The amount of clutter that is accumulated once you have a child is insane! From clothes to gear to toys, there is just not enough room to fit everything! When my daughter was about a year old, I got her a toy chest for the living room. Once it was full, no more toys were allowed in there. If she wanted a new toy, an old toy would have to be retired to the playroom. I tried to leave the living room decluttered as much as possible – so that we are not over-run by toys!
After trying out different methods, the toy box is what works best for me (now.) I’m not sure how this will work once we add more kids into the mix with more toys. As of now, we have a system that works. When it is just my toddler and I at home all day, I allow her to leave her toys scattered throughout the living room until either nap time (which hasn’t come along in a while) or we leave the house. At that point, she has to gather all her toys and put them away. The messiest toy she has is a doll house that has a ton of pieces. She loves reorganizing it each time she opens it, so if everything is thrown in to avoid clutter on the floor at the end of the day, she doesn’t mind.
At night my hubby and I have tried to get our toddler into a routine of tidying up before bedtime. Everything has to go back where it belongs – whether it is in the toy box, the dollhouse, her room, or the basement. By cleaning up the toys every night it gives my toddler a sense of responsibility, creates a safe playing environment, minimizes loss of toys, and keep my hubby and I a bit more sane.
I try to get rid of broken toys so that they don’t take up room. I also store away all old toys that my toddler is no longer interested in into stackable storage bins in the basement. This keeps them out of the way, safe, clean, and reusable for the next baby. What are some of your de-cluttering tips?
Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hot Wheels® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.