Do you have tons of toys in your house?

[doziduck]

Ds1 and Ds2 are very lucky in that they have a lot of relatives and friends that buy for them evry christmas and birthday. I tend to buy quite a lot at christmas for them too. The thing is i personally don't think kids need so much stuff especially as mine moan they are bored no matter how much they have!
I am intending to get rid of some of it to charity before they get all the new stuff but i have a feeling it will be met with complaints! They don't have any tatty toys really, it will all be good stuff.
what do you lot do about toys? Some of my friends houses don't seem cluttered with toys at all??? But i have to admit i am a tidy freak and i hate clutter so it will be out with bin bags next week i'm afraid!

[helsi]

I haven't got loads as DD is only 2 in december so most things are bought then for birthday and Xmas.

I saw a thing on telly once though where the kids were asked to select a few toys that they could give to children who didn't have many to play with. Maybe you could do that.

[zubb]

I have recently made ds1 (nearly 3) choose some toys to give to charity shops, and he seemed OK with it. I did it last year as he didn't realise what was going on. I have told him that he will be getting new presents for Christmas and Birthday and that there are people who need his old toys more than him.
I don't think we have many toys tbh, we have 1 toy box downstairs thats for the two to share, and then they have some things in their room. With ds2 as he has all the toys from ds1, and then new ones of his own from relatives I find that if any type are duplicated then they can go to charity.

[nutcracker]

Yes loads and loads, and with 3 birthdays and xmas soon the outlook for my living room is bleak.

[eefs]

Our house used to be like that - I hated the big pile of clutter in the corner and even worse hated DS1's increasingly blase reaction about getting presents. I've decided this christmas that DS's are only getting presents from us, santa and grandparents. I've told all the usual suspects and am surprised at how much they agree with me - I was sure I'd have some resistance there. Other parents have told me they are going to do the same thing. I want DS's to appreciate what they get. Anyone who really wants to get them a present I've requested clothes from.

I tend to buy them toys like lego that can be used in so many different ways and so encourage their imagination.

I also tend to recycle their toys - I notice DS1 loses interest in something after a few weeks - I put it away then and after a few months take it out again - it's like he's gotten a new toy. So ususally he has about 1/3 of his toys in the sitting room and the rest in his wardrobe in his bedroom.

[doziduck]

How old are they nutcracker and do you find that they play with everything?
I often wonder why we have so many things because most of the time they are played with for 5 minutes and then it's back to mithering mummy, their favourite pastime

[lavender2]

yes...have 7 plastic boxes in the loft, McDonalds stuff in the garage and still lots junk

[nutcracker]

They are soon to be 7, 5 and 2 and no they definatly don't play with most of it, which is why this year i have cut back.

Instead of getting my dd's quite a few things each they are having a bike each and one other pressie for their birthdays and then 2 little pressies and a pressie between them (dolls house) for xmas.

I do have a god clear out just before their birthdays and anything they haven't used for a while goes to the charity shop or the hospital.

[MrsBigD]

our place is 'toys r us' as well. Just can't resist all the 'educational' stuff. Most of dd's toys make music, noise, talk etc. can be very annoying... we've got 3 wooden boxes and then some full of things. I went through the other day and got rid of all the 'crappy' stuff, like surprise egg toys etc. and also gave some other toys to charity. However if you've got lots of good stuff and your kids are willing to give it up without causing a fuss... why not make a few bob and sell it?

I'm still dreaming of a toy free living room, but no matter how often we tidy everything into dd's room... it all comes back!

[wilbur]

We used to be okay but my parents kept a lot of my toys (Fisher Price stuff, really good and lasts forever) from when I was little and my sister and I have just divvied them up and now we are overflowing. I was going to be organised and put the FP things in the loft and just bring them out one at a time, but dh unpacked eveything when we moved and now I'm a bit embarrassed by the amount of stuff my kids have. Dh and I don't buy a lot, even for b'days and Xmas, but MIL is very generous (she's a champion shopper and also seems to feel she should make up for them not having grandparents on my side) and ds and dd have 4 godparents, 4 uncles and an aunt each so that does mean more presents than they need. I think I'm going to send out a request for books and art supplies only this year. Having said that, they do play with stuff a lot - dd is getting into building bricks and soft toys and ds uses lots of other toys to support his complicated railway creations.

[nikcola]

god yes dds bed is in my bedroom and her room is her play room and you cant even see the floor i hide most of her toys in her princess tent

[Socci]

Message withdrawn

[Wills]

I tell people that my dd1 has a lot of toys and everyone responds that yes their kids do too. Then they come round to our house and are a little shocked. The problem I have is with my mother who is under the impression that the way to my dd's heart is to buy her anything she wants. Its got to the point where if we say we can't afford something she will respond that its ok because Nana will get it. Its driving me nuts! No I can't talk to her as I'm having very big problems with her at the moment and this is the tip of the iceberg. It also winds me up that she never buys anything for dd2 on the basis that dd2 must have enough because of all the things she's buying dd1. I now have a loft full, a room full, its flowing into the living room and both the girls bedrooms are heaving. We have decided to limit ourselves and my dh's parents to certain items for once instead of going crazy but my dm has already informed me that she's not buying for adults this year and plans to spend at least 500.00 on my daughters (i.e. dd1) instead. Apart from being obscene I simply don't have the room. Like doziduck I'm a tidy freak but as dd1 is only 14 months and I want a third it seems stupid to start throwing things away yet. But both dh and I feel that we are drowning in brightly coloured plastic toys! And no dd1 doesn't appreciate things which really annoys me as unlike my dm we don't have a lot of money.

