Declutter Kids Toys With Me! Day 15 - Spring Declutter Challenge

Declutter and organize your home along with me every weekday this month, and make sure to enter the daily giveaway by SUBSCRIBING to the channel and leaving a COMMENT on each video!
SPRING DECLUTTER CHALLENGE
Day 1. Junk Drawer
Day 2. Books & Magazines
Day 3. Linens & Towels
Day 4. Outerwear and Shoes
Day 5. Emails
Day 6. Fridge and Freezer
Day 7. Closets
Day 8. Paperwork
Day 9. Clothing
Day 10. Cords & Tech
Day 11. Hobbies
Day 11. Pantry
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Thanks for watching!

[@franki3loopz]

That’s a mom for you putting your child’s hearts first because there happiness means everything even coming down to the toys

[@sdennen]

I'm nearly 34 and I still can't declutter my OWN childhood toys. Very sentimental work. Great job, Steph!

[@Outbackhobbyhorsing]

Yes even us grown ups have a hard time letting go of our toys. Lol

[@weeklystruggle4205]

same. its so difficult

[@antoinettehigh586]

It's so great that you struggling with purging your kids toys - it shows how much you respect them as people! Well done

[@amybee40]

My kids are all grown. I did declutter my OWN toys the other day. They go in the drawer of my coffee table -- my Rubik's puzzle collection, some balls, jacks and chinese jump ropes, and a few little figurines and toy cars for visiting children...

[@janicemireles8316]

Let it all go!!!! No guilt! Give them peace and imagination! My children are never happier or play more contentedly than when I've just done a serious toy purge.

[@barbkandel777]

Steph, we raised 4 kids and I can tell you that the fewer toys they had, the better and longer they played. (You actually know this and stated it, in the video - Follow your gut instinct - You are right!!!) We chose the toys that encouraged their imaginations, and they are well adjusted, high functioning adults. :) It was also an amount that was easy for them to put away.

[@courtneyfetterman5193]

I have decluttered SO many of my kids toys in the last year and it’s so much more manageable now. My kids can clean up their own spaces so quickly and on their own!!

[@andie.k.r]

I cackled at your "Be part of the solution, Steph!" I do the same thing.

[@ellef4812]

"The days are long but the years are short" is how the saying goes. I used to have 3 little ones as well and this season will pass too soon while looking in the rear view mirror, unfortunately. Another great video!

[@theresareiser8882]

I have highly decluttered my kids toys over the last year and I still look at toys thinking we can declutter more. Even my kids tell me we can declutter more toys now!! Time really shows how successful this work is and how rewarding.

[@megangillespie2145]

I stumbled across your video and OMG I have FINALLY found someone that speaks my language! Thank you for allowing us to actually walk through the process with you rather than just showing us clips and recapping the clean up. We are like the same person! I have such a hard time with my kids' toys too because they're toys! They're fun and I get sentimental about them. I also loved the way you kept talking to yourself and motivating yourself..."less is more", "be part of the solution", haha! I do that too. Loved your video!

[@mjadler2096]

I'm so lucky that my child's grandparents are actually on board with the "less is more" concept. they take him for outings instead which is great - kids' concerts, zoo, picnics and theme parks. although I do also have a soft spot for cute vintage toys!

[@carolphillips5585]

I am a retired Pre-K teacher, I learned in training to rotate items just as you do. I also learned that having less encourages imagination along with learning to share!

[@tesenisissteele7340]

What a good idea to do a toy rotation. My youngest still plays with his toys, but has a floor completely covered by every small toy imaginable. I think I will minimize how much he gets to keep in his room of each type and the rest will go into storage. He never wants to part with ANYTHING, so this will soothe his mind and still allow for his room to be easier to clean.

[@karenricketson2496]

Toy rotation does work! I remember once my mother cleaned my room & put a bunch of toys in a box & and put in a spare bedroom that was used for storage. I never missed any of the toys. But I went up there once with her & discovered the box & thought I a box of treasures! Everyday I would go back & bring down 1 "new" toy & play with it! 😁

[@katrinabellingham4405]

Children get overwhelmed when they have too much variety to choose from. Great job Steph. A pity I didn't learn this when my own children were young. Now I have 8 grandchildren and I have learned my lesson.

[@hhon8938]

Almost all the toys are gone now that our kiddo is older- it’s most definitely refreshing pairing down! Expensive Lego and Thomas items were hard to let go but I hope the families that find these in thrifting can enjoy them like my kiddo did! Cheers Steph! Another great vid!

[@connierussell5826]

Kid stuff can be so hard! I have 9 year old twin girls and I started decluttering their toys and clothes with them when they were about 5 years old. It was so difficult for my one daughter when we started the process, but both of them are “pros” at it now. We go through clothes 3 or 4 times a year and toys about 2 times a year. I’m so proud of how they are able to make good choices now and let go of things that they don’t use/need so that other kids can enjoy/use them.

