Toys. So, so, so many toys. If you feel like your child’s room is absolutely cluttered full of toys, this article is for you. It can be so difficult trying to get your children on board with decluttering before Christmas. After all, no one wants to give up their toys! Here are some of the best tips for helping you declutter and make room for the new toys.
Remember: at the end of the day, it’s just stuff. Developing strong attachments to material things isn’t healthy for young people, so helping them to understand that happiness doesn’t come from things is important.
Decluttering Before Christmas
Emphasize Quality over Quantity
If your little one has a huge chest full of tons and tons of toys from over the years, help them to emphasize quality over quantity. Pull out their toys, place them on the floor and go over each one and ask which ones they really, really love. Then, have them organize them into piles based on which ones they really want to keep.
Make sure they understand that you’re not having them declutter out of not wanting them to have nice things, but instead to make room for newer and better things. Make sure they know that their old toys are going to go to little kids like them who can’t afford new toys, so they don’t feel like their toys are just going into the garbage.
If you stress the importance of having a few nice things over having a ton of old things, it’ll help them to understand where you’re coming from. Put yourself in their shoes: it’s hard to understand why their parents wants them to get rid of things they love. Make sure they understand that there’s only so much room in the house for toys, and that you need that space for the new Christmas toys.
Elf on the Shelf
If your family does Elf on the Shelf, consider shifting the conversation to be more external. Tell the little one that the Elf on the Shelf is helping Santa to recycle old toys. This brings in an earlier tactic, of showing the kid that their toys are going to help other kids their age.
The little ones are likely already sympathetic to the Elf on the Shelf, as he’s a sweet little Santa helper. He wouldn’t ask them to do anything that wasn’t for good, right? You can tie in how Santa wants them to be nice, and not naughty, and that donating their old toys to a good cause is a surefire way to get on the nice list.
It helps to pick a number of toys that you want the little ones to recycle out. Then, make sure they get that number of toys for Christmas. This helps the kid to better understand that it’s a one-for-one exchange: the old things go away so that new things can come in. It’s an important lesson for them to learn early, too.
Set Expiration Times
This one helps a lot in some houses. Let the kids know that they need to play with their favorite toys to keep them. If they don’t use a toy for, say, a month, then tell them it’s time to donate it to charity. If they don’t want to use their toys, it only stands to reason that another kid would love to.
Now, that’s not to say you ambush them with this. Make sure they know what time table they’re on when it comes to not having toys anymore. If they understand that this is the rule, and that it is enforced evenly, they won’t feel as though you’re unfairly taking things away from them.
In most cases, they may even not notice the toy missing once it’s donated. If they haven’t played with it in a month, why would they? However, make sure you make exceptions for seasonal toys. If a toy is only really usable in the summertime, make sure your child knows that it’s not on the chopping block.
Final Thoughts
Don’t be mean about it, and make sure your kids understand why old toys have to go. Keep them involved with the decluttering, make sure they know why you do it and why they should care. If you keep them involved, and make it fun, the kids will be more motivated to help.
If you make it something to dread, or something ominous, they’ll nervously hoard their toys and even hide them. Make sure you keep things lighthearted and fun!
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