Declutter Toys

“If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them as half as much money.” —Abigail Van Bure

1. Fewer toys is different than no toys.

2. Choose quality over quantity.

You and your children will benefit more from toys that are chosen for their quality (in workmanship) and purpose (playability) than for their sheer quantity. And just like everything else in life, too many toys will always distract from the truly important ones.

3. Purge often.

4. Set a confined, physical space for toys.

Whether it is a container, a shelving unit, or a closet, set a confined physical space for your children’s toys. Once the space is full, there is no room to add more toys.

5. Limit your purchasing with a budget.

Enforcing a predetermined budget amount will help in limiting your toy purchases.

6. Don’t give into fads.

You don’t need to give in just because every other parent is.

7. Avoid duplicate toys.

Instead, require your children to learn the invaluable life lessons of sharing, generosity, cooperation, and compromise.

8. Don’t give in to temper-tantrums at the store.

9. Equip your children to make wise choices.

Involve your kids in the purging process. Help them make decisions about which toys should stay and which should go. This will serve them well into adulthood.

10. Teach them to value other activities.

Although all kids have natural tendencies towards certain endeavors, expand their mind by regularly introducing them to new activities that don’t revolve around toys.

11. Limit your toys too.

Kids will always learn more from example than words. If your life is caught up in always needing to own the latest fashion, technology, or product on the market, theirs will be too. And it would be unreasonable to expect anything less.

Keeping fewer toys will never be easy. It will always require thought and intentionality. But it will always result in your children learning to value who they are more than what they have. And that always make it worth the effort.