Toy clutter..

Toy clutter, how do you deal with it? Bits of Lego, toy cars and random plastic toys which seem to gather in corners of your home or car and catch you quite by surprise. What started off as “a couple of toy cars” is now resembling a toy car shop, and I think we could probably build something palatial from LEGO!

I’ve always tried to encourage the children to put their toys away, but this isn’t really about not putting things away, and more to do with the huge amount of general crap they have. I feel quite ashamed that they have so many things. I’ve started thinking about it all and concluded that if they had less things, they would be more careful with them. So, my plan is to have a huge clear out.

Actually, I’ve been clearing out for a little while. I’ve made the charity shop drop off part of my weekly routine. However, I struggle to know what I should be getting rid of, as there are lots that they do actively play with. For example, I decided to give away the wooden railway set which is now rarely played with, but then suddenly it is being played with daily..

I wish that I could just stop the clutter before it begins, and I know the only way to do that is to be ruthless and insist on the one in one out rule. But I’ve never worked out how that rule works when it comes to Christmas and Birthday’s? Do you pre-emptively cull toys? Or wait until they get a new toy and then insist that an old toy needs to be gone? Also, what about party bag tat? Should I pointedly refuse to let the children have it at all? Or let them play with the tat for a week or two before helping it find the way out (and into the bin..).

I often wonder about friends I know who have marvellously well organised homes, and a distinct lack of clutter. Do they genuinely have no clutter? If so how on earth have they managed that and would they share their secret?! Or do they have the equivalent to a man drawer for all the children’s crap where they just dump it all in a kind of “out of sight out of mind” method?!

So until I figure it all out, I guess little piles of clutter will continue to be found on my car seat, under the table and just about everywhere else…so if you have any de-cluttering toy tips let me know!