can’t assume your kids will have kids, or will want (or be able) to keep most of their childhood toys. Passing on things is a gift, but it can also be a burden. Try to pick just a few very special toys from each stage of your kids’ lives, and let go of the others so they can make other children happy.
5. Get help. Enlist the assistance of a trusted friend or family member who can help you overcome sentimental attachments and make the necessary tough calls. You can also hire help. A professional organizer (or even a TaskRabbit) can help you with sorting, organizing and disposing of things.
What tips for purging toys did I miss?
Karen Witham is a mother of two children who she can’t believe are already ages five and six. She spends her time on both sides of the Bay, working full-time as an editor and writer in San Francisco and living in Oakland. A transplant from the East Coast, she spent ten years living in Boston and also loves New York and most of all, Paris. Karen has a B.A. from Brown University and an M.A. from Emerson College. She blogs at Thoughtstream. Connect with her on Twitter at @kewitham or LinkedIn. Read hints by Karen Witham.
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