Hello!

Hi I have a question! My Kids both have their birthdays the month before Christmas then we have Christmas, it is like a toy overload! Plus I already feel they have way too much toys/clutter. I find they don’t tend to play with lots of their toys as they do play imaginary games a lot and do drawings etc! What is the best way to get them involved in de cluttering their toys now. (they are almost 7 and 3) do you have any tips for decluttering?

Emailed by anon 17/06/2013

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  • I let them know we will sell it and they can have the money.
    Or is the Marie kondo method, do I need this or do I love this. If not it gets thrown out.


  • Generally I find if it hasn’t been touched in a year it won’t ever be again. In saying that if you draw it to their attention they will swear they play with it regularly


  • Good luck with that!


  • Pick a zone. Don’t be overwhelmed by the whole scene. For eg. Choose the kitchen pantry and that is it for one occasion. Have rubbish bag ready and recycling bin. Cloth to wipe shelves out and simple cleaning products. Next time, do drawers. One word focus, ok ( :


  • Sit down with them and tell them we need to get rid of things. Sort out a keep pile and a get rid of pile. Or sort out our own when they r at school.they won’t notice it missing.


  • Have regular clean outs to get rid of anything they’ve outgrown or no longer play with. I prefer to buy my kids things like books and craft supplies and outdoor play equipment, I don’t see the point of having so many toys when they hardly get played with anyway, and the rest of their relatives give them enough to keep them happy.


  • Check out http://www.flylady.net she may have something there – I know she has a kids section and emails :)


  • Get your kids to sort out which toys could go to charity for other kids who could use them
    For Christmas. Teaches them lessons about those who have less at the same time :)


  • Buy them out door toys then its your hubbys problem. lol


  • perhaps some vouchers… i gave my son an AFL voucher for his birthday this year so that he could pick something he really wanted for himself – and not a toy.. also, one friend always gives him a VILLAGE movie voucher… he was also given a helicopter flight voucher…. sometimes an experience is better than a toy..


  • I always have this problem as I have one child just before Christmas and then two just after– so I make them do a cleaning just before the first one’s birthday then they make their lists for Christmas am their birthday together and I shop from one list– if they see something later then it goes on the next list or they understand that they may not get it I they add it too late! We are lucky in that the house we moved into has a basement an I set up the arts and coloring there and just keep toys in their rooms! I also equal out toy gifts with things like art or crafts or outside activities so that not everything ha to be stores in their rooms! Use big plastic bins in garage for outside toys! And smaller ones from the dollar store for toys in rooms!


  • I always have this problem as I have one child just before Christmas and then two just after– so I make them do a cleaning just before the first one’s birthday then they make their lists for Christmas am their birthday together and I shop from one list– if they see something later then it goes on the next list or they understand that they may not get it I they add it too late! We are lucky in that the house we moved into has a basement an I set up the arts and coloring there and just keep toys in their rooms! I also equal out toy gifts with things like art or crafts or outside activities so that not everything ha to be stores in their rooms! Use big plastic bins in garage for outside toys! And smaller ones from the dollar store for toys in rooms!


  • give to charity but keep favourites.


  • I would make a big deal about giving them to kids in need and going through them asking your kids to choose what they think kids with no toys would like them donate them!


  • Agreed that ‘venues’ and outings with family and friends with just one set new clothes, theme parks, together time will be best remembered and appreciated in the long run as well as in the present.


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