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHH

DOZIDUCK I think your idea sounds great and I am looking forward to doing it.

[Wills]

dd2 is 14months not dd1

[doziduck]

you have my sympathy wills. ds1 and ds2 have gone out with my mum today and will undoubtedly return armed with loads more crap that hold appeal for all of a day
trouble is my mum thinks i'm really horrible about it, make them happy, if they want it get it is her way of looking at it and sod the state of the house!
I do wonder though if they only had a very small amount of toys would they play more and use more imagination ?

[80sMum]

Even something good can be a bad thing when there's too much of it. I think if children have vast cupboard-loads of toys, they simply have too much choice available to them and can't make a decision about what to play with. It's a case of information overload, so instead they sit and watch videos or wander around saying they've nothing to do. Too many toys demotivates them. I remember watching a childcare programme on TV once, where the little boy in the family (only child aged about 3) used to trash his room everyday and just throw the toys around and not play with them. Parents were advised to put all the toys out of sight except 3 things, and to set out those 3 things in his room. I think they chose a box of wooden bricks, a train set and I can't remember the other thing. Anyway, child goes into room, stands openmouthed in a 'where's it all gone?' sort of way for a moment or two, then drops to his knees and starts playing with the bricks (he'd never played with them before). He then played for ages on his own, totally absorbed in stacking, building, rowing up etc - and all with the simplest of unsophisticated toys! Worth trying?

[handlemecarefully]

Yes lots of toys - but like eefs I keep it manageable by putting toys on 'rotation',i.e. putting some away for a while and then getting them out again. Definitely recommend this to keep them fresh.

[BadHair]

Yes, we have tons of stuff too. Grandparents insist on buying them something ("oh, its only little") every time they see them, which is regularly, so house is full of plastic tat with wheels on. Any attempts to divest them of even the most battered cars are met with howls of protest.
So Father Christmas is going to have a cheap year in our house as he's only bringing them one decent sized prezzie and one little stocking each.

[colditzmum]

I have so much red and yallow plastic in my living room that I bought a yellow sofa ..... only to realize when it was delivered thet my living room is actually pink! I keep them all in a huge cardboard box, so he amuses himself by emptying it. Then he sits in it for an hour, playing with a wooden spoon.....

[hana]

have also just done a clear out for christmas - but dd doesn't really have a lot. She has her toy kitchen in living room along with one box of toys that I rotate with things from her room every few days or so. Worst thing now that she's older ( 3) is keeping all the bits together that should be together!

[misdee]

we have a load of toys. there are 2 stackers from ikea (wooden frame with 6 boxes in each) full of toys in the hallway. 3 of the boxes are full of train set/lego/blocks and the rest are mainly small dolls, bears etc. I dont go in for noisey toys much, the one which we do have and that get used a great deal is the neurosmith music blocks. not too harsh on the ears.

I cleared out their toys about a month or so ago, as they had another 4 boxe sof toys. I took soe stuff down charity shop. Sometimes i do a car boot sale with the toys as well. Last year i made £40 which i put towards dd2 1st birthday party.

[JoolsToo]

bet you'll all be buying tons more come the festive season too !

[misdee]

yup. have already started. tho its mainly arts and crafts stuff for dd1.

[MrsBigD]

80sMum - my friends mum would completely agree with the point that kids don't need many toys. She's an occupational therapist in Germany and if she knew how many toys dd has she'd probably have a right go at me ;)

Plan for today is to empty ALL her boxes and shelves etc and sort out the stuff she never touches to put aside. Then get rid of some of it and keep some as 'new pressies' . Problem is like some others here on the board her birthday is close to xmas so she usually gets innundated once a year!

[welshmum]

I'm trying to keep a lid on what dd gets. Last year we had an agreement with friends that we wouldn't buy for each other's kids. The only thing I don't limit is books. I'll also put some of her toys in the attic before Christmas to make room, not buy her much ourselves and get her to choose one or two things which we will take to the charity shop together. She's 2.5 but I think I need to start early with the idea of charity etc as I think it's hugely important.

[golds]

We have loads too, but if we see them not playing with something, we put it up in the loft and get it back down after a few months.

I really do need a sort out as there baby toys are still up there.

My main problem is that at Christmas, I tend to not always listen to what the kids want and I get them things that I think they would like and invariably (sp?) they don't. I bought dd a dolls house and I think she's played with it twice. I really should listen more.