Every year, especially after Christmas, it seems like the toys take over the house. I can't tell you how many times I've stepped on a Lego lately and almost lost my cool, it hurts they're like doing the fire walk. So what can we do to help clean up the toy clutter? I've put together a few tips to help conquer the never ending toy battle!
- Get down on your knees – To see just how daunting the task is from your child's point of view, get down on their level. This can present some surprising storage space ideas that actually work since they are accessible to your kids.
- Ask your child for some ideas – This works on the same level as the first tip. Ask your child to get involved with the organization of her toys. You may be surprised by the ideas she has to offer. This also makes her more likely to have fun when picking up her toys.
- Purge intelligently – Ask your child if there are any toys or games they do not play with frequently. Explain that there are needy children which would love to have their very own toys. This can help you cut back on clutter, while also teaching your children wonderful life lessons and letting them benefit from the rewarding feelings of giving.
- Reward organization – Telling your child that you are losing your mind with toy clutter all over the house is not the best way to accomplish what you desire. But children understand rewards. Set up a system for weekly or monthly rewards depending on how many days your child's room is neat and organized.
- Separate and contain – If all of your child's stuffed animals, video games, comic books, robots and other toys are stored in one large container, you are creating a mess every time your child wants to play with any of them. Separate your toys by type, storing them in separate bins or containers.
- Make a trade – If your child wants to play Minecraft, tell him he can do that as soon as he puts up the toy car set he just finished playing with. This will minimize clutter since he will always have just one toy out at a time.
- Set a schedule to start good habits – Organize and stick to a morning and evening toy pickup routine. Rather than letting clutter buildup all week long and then forcing your child to agonizingly spend 2 or 3 hours cleaning their room, 10 or 15 minutes at the beginning and evening of everyday makes clearing toy clutter quick and simple.
Next time you feel toy clutter is taking over your house take a moment and look at the routine you created and see if you need to adjust it or ask the family to help out a little more. You won't be able to tackle all the clutter in one hour or a day it will take time to get used to the new habits and create a newly organized space!
How do you organize the toy clutter?
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