Best way to get rid of toys - without tantrums!

[CountessDracula]

DD's bedroom is being decorated etc next week so I am sorting out her room

She has ludicrous numbers of cuddly toys (16 rabbits, 20 bears to name but a very few) I have laid them out on the bed in the spare room with a view to culling them. Now should I just do it or should I get her to - easy excuse to her is that we need more room for the xmas influx (oh god) and that there are other children who would take good care of them and love them.

She is only just 3 - which approach would be best?

As a child I adored my soft toys and would have been gutted if anyone had got rid of them without me asking, hence the rather wet question!

Oh and anyone in SW london need some toys

Ones that will go I am sure are teletubbies, boohbahs etc that she has grown out of.

I have culled without the ds's knowing, just made sure I kept particular favourites.

hmmm well... does she have definite favourites?

if so i would put those back in her room and just bag the others up.
if she asks for certain ones then let her have them... if she doesn't ask for them after a few weeks then just get rid of them!

oh yes good idea

Though I was thinking if I did it now then could give to charity shop in time for xmas - a lot of them are v nice and in immaculate condition.

or is there a special toy recycling charity?

she does have faves but tbh she plays with most of them.

we've just done this recently with ourr dd who's 3 and we let her chose which teddies she would like to give to the children who don't have any teddies. she was really sweet and chose a few. now when she goes to her cuddlies she mentions that some have gone to other children to play with

Yes I think I will take that approach actually

Maybe I will quickly cull the really dreadful ones and the ones she hasn't played with for a while before she gets home and then get her to choose some to go.

I gave a lot of DD's baby toys to the Children's ward in hospital.

I have tried a recent 'cull' (my DD is 3 too). We both sat down, and I said 'Do you want this one or that one?'

I think we managed to put a mere 4 things on the charity pile! The trouble with sorting out things with DD is that she always rediscovers toys she hasn't played with for ages and then wants to keep them!
I have told her that Santa won't come if there is no room in her toy corner for new things. (mean mum)

Santa won't come if you have too much stuff already

quite

it is a bit obscene, how did she get so many toys?

not sure how it happens
think it is because you don't have a one in, one out policy

same trouble at mine

CD, do you mean your DD or mine?
Mine has lots of cousins and aunties and uncles and my mum buys her something from Help the Aged on a weekly basis.

I have the same problem with DS I cant get rid of anything, apart from boxes of cars,trucks, train etc. He has a huge amount of 'furry friends' which he plays with all the time. Plays nursery, gives them birthday parties, I dont know how to get rid of them without traumatising him.

I sort them through every now and again and send stuff they haven't played with for a while to the charity shop. So far they have never noticed something was missing.

I also get them to sort out stuff and we either send it to a charity shop or the childminder for them all to play with there!

TBH it's not really an issue space wise as she has a massive room, but I do feel that it is a bit much having 16 different rabbits and 20 bears! Esp when someone else could benefit from them.

GB no it was a rhetorical question!

I cull without consulting ds (but he is only 3)

just do it
Or if you have doubts put some aside in cardboard box, if not missed for 6 months cull then!

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Oh ok, if my brother gets married I will let his new wife play with them

When i did dd2's room I got rid of the ones she never played with or mentioned and then put the others on top of her wardrobe.

Every couple of weeks I get rid of another one and she never notices.

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As a young boy I was a serial toy abuser and would have quickly rid your DD of any excess (think the mean kid in toy story)
Nowadays I am totally reformed and my pennance for earlier sins is to be seen by my biker mates with DD's favorite tucked under my arm
When it comes to it with DD I think I would be inclined to use a combination of both your suggestions, BTW if you have a Po toy you want to move on I know a 19month old who would chew your arm off

I often look in charity shops for toys for DD as there are often real bargains to be had ( I love rooting round for bargains), but sometimes they really do ask far too much for the soft toys.

maybe you could give them to children's hospital?

or refuge?