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monalisa
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 1:01am | IP Logged
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Spent all day going thru "the CLOSET"- that area in the
playroom/ schoolroom where everything ends up. I have been having a bad week which makes me really relentless when decluttering. We have generous family/ friends, but everyone wants to give junky, plastic, and/ or electronic toys. I am so sick of wasting space on our nice shelves... I basically am giving a huge garbage bag away full of plactic toys, cheap stuffed animals, little THINGS, etc.
I mean, we have a beautiful, montessori-style playroom with many useful, truly educational and fun toys for the kiddos to use.
My current method is: let ds open all gifts and play with them. Wait for them to get old. Put them away. Spend a day going through "the CLOSET" and sorting the good from the bad. I only keep things with redeeming educational value. I'm heartless. DS doesn't even notice. As long as the wooden blocks don't disappear... We did say no gifts on ds's last Bday- which resulted in only half the usual presents-LOL!
Does anyone have a method for keeping their home free of distracting junk (that you don't have room for anyway, right?)? Soon ds will be old enough to know when I am purging our house of worthless toys, and he will not like it. He does so love the cars that talk...
When I look at everyone's blogs and consider all the materials I want to use over the years, I realize I will have to curb the number of "toys" each child can have around. Montessori was herself in favor of this. But how do you all do it?
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Kathryn UK
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 1:59am | IP Logged
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What has worked well for us is picking a type of toy that we particularly like that comes in many different sets and requesting that for birthdays and Christmas. We opted for Playmobil and now have a wonderful collection.
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Erin
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 2:18am | IP Logged
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Monalisa
Could you 'suggest' to family what you would like? I don't allow plasticy gimmicky toys in our house nor brand name things much either. I have always stressed to close family that I would like more eductional type toys. Family not so close don't often buy so I don't bother too much as I don't want to alienate them.
Perhaps you could say before the birthday, "If your trying to think of ideas for .... he is really enjoying crafts and lego at the moment. Or he is wanting to collect the magic tree house books," or something along these lines.
It would seem disappointing to me to waste all that money and not buy something decent. Or perhaps you could suggest that they all put in and buy something bigger. Last Christmas my siblings put in and bought my dc a trampoline.
Your problem is not going to go away, and it seems such a waste to let all f you could somehow let them know your 'new' toy policy whilst still being polite and tactful. If it can't be done what you are doing works. could you take some of them back without a docket if unopened? and then swap for something more usable?
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 9:02am | IP Logged
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I was finally able to convince my family of the merits of "less is more" by reminding them that I have a small space with lots of little ones who are not mine running around, and have many "things" already because of taking care of other people's children. I actually packed things up in boxes and bags, took them to my mother's house - very kindly letting her know that we just didn't have room for all these bits and pieces, and so I thought these could be the toys the kids play with at grandma's house.
I also send out e-mails to the aunts and grandparents about my son's current interests - so they know where he's going with his interests and possible future interests. They themselves finally started asking, "What would you recommend?" and my mother caused my heart to stop when she actually asked for a list of suggestions a little over a year ago (she hates lists, and she hates suggestions) - but her gifts have all been absolutely perfect additions since then, and I emphasize this by sending pictures of my son using the new item - weeks later, even.
His birthday party is tomorrow and he's finally getting a nice wooden paint/chalkboard/dry-erase easel and a small sized guitar (not the kiddy plastic ones, but a nice instrument with nice sounds) - my mother and three sisters pitched in together to get him these two things, along with a set of paints and chalk to go with the easel. With the couple of little Montessori-type things I bought him, this is as much as a three year old needs, and after a similarly simple Christmas, the family has finally seen that my son enjoys more the things he has, when they are few but nice, and we are able to enjoy each other's company, unencumbered by lots of stuff all around.
It's been a long up-hill battle though...
Good luck!
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Meredith
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 10:24am | IP Logged
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We have been very bold and asked for specific gifts for the dc for birthdays, name days, Christmas, etc and it has been met with joy as they know the children will truly enjoy and use the items. That being said, we have a plethora of unused items at any given time that need regular purging. It just can't be helped.
