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Original poster

Christmas with children - bloody hell!

39 replies

PrincessFionasShoe · 30/12/2019 18:50

This is my first Christmas as a parent and fucking hell, what am I meant to do with all these gifts?!

I don’t want to sound ungrateful but my living room looks like Smyths Toys competitor and I’m honestly at a loss as what to do with it all. And she’s only 6 months old!!

We asked everyone who said they were getting her a gift to get books, we ended up with about 50 of the things and then they got her something else too, because ‘a book didn’t seem like enough’.

Lovely, really lovely, and she got some great stuff but HOW DO YOU ALL DO IT?! Where does it go?!

I’m just getting round to moving it all now, as I’ve had the worst cold of my life over Christmas so this may be coming into play with my attitude Confused

Off to amazon to buy a toy box!

OP posts:
Lazydaisydaydream · 30/12/2019 18:54

Just wait until her birthday Grin

Sorry not helpful. In the meantime find somewhere completely out of the way to store everything and then rotate which toys you get out. We've found kids play much better when there are fewer toys. Any toys that she's not bothered with when you get them out, pass them onto a friend/local charity Etc.

flowerycurtain · 30/12/2019 18:56

I put half of it in a present box to be passed on at birthday parties, the toy service at church etc.

blackteaplease · 30/12/2019 18:58

Regifting or charity shop. I have 3 kids and we are drowning in toys and books

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Wildorchidz · 30/12/2019 18:58

I would donate at least half of the pile to refuges, playgroups etc

patchworkelephant123 · 30/12/2019 19:00

I put toys in a toy box and rotate the toys, find he plays much more nicely and is far more interested if he has less choice

Mylittlepony374 · 30/12/2019 19:01

Charity shop. My kids have 13 aunties/uncles, all of whom would buy them plastic toys every birthday & Christmas. Our house is tiny and we just do not have the space. They're also very small (under 3) so really only need a cardboard box and some pots/spoons to be entertained. It was ridiculous so I asked everyone to get books or clothes only. They kept buying toys. So I took them all to the charity shop and told the uncles/aunties I did. It sounds horrible and ungrateful but really it was so wasteful, 50+ plastic toys a year that were never played with.
Now, if they want to give a gift they deposit money in to their bank accounts (putting their name as reference) or all chip in to one big thing e.g.they got a trampoline recently.

Dipsydoodle · 30/12/2019 19:01

We are building an extension so she has a playroom and we can reclaim our living room! Sorry not much help but I know the feeling! There's so much stuff... and it gets flung everywhere!

icantfind · 30/12/2019 19:01

Save stuff to regift At parties. Put some in the loft and rotate them around. The Kallax storage from IKEA stores a lot.

MrsMozartMkII · 30/12/2019 19:03

Oh you have so many years of this Grin Xmas Grin

I used to store older and unused toys, etc., in the attic, then it'd be a trip to the charity shop or the local hospital.

Pegase · 30/12/2019 19:04

Yes it is really difficult. We have finally got people to start buying some experiences / clothes etc not just toy after toy and DD is 6! Funnily enough nobody buys her books but we know that now so buy her those ourselves

Fluffycloudland77 · 30/12/2019 19:07

First baby in the family?.

Saltdoughmuncher · 30/12/2019 19:08

I have found you have to be really specific with relatives about present buying. At first I worried about sounding rude but we just ended up with so much stuff it was ridiculous. This year we asked for some tableware for the baby (just weaning so needs bits) and then money towards an annual pass to a local day out for our 3 year old.

CuteOrangeElephant · 30/12/2019 19:11

Agree with @saltdoughmuncher.

I've gone really specific this year for my two year old and it's paid off. She's got some lovely gifts that we didn't even have to make space for.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 30/12/2019 19:12

I put half in the shed or loft and rotate every 6 months. Toys that seem unpopular with him get donated to nursery or charity shop

Original poster
PrincessFionasShoe · 30/12/2019 19:16

Some great ideas here. Will definitely be some regifting and donating going on.

At the moment the only thing she’s interested in is a £5 ring stack Grin so will be doing the rotate.

Thanks for the tip on Ikea storage icantfind

And yes, Fluffy on my side anyway.

OP posts:
RhymingRabbit3 · 30/12/2019 19:17

Next year when people ask give a specific thing you would like (we use dreamlist or amazon wishlist) or ask for a contribution towards a bigger item or pass.
We spent a while explaining to everyone to please only get one present as we didnt have the space.
If you have many similar things e.g. 5 shape sorters, I dont see the harm in giving them to a children's charity or charity shop or play group. Especially if you made it clear to people to please just get a book and they took it on themselves to get extra.

Original poster
PrincessFionasShoe · 30/12/2019 19:51

Well we will have a test run of the specific lists for her birthday because I honestly don’t think she will ever get through it all!

Lots of clothes, books and such I can put to use, but lots that she will never play with!

OP posts:
Hovverry · 30/12/2019 20:08

Your child may unaccountably love a plastic monstrosity and ignore the good wooden toys from Granny. Children have their own favourites so let her choose before you throw out all the tat.

DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 30/12/2019 20:09

Just you wait OP. We've got a sodding great electric car blocking off half the kitchen. When we suggested to the donor they might like to keep it for when he visits, "but your house is bigger than ours". Grrr.

Elbeagle · 30/12/2019 20:10

I have three of them (children that is), including a baby who also has his first birthday next week.
We might need to buy a bigger house 😩.

Cookit · 30/12/2019 20:11

It’s awful, it just makes me want to cry when I look at all the stuff destined for landfill.

This year I keep mentioning in passing to relatives (more a hint hint at them) that I only buy plastic second hand now and that we have too much stuff... but some people still persist.

Some stuff from Christmas I discretely set aside before anyone could see it and it’ll go to the charity shop next week.

Elbeagle · 30/12/2019 20:12

I asked for clothes in the next size up for the baby for Christmas (being our third there isn’t a toy we don’t already own).
Everyone bought clothes... and a toy. Because they thought clothes looked boring!

Babybel90 · 30/12/2019 21:14

Some go to one side to be regifted as birthday party presents, some to charity shops and some into a toy box for a later day. You have to either have regular clear outs or buy a bigger house.

Littleshortcake · 30/12/2019 21:19

I have two dc and yes the sheet volume of toys can take over. However as they get older the stiff gets smaller (i.e. lego).
That said I didn't open a lot and have put in the garage for next year's toy appeal or for regifting. A lot to be said for vouchers for soft play etc. No clutter.

Littleshortcake · 30/12/2019 21:25

Sheer

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