[@susanknox1102]

I am actually SO glad that toys are behind me! It's mostly art supplies that I have recently separated like with like, got some beautiful woven baskets and converted an unwanted bookcase to a cube storage of sorts. Game changer.

[@cindicano864]

💜💜💜 I’m a grandma that watches 2 of them. I homeschool them as well. I have to keep the toys to a minimal or I’ll be drowning in toys. Life is good. Love my grandkids

[@kristen2646]

Kids are often collectors- it's good I think to have an adult monitor and guide what truly is a treasure!

[@mrdarlington82]

Yes! Kids toys just seems to multiply like crazy! Went through my two year old's toys and was able to sort and pull out things he has outgrown. Thank you!

[@ilsedevriendt4856]

Its not ending, when youre kids are out the house, they bring a grandchild, and oh boy….. Toys are back in youre life Greetings from belgium

[@emilyh6709]

I have a hard time decluttering toys too! I think it's a combo of gift guilt, 'not your stuff' decisions, and wasted money. Being a mom is tough!

[@Caseyd1966]

You are absolutely correct - many studies have shown that kids become overwhelmed and stressed by having too many toys. They play longer, more creatively and more independently with fewer toys. Toy rotation is perfect if they actually like all of their toys but have too many. Use bankers boxes or plastic totes to store toys away and rotate monthly.

[@terrisouza2692]

It seems like in today's world kids don't have to be creative... everything is so electronic. It's nice to still see parents have toys that makes kids use their brain on creativity. Great job mom!! You are a great example of showing respect fir your kids... my boys are older so they help declutter their stuff. Great job 👍❤

[@darlenebergantzel1534]

I no longer have little kids, but the grandkids visit occasionally. I keep a box of toys they can play with, but it’s been a long time since I went through it to get rid of broken toys. Today is the day.

[@clairem2498]

Great video you did amazingly. You are such a warm and lovely person, I feel like I've come round for coffee and your talking to me!! I love the fact you love the retro stuff too and you're not one of these perfectionist , clinical looking, everything is white and matching. You are a real person that actually lives with stuff in a home like the rest of us. ❤

[@joycox8887]

I have a son who remembers who gave him everything so everything become sentimental to him. So hard! We were watching home movies and he saw some old toys the other day and was sad about us not having them all over again.

[@TreasureofTruth]

Toys is the one area of my home I have to pick up every day no matter what. Excited to get some decluttered.

[@juliab628]

Our kids are on their own now but I kept far too much in the toy area for them when they were little! I realized it was me that was more attached the toys than they were. Then they grew up and I had things and they didn't care about them... it would have been so much easier if I had just decluttered regularly when they were little ( but that word was not even a word in the early 2000's!! ) and/or not bought them as much. Oh well, live and learn... oh, and learn I did!!! Every mistake is a way to grow! Since I didn't have toys to DECLUTTER today, haha I gathered some more random things for a yard sale that our neighborhood is having this weekend. Even in a minimal home you can find something! Go us!

[@alliegriffin1274]

Cleaning/purging toys is the bane of my existence! Also, I'm glad you call figures "guys" too 😂 I plan on going through toys when my kids go to Grandma's for the summer. Because I'm the mom that doesn't mind doing it without my kids lol

[@jennyfromthebrook]

It really is so nice to see others struggle with these items because I have a hard time with some of my kids toys too! I think about how some items were gifts from friends and family, or like you experienced the item is just junk but the kids still enjoy playing with it… it’s hard making these decisions! I do notice every time I declutter they are able to be more creative and enjoy their space more so it’s hard but it’s worth it! Ok now time for me to let go of the guilt and go through my kids toys!

[@cathylindsay1359]

No children here but I do love watching your videos. They are so encouraging and motivational! This time I picked a small cabinet; emptied, wiped down, and sorted.

[@heather6412]

Like the idea of a toy rotation to scale down toys and see what kids really like and play with regularly.

[@tinao8676]

Our two boys (now married men) shared a bedroom and that's where they played. We didn't have a play area in the house so fortunately their toys stayed mostly in their room. It was easy to clean up or close the door when it was toy-strewn and visitors came. But purging was still necessary! Good video, thanks.

[@beverlysteiger6757]

I have all our sons’ original Tonka toys (when they were metal). I also saved a lot of their Fisher Price toys: xylophone and phone with wiggley eyes. My grandkids loved them.

[@cltinturkey]

Rotating toys is great for imagination and creativity. My nephew was so excited opening the first three toys on his birthday and then cried when he had to sit and open many more. He just wanted to play and set aside the other toys for later. I have a toy bin for visiting kids (small and large), but need to pare way down. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@samsadie_79]

We downsized/decluttered our kids toys about 2 years ago, getting rid of about 2/3 of them. My boys are 4, 8 and 11 years old. It was honestly the best thing we ever did. We keep some basic construction components out permanently, and then 3 small toy/game rotations that we switch out every 6 weeks or so. My younger 2 play with the toys so much more, and it is so quick and easy to tidy up at the end of each day. It was an absolute game changer for our home.