I have also been trying very hard to limit the items on each of our shelves and to rotate them and to keep them fresh.
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Dawnie
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 10:32am | IP Logged
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Hey Maureen!
We are planning to start a mutual fund for the children's future college education. We're going to tell the grandparents & aunts and uncles about it and request money for the mutual fund. I think the grandparents will probably like this idea, but I know that some people will still want to have a tangible gift to give our children on bdays and Christmases...ask me more about this later in person if you want to know more...
You know that this issue causes me a lot of heartburn, too. Right now, we have a big basement play area where I keep all the dc's toys. I only allow a certain number of things out at one time, the rest are kept in a locked supply room closet. And even though I've culled through the toys several times and had garage sales and given away things to charity, there is still TOO MUCH. But the children really like everything that's left...I don't have the heart to get rid of half their baby dolls and dress up clothes!
I have a list of books I'd like the dc to have. Last year, Grandma bought The Little House Cookbook, The Little House Craft Book, and a hardcover edition of On The Shores of Silver Lake for the girls' birthdays. 
I'm also going to send out a list of classes (and their cost) to relatives this year. I'd like to sign my 3 older girls up for swim lessons this summer...there's an art class I'm interested in for Mary Beth...and Mary Beth and Anna are currently taking dance lessons. That stuff gets expensive. My dad gave all the girls cash for Christmas...I spent Anna's on dance lessons and the clothes and shoes for the dance lessons...then I made sure to tell my dad what I spent the money on and thank him for making that possible.
I also tell everyone what sizes the girls are wearing so that they can buy clothes or shoes for them.
It's a lot harder when the dc are older....they want to keep EVERYTHING.
So basically, I try to come up with ideas that AREN'T toys for relatives when bdays and Christmas comes around...those two occassions is where most of the plastic, gimicky stuff comes from.
Dawn
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PDyer
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 10:43am | IP Logged
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Meredith wrote:
| We have been very bold and asked for specific gifts for the dc for birthdays, name days, Christmas, etc and it has been met with joy as they know the children will truly enjoy and use the items. |
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Oh what a blessing it would be to be able to make suggestions and have them received with joy! 
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MaryMary
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| Posted: April 13 2007 at 11:31am | IP Logged
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As far as curbing the number of toys around, maybe you could consider asking relatives to purchase only ONE item that all your children could use or share. If relatives get offended at your suggestions for what to buy, maybe they won't be offended when you ask them to buy LESS. This could mean a series of books, an easel, a game or something the whole family could enjoy...
Just my two cents 
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Karen T
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 6:50pm | IP Logged
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MaryMary wrote:
As far as curbing the number of toys around, maybe you could consider asking relatives to purchase only ONE item that all your children could use or share. If relatives get offended at your suggestions for what to buy, maybe they won't be offended when you ask them to buy LESS. This could mean a series of books, an easel, a game or something the whole family could enjoy...
Just my two cents |
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that's a great idea. However, I can't even convince my MIL just to buy one item for each child! Usually she gives them each 3-5 things for each birthday and Christmas. And she refuses to consider books or clothing as "real" gifts, so often those are in addition to the presents. She's very dear, and their only grandparent left, but I wish I could get her to listen!
Karen
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helene
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| Posted: April 14 2007 at 7:58pm | IP Logged
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I let my kids have a drawer or bin or box for personal treasures (older kids only, who must clean them out regularly), but beyond that everything is subject to being thrown out or donated after a while of taking up valuable space in our home. When asked for gift ideas I ask for books or clothing (which are VERY MUCH appreciated by the children by the way!) and I don't let the toybox in the playroom get overgrown. I especially clean it out before Christmas and Easter (at night after bedtime). But nobody lets me get rid of those stuffed animals!!!! We have a million and each has a loving name and story behind it that everyone remembers (except me)...AAARRRGGGHH!!
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: How do you deal with toy clutter?
