AIBU to chuck out toys?

[SidSparrow]

Toys... I have a 2 year old, a 10 month old, a small flat and (what I feel is) an abundance of toys, which rarely get played with.

I feel terrible throwing them out. Riddled with guilt - what if they're not playing with them now but will play with them later? But so and so bought them that... Am I being mean? etc etc

I hate clutter and I feel I am forever picking up bits of toys and puzzles and putting them back together only for them to be thrown about later. And I mean thrown because rarely do they play with them in the way they are intended. My 2 year old prefers doing what mummy does and the 10 month old plays with anything, like a potato masher, or anything that isn't a toy really.

We don't have the space - I'm forver organising and sorting (and looking for a bigger house). It's Christmas soon and I have tried to be thoughtful in what I buy for them, but I learned yesterday that the grandparents have upstaged Santa ( I'll have a stern word before next year).

So, do I just have a good clear out? How do other people handle the constant onslaught of toys?

YANBU. I always sort out toys near Christmas and donate good ones to charity, sell some and any that are too battered go to the tip. Cannot keep everything. They won’t realise it’s gone half the time!

I have a clear out twice a year - before birthday and Christmas - to make space for the new toys he's going to get.

I throw away anything that has pieces missing, broken bits, and stuff that he's not interested in anymore. I wouldn't worry about them missing any toy, they are quite fickle at that age!

No not at all, every year I have a really good sort out around this time.
I used to go round and siphon off anything un-played with and keep it on hold in the attic to see if they noticed, for a few weeks (after a meltdown of chucking something "vital") when they were young and really unreasonable.
But I don't lie or do it on the quiet anymore, kids need to learn that in order to get new, something old has to be given up. They are good about it now, they understand that we don't have endless space.

Maybe too late for this year but I prefer to give one or two more expensive toys at Christmas/Birthdays rather than lots of little things (not crazy expensive, things like a bike or big lego set).

Otherwise (in non coronavirus times) I used to sell at nearly new sales a lot. I'm not very sentimental about things though.

I sell toys and kids clothes at car boot sales. Could you give them away in a bundle on Freecycle or Facebook. Bit of a waste to put them in the bin.

@Bananalanacake Oh will definitely clean them up and give them to a charity shop.

Thanks for the replies. Yes!! I feel a bit more prepared to do a big clean out.

I advertise for free on facebook freecycle or similar and get rid of quickly.
I hate all the crapola that kids accumulate. We have a big soft toy problem and I can't wait till they can be cut loose.

YANBU to have a clear out of things, a cluttered house is bad for mental health.

However...

YABU to throw them out, assuming they are still in quite good condition - a charity shop or someone who hasn't got a great deal of money may benefit from them, maybe put them on gumtree or fb group? Our school are doing a collection of pre-loved toys to pass on to families who are struggling.

Have a big clear out. You can often pass things on through local Facebook groups etc or depending on where you are, a free app called Young Planet is brilliant.

I’m in the midst of doing this and feel so much better

Oh, I apologize. I.ve just seen your post saying you are passing them on to a charity shop. Then, YANBU.