If you’re a parent like me, then chances are you battle the same beast that I do on a regular basis. Clutter! I swear, my boys have enough papers, toys, books, mismatched socks, and old coloring books to fill up a bunker. And why is it that the second I try and go through and organize or get rid of something old is the exact moment they realize that giraffe with only one eye is their favorite stuffed animal and they’d be devastated to part with it?!
A couple of months ago I couldn’t stand it anymore and I decided we were going to go through as a family, start cleaning out toys and pack them up for Goodwill. Instead of tantrums and arguing over what would go, the boys were really into the idea. They liked the fact that we all worked on the project together and it seemed easier to convince them to let things go when they knew another little kid might get some use out of their old toy. As we make our way into the new year I thought I’d share some of my tips for cleaning out toys, a worthy endeavor, especially since they just got a bunch of new ones for the holidays.
1. Work as a Team: It took us the better part of a Saturday to clean out all three boys closets and toy chests as well as our own (closet that is). My boys liked that it was a group activity and they helped with everything from sorting through clothing to finding toys we hadn’t used in a while.
2. Assign Jobs: Everyone had a job and it made the boys feel special to carry out their task. Sawyer (6) was in charge of getting us a new trash bag every time one was full. Jackson (7) helped to fill the bags. I went through the drawers for clothing and Daddy loaded up the car with all the items we were giving away. Ford, well, he’s two, so he mostly played with a pile of mismatched socks… but he was there for moral support!
3. Be Ruthless: In your cleaning I mean. I honestly do this kind of thing once a year so I need to be a little hardcore about what we get rid of. If they can’t remember the last time they played with it, we seriously consider whether or not we need it in the house.
4. Don’t Forget Your Friends: When I went through the boys clothes I had a bag that said “Goodwill” and one that said “Miles” and “Grayson”. Miles and Grayson are baby boys we know who are younger than Ford so I made sure and put his clothes that would fit his friends in a bag before I considered it for Goodwill. Maybe not all your friends would be open to it but I LOVE when someone gives my boys hand-me-downs and most of my friends feel the same way.
5. Bring Them Along for the Ride: Not only did the boys pack up stuff with us but they went to do the drop off at Goodwill too. Afterwards we took them into the store and explained how the donations help in the community. We did this same things when we dropped off items from our canned food drive recently. I hope that exposing them to the idea of donating from a young age will encourage the practice when they’re adults.
Now that you’re done cleaning out toys, click HERE to see how to help the kids keep them organized.
