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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be considering throwing away most of dd's toys?

19 replies

notoverit · 19/04/2009 10:03

I am moving out of my flat and into my mums house with her. I have got so much stuff to take adn there is not alot of space for it all and we are going to be so crammed in.

Dd has got so many toys but lots of them are stupid little bits and things she has had from when she was a baby, but if she comes across them she will happily play with them. But they are not her faviourate toys.

I'm not sure if I should just take all the toys that she does not play with most days to the charity shop?

I hate moving any other tips for good storage ideas welcome, as I am trying to squeezea flats worth of belongings into a bedroom...

OP posts:

giraffesCantRunA10k · 19/04/2009 10:05

YANBU keep the favourites, but other wise its just clutter.

giraffesCantRunA10k · 19/04/2009 10:05

Oh and maybe have a look at some good storae solutions for the toys you do keep.

Numberfour · 19/04/2009 10:17

i have the same thing in my home. i am a childminder so there are lots of toys almost everywhere. but there is also a lot of junk. as soon as i make a move towards it, DS wants to play with it.

I chucked out an old glow stick about a month ago. Two weeks later: "mummy, where's my glow stick??"

I am getting better at chucking out rubbish and notoeverit, you may also find it as liberating as I do.

the Really Useful Boxes are great. have a look at those.

PaulaMummyKnowsBest · 19/04/2009 12:57

how old is your DD?

I get my children to sort out their own toys

I tell them to throw away the rubbish ones and we freecycle the good ones.

My children are 10, 8 and 5 but have been doing their own toy sorting for many years. That way, I'm not throwing out their favourite toys.

Original poster

notoverit · 19/04/2009 13:01

DD is 21 months, but I have been asking her should I put this in the bin? and she says bin, even to the toys she does like...

I think she is too young to decide right now.

OP posts:

Natt82 · 19/04/2009 14:48

we routinely go through the boys toys and donate to the hospital/charity shop/freecycle/bin.

Storage wise, we have these three tier things from Wilkos - plastic boxes that pull out, but stack in this frame thing - great for clothes, toys, bathroom bits - we have them all over our house, its the only way of tidying my clutter :-)

kickassangel · 19/04/2009 14:57

i do a big sort out when dd is in bed, i know what she like most, and there are no tears if she sees things going. at that age out of sight is out of mind, apart from faves

womblingfree · 19/04/2009 16:53

It's a bugger - I tend to let my mum loose on DD's toys when she comes round. She bags up a load that she thinks haven't been used, OK's it with me and then takes them back to her place for a week or two. If DD doesn't ask for them during that time they go to the charity shop.

You could apply the same principle just sticking the toys in the loft or somewhere else your LO is unlikely to find them.

bubblagirl · 19/04/2009 17:07

i just re done my ds room and free cycled most of his room and started again in tubs no toys unless they fit in the tubs if gets too much and have no storage then we free cycle again but i like my ds to have at least 6 mths out of his toys first so bday and xmas we have clear out the favorites stay in 1 tub then we have 2 more tubs stacked on top for other bits

JiminyCricket · 19/04/2009 17:09

I have just put loads in the loft for selling or giving away sometime. They play with their dolls, and dd2 plays with a few other bits and bobs, they like lots of books and puzzles etc otherwise its just clutter. Today they played all day in the house and garden with: a glass to catch bugs, a paddling pool, a clothes basket with cushions and dolls in, two sticks (which they made into flags), several large pieces of paper which they used to draw round themselves, and chalk to draw outside.

Tryharder · 19/04/2009 17:13

I regularly freecycle/give away my DSs' toys. Most of them come from freecycle or charity shops in the first place though.

WinkyWinkola · 19/04/2009 17:23

Talk to your HV. She'll know loads of families who'd really appreciate the toys.

I'm just having a clear out now.

squilly · 19/04/2009 17:29

I sometimes get dd (8) to ebay her old toys, if they're worth the effort.

I let her choose what she's selling, photograph it and then we watch the bids come in before bed on a Sunday night. Or I'll tell her what the bids are in before she goes to bed, then surprise her on Monday morning with what they finished on.

Any cash she makes she can use to spend on new toys. It's in the vain hope that she'll learn about entrepreneurialism.

If she chooses something that won't sell on Ebay, we donate to charity. That way she learns about giving to others.

Writing it down makes me feel like a cross between Ebeneezer Scrooge and Del Boy, but money's tight and if it helps fund the NDS habit, it's got to be good!

Tryharder · 19/04/2009 19:00

That's a good idea Squilly. I might try it if I can find anything that's worth selling after DS1 has wrecked played with it.

bubblagirl · 20/04/2009 08:22

i too sold alot of ds toys and it got him new toys and storage and new bedding we decorated the whole of his room

we also contacted social services who collected some toys to give to disadvantaged families or people in hostels they were really appreciative of the items

anything else that didnt sell or loitered for too long went on free cycle as it was quicker to remove the clutter that way

Original poster

notoverit · 20/04/2009 08:29

I have made a start by baging up the toys which are not dd's faviourate, and will have another go in a few days to see if I can be even more harsh.

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 20/04/2009 08:31

not unreasonable at all.

we have to move a lot, and the next time, it's going to be tiny (probably a caravan).

anything that's not a fav has to go.

it teaches kids the value of things and to treat them well, IMO.

mrsgboring · 20/04/2009 08:33

If you give to a charity shop, take them to one in the next town, so your DD doesn't keep seeing them if you go in there yourselves.

Littlepurpleprincess · 20/04/2009 08:40

You're not being unreasonable. When I de-clutter I try to to get DS invovled. I say something like "we are going to get rid of all those baby toys today to make room for some big boys toys" and I try to explain a little about it being kind to pass things on and recycle and all that. I ask him what he wants to get rid of.

Then, when he's not around I do it properly. lol.

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