Toys, toys, toys… Everywhere we look, toys! Exciting to kids, not so much for us adults. We appreciate that our kids are so loved but there comes a time when cleaning out is a must. There isn’t another crevice to cram something in. If only there was a way to clean up toys with ease and keep it under control for good! Don’t worry there is and I’m going to tell you exactly how to keep toys under control.
Playroom organization is key to maintaining a calm environment in your home. Not to mention the act of cleaning out is not only necessary but a wonderful lesson, in itself, for our kids. We don’t just clean out periodically for the sake of our sanity; there is so much benefit waiting on the other side of that donate pile.
I wish this process could happen once a year, but the reality is, it is most beneficial when done twice a year, not to mention easier to maintain. Once in June right after school lets out setting up a clean and clear space for the kids as everyone is starting into summer, and again in late November or early December to prepare for the holiday season.
It is the perfect routine to clean up toys and keep messes under control!
I know it’s time when I start to fell panic-y, anxious, and uneasy while in my kid’s rooms or their playroom. My kids start stacking things up in tall piles or clean up time looks more like they pushed everything to outside edges of the room with a shovel. Christmas, birthdays, a Tuesday, it doesn’t really matter.
Clean it up!
It happens to all of us, new toys appear but where do we put them?!? When this happens it is best to get to it and get it done! When it is all complete then comes the most rewarding part, donating. There is almost always more life left in what we are letting go of, and it is the best feeling to know we are going to tame some crazy around our house while passing along something greatly needed to someone else. It’s a win/win!
I never want to leave someone without the “how-to” process to get a job done. I tend to make things too complicated all too often, and sometimes a little simplicity passed along transforms a daunting task into “totally doable”. Like so many other projects of cleaning out, it always pretty much follows the same process. We are keeping it, donating it, or trashing it. (In some cases, it makes sense to store it).
Here’s how I do it:
-Bring a big trash bag to the area (I have a huge gray trash can I bring in, that way I can throw things from across the room… Way more time efficient J)
–Trash what has no life left to give
-Make a pile of donations and keep items
-place the keep items back into your space in an organized manner
-take your kids and drop off the things that get a new home
It makes our heart happy that our kids are loved so, but there comes a time when all those toys and items are more of a hindrance than a blessing.
As parents, we are always looking for ways to better control the chaos and manage our household. Kids stand to learn some life-altering behaviors and lessons like, less is more, the excess is better served to help others, and of course, the feel goods that come with helping and giving to those that need it more.
At the end of the day cleaning out and donating is such a rewarding activity that the whole family can get into. There is no denying it. There really isn’t a downside. It is a win for everyone.
How do you deal with kid clutter and the need to clean up toys? If you donate items when you clean out where do you take them?
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