This is continued from my previous post on "How to ALWAYS have a clean house". If you haven't read that post yet, you should read that one first. :)
Got that? Okay, lets move on!
Got that? Okay, lets move on!
Kids toys!
Have you ever saw the commercials with the boys playing cars on this awesome car track that stacks up SUPER high and looks awesome?! My son is enthralled by this commercial yelling "MOM, oh mom I want that!! Oh Please Oh please!!" Now, I'm sure that car track looks awesome, but here is the reality: it won't last. In just a few short hours my son would have that car track disassembled and in a million pieces. I won't remember how they went together. He will be frustrated because he can't put it together. Tears will happen. I'll try to keep it put together, but unless I glue it, it won't stay together. *sigh*
So now, the car track is a useless pile of junk hogging up half of the toy box and will never be played with again. $50 down the toilet.
The solution.
Don't buy toys that need put together a million times! Try to avoid toys with 390284390823 pieces. If your child DOES have to have a toy that comes in a bazillion pieces and he or she just (for real) can't live without it, and your ambitious enough to put it together a million times....the best thing to do with it is to keep it separate. You can make that toy its own special container just for that toy and its pieces.
If its a toy that needs put together (like a race/car track), buy some of those round stickers (the ones you could price yard sale items with) and give each piece a number. Go in order so when your putting it together, piece 1 connects to piece 2 which connects to piece 3 and so on.
If you lose directions to toys easy (ME ME ME!!!), buy a binder with plastic page protectors. Each page protector should gets its own instruction booklet. When you need help remembering what to do with a toy, consult the book. :)
When kids are done playing with one toy, have them put that toy away before getting out another toy. This works better with older children. Younger kids just have to be picked up after. Its life. They grow out of that stage super quick. And its so bitter sweet when they do!
Less is more!
When one child has 10 toy boxes full of toys, its likely he or she will never play with any of them. Get to know your child! Learn what they will REALLY like and what is just the commercial making the toy look fun. TV sells way too much!! I read something one time that said buying toys that force the use of imaginative play were the toys that kids loved the most. How boring are the toys that do it all for us? I never played with them. My kids don't play with them. They just sit in the toy box, collecting dust. My son loves his cars and the rug he plays with them on. It has roads drawn onto it. He plays for hours with those two things!
My daughter loves her dolls. Nothing better than being a little mommy. :)
When you buy a toy, donate or sell a toy. The 1 in 1 out rule. This keeps the clutter down...especially for a child who has a lot of toys.
If its a toy that needs put together (like a race/car track), buy some of those round stickers (the ones you could price yard sale items with) and give each piece a number. Go in order so when your putting it together, piece 1 connects to piece 2 which connects to piece 3 and so on.
If you lose directions to toys easy (ME ME ME!!!), buy a binder with plastic page protectors. Each page protector should gets its own instruction booklet. When you need help remembering what to do with a toy, consult the book. :)
When kids are done playing with one toy, have them put that toy away before getting out another toy. This works better with older children. Younger kids just have to be picked up after. Its life. They grow out of that stage super quick. And its so bitter sweet when they do!
Less is more!
When one child has 10 toy boxes full of toys, its likely he or she will never play with any of them. Get to know your child! Learn what they will REALLY like and what is just the commercial making the toy look fun. TV sells way too much!! I read something one time that said buying toys that force the use of imaginative play were the toys that kids loved the most. How boring are the toys that do it all for us? I never played with them. My kids don't play with them. They just sit in the toy box, collecting dust. My son loves his cars and the rug he plays with them on. It has roads drawn onto it. He plays for hours with those two things!
My daughter loves her dolls. Nothing better than being a little mommy. :)
When you buy a toy, donate or sell a toy. The 1 in 1 out rule. This keeps the clutter down...especially for a child who has a lot of toys.
Have something to organize the toys into. If you can't afford a toy box, storage totes are awesome. Laundry baskets. Just about anything. Get creative! You can decorate it with stickers (a fun bonding project with your kiddo!!) or however you want to. Markers (they make sharpies in every color!) can be fun under parental supervision. Fabric glued to it. Paint (you can do hand prints and foot prints with the date you made it so they can remember it always). Have fun with it!
Above all, just pick up throughout the day. Don't let the mess build up. Don't let the child go to bed until their room is clean. Make it a post dinner habit to clean the toys up. Things will be SO. MUCH. EASIER!!!
Good luck!
Above all, just pick up throughout the day. Don't let the mess build up. Don't let the child go to bed until their room is clean. Make it a post dinner habit to clean the toys up. Things will be SO. MUCH. EASIER!!!
Good luck!
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