Getting Rid of Toys: Help Your Child Build a More Intimate and Imaginative Relationship to Fewer Toys

If your child has been to even two birthday parties in the last year, chances are good that the party favors you received are sitting in some toy bin, in the dark depths of toy purgatory where the bottom dwellers of forgotten toys linger.  

When is the last time your child got a chance to see all of the awesome things she or he has?  Do you even know how much stuff your kid has?

We all know that too many things in our homes and in our lives can be very distracting.  It can induce chaotic living and create more work for tired parents.  The burden of too many toys (and yes, it is a burden) can quickly kill a child’s ability to create and pretend while using only few objects and a whole lot of imagination.

 (This last sentence may be the antithesis to the product placement-laden movie “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium).  But anyway, we all know Hollywood is not primarily concerned with the preservation and exaltation of childhood imagination. 

I remember playing with aluminum foil dolls and leaves on the playground with my best friend.  Believe me, more toys does not mean more fun.  

As a parent, I can’t even remember all of the conversations that go something like this:

Rrrring. “Hello?”

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“I’m cleaning out Willy’s toy closet and I swear, it’s taking forever. There’s just too much sh** in this house.”

“I know what you mean. If I get another baggy of 99 Cents Store crap I’ll scream.”

Parents like these are tired. They want simple. They want their children to play. On their own. Possibly for hours.

Then I give my fellow parents some of my tips for sifting through the toyish nightmare.  After following these 4 simple steps,  I guarantee children will have a revitalized relationship with their space and personal property.  

So what do you do? Simply put: Get rid of stuff. Every several months take inventory and get rid of it.

This is an activity that should be done WITH your child.  It will teach your child how to recognize which items in their lives have meaning. It will teach them which ones don’t. Secondly, it teaches them how to let go of material objects with ease and grace. Thirdly, when you donate the items they don’t want (and, more importantly, don’t need) it plants a seed of charitable thinking:
          

1)  Sit on the floor with your child and dump out containers and drawers one at a time.  Have a trash container and a donation box near by and explain to your child what these are for.

2)  Gather all similar toys and have your child choose which ones she or he wants to keep.  But you give him the number. Remember, you are the rule-maker.  For instance, if there are 5 Barbies, say, “Okay, now choose your favorite 2.”    If there are 15 “Pet Shop” toys, cut it down to about 7. A good rule is to get it down to about less than half the amount.

        Always start with a low number so you have room for occasional negotiations when your child simply cannot let go of all 3 dolls. 

3)  Have your CHILD place the toys in the appropriate container. This is part of the learning process.  They are making a physical connection to the act of letting things go.

4)  As you go along you and your child gather all similar sized objects into a separate section ie: doll shoes, jacks, gumball machine trinkets, and start the elimination process again. Make sure the tiny tiny things end up stored in a separate little container.

5)  Make sure you are giving an abundance of praise while you go through this process.  And remember, this may be harder for some children.  Every time they make a choice, say something like “I really like how you know which toys you like better. There are a lot of good ones, but you have made some great choices.” And praise their enthusiasm to give to charity: “I’m sure someone will really like to play with this.”  If they are not enthusiastic, just recognize their feelings and move on.  Do not panic and think your child is a greedy toy hogger. 

6)   Last but not least, do not question your child’s decision to let go of a certain toy.  Sometimes our own inner child will scream, “Wait! I love that Strawberry Shortcake house! We can’t give that away!” 

This just proves that this is as much an exercise in letting go for us as it is for the wee ones.

Now, sit back and watch the magic playtime happen.

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