HELP! I can't handle all our toys anymore, I need help decluttering!!!

[~Trish~]

I'm on the verge of a panic attack as I type this. We have SOOOO many toys in our house it's just ridiculous. Only a few weeks ago I filled a big box full of them for the op shop. You really wouldn't know now, it's like our toys have multiplied overnight! Arrrgh, I'm not coping with them, I don't know how to handle it!

I have trouble dealing with things like this, I have a bit of an Aspy brain and the stress of all of this clutter gives me panic attacks and I can't see clearly how I should deal with it. I thought I HAD dealt with the problem by culling heaps of them, but then the boys had their birthdays recently (a day apart) and all three kids have had some early Christmas presents from family we won't see on the day. Oh no...more toys are coming soon....

HELP, HELP, I'm drowning! I just sat down a few minutes ago to our overflowing toy box to re-sort them, but I seriously don't know where to start any more. How do I deal with toys that were gifts from people? I feel bad giving them away. I also have trouble deciding which ones to cull. How many toys do we really need? Why do I find it hard to part with some when we have so many?

Some toys I put into my shop (attached to my house) to sell, but the kids find them and bring them back inside . I also buy some toys from people (for my business) and the kids take a liking to them and they end up added to our collection. Arrrgh!

Man, I must sound like a crazy woman .

But I'm seriously in panic mode, I don't know where to start and therefore I sit here doing nothing. Not good! I am getting so sick and tired of the house looking trashed because a thousand toys have been pulled out (and none of them really played with for longer than 30 seconds).

Please help, I don't know how you can help through the Internet LOL, but please help anyway!

[Miss.September]

Do you have access to roof space? Might make you feel a little less guilty if you can put the toys you've received as gifts into storage tubs and into the roof.

[~Lashes~]

im in the same situation! i just recently got rid of 7 garbage bags full, that they either never played with, were damaged or i just got sick of picking up everyday! its not easy, it took me months to work up to be able to get rid of that much! im the same with ones that are gifts, my mum bought the kids a rocking toy each, so we have 2 rocking horses and a rocking car, that id told her not to in the forst place, im planing on getting rid of them, we just dont have the room.
it can be done! sort threw and anything you have to think about, or turn your nose up, get rid of! sounds simple but i never thought of it untill it was pointed out to me! also helps if there asleep as they always want to play with them when your trying to sort, then you think "oh but there playing with it"!!
good luck!!

[feeb]

I need to do this too. I put a heap away a few months ago and DS1 found them and brought all back thru again grrrrrrrrrr.

Its hard as I do the whole ohh they play with that a bit or DS2 will want to use that soon hes getting to that age etc etc

[maz]

Store front - get some plastic tubs hun and get DH to put a shelf up in your office....then when the toy's come in you can put them in the plastic tubs and place them on the shelves out of the reach of little hands

Home front - dont worry about who you recived them from....if its not used get rid of it. Pop up a thread on FB and ask people if they want to buy any of the toy's, you'll be committed to then having to get rid of them rather then holding onto them.

[~Trish~]

Thanks for your reply PRMG! We do have roof space in our garage, but I really think we need to make a clean break from these toys! It's not a bad idea though...if we don't miss those toys after 12 months I could just take them directly to the op shop (without opening the box and being tempted to keep them LOL!) .

Sarah - You sound like me! You're right it's so hard to sort them with the kids around. We have so many ride on toys, it's crazy! They take up so much room. Well done on getting rid of 7 garbage bags full!

Feeb - I hear you on, "I should keep that for the younger one to play with when they get older". Gah!

Maz - Loving your thinking! Yep, I think the toys need to be kept out of reach in the shop. It's hard because I need them to be on display for people to buy them, but I think I'll give it a shot. The FB idea is great, but I'm not as popular as you and don't know how much luck I'd have selling them LOL!

I'm starting to wonder if I should just choose a few toys to keep and then close my eyes and get rid of the rest?

[Rowellen]

If you feel bad about giving away a toy because it was a gift - take a photo of it. Then get rid of it. That way - toy is gone but memory is not. Fact is, kids outgrow their toys. So it should be expected that they won't be kept forever. If they are especially valuable, ask the giver if they want it back.

You could get the kids involved too. Ask them to give away toys for charity so they can learn the joy of doing a good deed. Give them a quota - you must give away 5 toys.

Anything broken - goes regardless of who gave it or whether someone thinks it could be fixed.

And introduce a new rule - anything in the shop does not leave the shop!

HTH & GL

[Rowellen]

I'm starting to wonder if I should just choose a few toys to keep and then close my eyes and get rid of the rest?

You posted while I was typing That is a brilliant idea and could work!

Another thought - if you find yourself thinking you should keep older kids toys for younger kids - get rid of it. They'll only be given more for presents down the track.

