to get rid of a load of my kids' toys?

[snottagecheese]

They have so much STUFF, but hardly play with any of it. DS (3) only ever plays with his train set and his cars and diggers, and DD (7) spends most of her time reading, drawing, making things out of cardboard and playing with her vast collection of soft toys. Meanwhile our living room looks like a bomb's gone off in a soft play. I'm thinking of having a big clear-out as I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by so much clutter, and wondering where the adult space is in the house. Obviously I'll keep the things I know they like but I honestly don't think they'll miss a lot of it.

The thing is, I feel guilty - am I just being mean and OCD and should let them keep it all until they've well and truly grown out of it? But then I think of some of their friends, a couple of DD's in particular who have very limited space at home and therefore not a huge number of toys, etc, and it's not as if they've ever seemed to be missing out on anything. One of them is the most imaginative kid I've ever met - maybe because she's not had loads of stuff. So: can I get rid? Or do I just need to suck it up?

[AlwaysDancing1234]

Do the one month test. Shove the toys in a cupboard or at a relative/friends house for a month. If DC don't miss or ask about toys in that time you can then sell/donate as appropriate.

[squoosh]

You have to start getting rid of some stuff, they're only going to keep acquiring more and more. I'd send the stuff they won't miss off to charity shop.

[snottagecheese]

Oh god no! I was planning to do it while they're at school/nursery

[FreedomMummy]

I was going to say what watching did. Hide what you want to get rid of and then if it's not asked for you can confidently get rid.
It may have to be a long term project!

[snottagecheese]

I meant that for Derek, btw.

[JessesGirl]

Have you got space somewhere else in the house to box up the stuff they don't play with rather than get rid of it? I find it better to rotate the toys my dts have out every couple of months. They feel like they have 'new' toys to play with and I'm only left with manageable amounts of clutter.

[EverySongbirdSays]

Yeah do the 1-2 month test, bag a load of stuff up and if it isnt asked for it isn't missed or wanted, go for the junkiest, most plasticky etc

[Moomintroll85]

When I was little my mum would ask me every so often to decide on a few toys I didn't want anymore to pass on to children who didn't have much. I used to like choosing some things to give away. Appreciate it may not work with all kids and ages but I'm planning on trying it with my DS when he's old enough to understand the concept.

[loresho]

Moomin I did this with my DD - she's 2 and a bit. I asked her if she wanted to give her baby toys (which she'd outgrown) to babies who don't have toys and we went through it all together. There were a few things that she didn't want to give away, so we kept those, but we ended up giving away loads.