[Phteven]

Get 3 tubs and ask your children to fill one tub each with the toys they want to keep. You can guide them a little in the process - encourage them to keep the leggo and chuck the battery operated stuff
Then take the rest to charity. I throw out nearly all the toys that MIL gives us because they are rubbishy junk. I don't feel guilty about chucking them. I figure she should feel guilty about filling my home with plastic that is bound for landfill. DH and I are thinking of asking our families to stop giving toys as gifts. Clothes, books and money will be fine lol.
Anything still in the box could go to those trees they have at K-mart, target etc for underprivileged families.
We cull pretty often so now the boys are used to the concept of their toys going to people who don't have any. I try to keep it to 2 boxes plus a few big pieces so when we get toys in other toys go out.

[Beach Mama]

I think anyone who gives toys knows that they will be outgrown hun. I recently did the same and was reading a Montessori website about what kids need and the answer is, very little. Mine have their trains out right now, dolls with strollers, access to blocks and that is it. They are happy with those and because they are outside so much with summer right now they don't need so much.

Go through everything and throw out anything broken or from maccas etc.
Box up anything that you aren't sure about and put it away in a rotation box for 4 mths time or so.
Give away the rest to salvos and get the kids to help.
You will find it liberating for you, you will free up the clutter and space for you and the kids don't get so overwhelmed by the stuff around them(that is my experience anyway!) my book Organized Simplicity has really helped. I do it with everything,even at the shops now - I ask, is this thing USEFUL? Is this thing beautiful to me or us? If the answer is no then it goes or doesn't get bought.

Good luck hun and I hope you can sort it out relatively panic free

[Rowellen]

Another thought - I really should get all my thoughts together before posting lol - is: Don't feel like you have to do it all at once. Do one box at a time. Or just half an hour a day until it's done. Whatever works for you. Where to start - at the first box you see.

The rotation box that Tanstar mentioned is a great idea too. I do that for my DS. He rediscovers toys that he was previously bored with and they last a lot longer.

[~Trish~]

Rowellen - Thanks so much for all of your suggestions! I think you're right, I need to pace myself. I tend to get overwhelmed by everything and find it hard to break it down to manageable "pieces".

Onyx - I'm loving your tub for each child suggestion! I'm not sure how they'd go choosing only certain toys to keep, but it's worth a shot. I have to learn to let go a bit I think, I tend to need to feel in control of things like that and I end up telling them what they'd want haha! Oh, and my MIL is a shocker for giving way too many toys. Last Christmas she gave us two of everything so the "boys won't fight over them". It was crazy! I really would love to make a rule of no toys for Christmas, but I know she'd buy them anyway...

Tanstar - Thanks for the reassurance. I agree, kids don't need all that much. Outside, give them some fresh air and a stick and they'll play happily for hours . Our most played with toys are definitely blocks, a train set, a tea set and a little stroller. I wish I had it in me to just get rid of everything else! That book sounds like something I need to read, I really struggle with clutter from time to time. I find it so hard to give things up!

Thank you ALL so much for your replies and helping me to make sense of the situation! I know it sounds crazy, but I have been feeling panicky and tense all day about it. My brain doesn't cope too well with things like this. I had trouble finding words for DS1 earlier I was in such a panicked state! You have all helped make me feel calmer and able to tackle this toy situation!

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

I was going to suggest the tub for each child aswell, they can pick their favorite things and then tell them things NOT in that tub will be going to kids who need them.
You can take them to the op shop or sell them on e-bay or through friends on FB etc.

I've also started mentioning to people that we are NOT doing many toys for our girls, if they ask and it's something educational that will last then thats fine but we don't want the little itsy bits that will get used once and never again.

The best advice if someone asks what to get your LO's don't say oh whatever.. don't be afraid to say you know what i'd love some BOOKS or PENCILS etc etc.

[~Hestia~]

Thanks for posting this Trish! Though I've only the one at the moment, this has given me HEAPS of ideas

[sangie]

I'm so glad its not just me, I swear our toys multiply overnight!

Thanks for this thread Trish, heaps of good ideas here. I've started culling our toys and I've recently bought some tubs so I can rotate too. I've filled up one garbage bag this week and I'm planning on more before the weekend. My motto has become 'if in doubt, chuck it' (or donate it if its in good condition!)

You can do it! Good luck xo

[shellbell3]

I remember one day getting fed up with toys and got tough when the kids were in bed. I was like you felt bad about getting rid gifts etc but in the end I thought no I HAVE to do this. I got everything together made a throw out pile, a donate pile and keep pile.
Anything broken or pieces missing gone, crappy little cheap toys gone, I did keep a few sentimental stuff put them away.
Told the kids next day that there are children who don't have any toys at all and therefore we're sharing ours.