[@annandersen3185]

Love that you have calm music in the background that doesn’t distract from watching your video 🇦🇺

[@YarnjoyPodcast]

My kids are grown, but now I have a grandbaby. We have a few toys for him, but not enough to declutter yet. But as he develops, I will be decluttering the outgrown items.

[@cleobee5308]

I have to help my teens decluttering all their “free swag” clutter all the time. It’s never ending

[@katevaliente7130]

Beware the free gift with purchase!!!!

[@lindiemoon]

The first one I can skip! We did a huge toy declutter when we renovated last year. But my kids are slightly older now so they were ready to let a lot go. Now all that remains is basically magnets, Lego, duplo and their board/card games and puzzles. 🙌

[@bilingualbutterfly2883]

Less is definitely more! My kids ages 11 and 12 have decluttered their own toys for a while. It is time to go back to it. As they get older, it is easier.

[@aleshiarodriguez6138]

Our home was so overwhelmed with toys so in December before Christmas I purged big time and I've done it once a month since. I have 6 kids so we accumulate a lot quickly.

[@lolgriffin3243]

I'm similar. 7 kids - stuff multiplies so fast. Honestly there just aren't that many toys they play with! I just keep weeding...

[@ericawhitfield9289]

Yes, I do it on a very regular basis! It helps my kids learn the process better than if they only do it once per year. They know they need to play with it or it goes.

[@taranicholson282]

Thank you for this series. I have been motivated to rehome all my old cross stitching stuff. It was hard to part with but I knew that I would never get back to it. Thanks for the nudge.

[@MasterMarie]

I have found using the container concept (only at many as fit in and favorites in first) and decluttering the number of containers has helped so much with my kids' toys. I want then to be able to clean up in 15 minutes or less, so that means less stuff so they aren't overwhelmed and no overly complicated organization systems. I find decluttering my kids toys overwhelming emotionally too. The worry I'll get rid of something they love. My own ties to their toys based on what I loved (or would have) as a kid or my memories of them when they were littler. So many feelings... It's definitely a task I have to repeat and do in layers.

[@christinemaldonado8973]

I am so bad at getting rid of toys! But….I’m getting better! And I’m teaching my kids to be able to part with their things. The toys they don’t play with will bless other children. ❤️❤️ Great motivator! My kids just watched this with me, I think it helped to see that Mom is not the only one that encourages their kids to purge toys! 🤣🤣🙌🏼🙌🏼❤️❤️

[@infopubs]

"Nothing makes a toy more appealing than putting it in the trash." This is true for adults, too! We have a rule that we keep magazines for a year before recycling them. My DH rarely reads the magazines at all, but he'll pull the one that is 13 months old right back out of the recycling pile!

[@jackietrineer1297]

Great job Steph! Watching you declutter toys brings back fond memories....my kids are in their 20's. I still have a few things I can't part with.

[@thecountrychickadee]

All toys! I’ve been waiting for this one! Our toy and puzzle/game cupboards need lots of love!!!!

[@amybee40]

LOL "But cognitively, I feel like they're just throwing them on the floor" -- I have lived through this!

[@phillippacismas9062]

It does suddenly end! Then you wish they'd play with them again. Ahh happy days 😍 My top tip rotate your toys if you have a shed , attic or other storage space. Pop a few big boxes full away and then you can rotate and they come out like new and get played with a lot but you aren't having toooo many out at once. ❤️ Absolutely agree fewer and organised toys and craft stuff for us now get used much more. It's overwhelm for them I guess. 💗 We had our Lego sorted into mini drawers by colour on a table they played with it so much but it was a headache to put away now it's 3 large drawers. Trying to find a happy medium 😁😁

[@paulinebedi1241]

My 28 year old daughter was finally able to let go of her Polly pockets. I asked first, Hahaha. I finally feel like I will have the calm home I’ve been dreaming of.

[@franpatzcraig6713]

When my kids were young I would clean out some of the toys just after Christmas and birthdays to make room for the new ones. Stuff that was still good and appropriate went into a cardboard box in an under eaves closet. (That box got decluttered at the same time.) They were only allowed to play with those toys on stormy or really cold days when they couldn't go outside. They actually called it "the rainy day closet." They are both in their fifties, but that closet is still called the rainy day closet! 😆

[@erikad9022]

A regular declutter in our kids rooms is the only way to keep on top of the toy clutter! Wooden blocks were a hard one for me as well. I realized that kids would much rather build with our lego duplos, so our wooden blocks went to a new home.

[@Jpmagictravel]

I was pleasantly surprised when my kids filled a huge box with toys that could go! It was a good start for sure!

[@cristinadavis3578]

No more little ones with toys in my home. Saved a few things from my children for the grandkids. When my kids were little they had to pick up Their toys and put them away before they went to bed. Worked out well. Thanks for the video Steph!

[@emilyhelgeson7988]

Yes Decluttering toys is hard because my kids love everything but don’t need and can’t find things if they have everything. It’s also just so sentimental since getting rid of toys means saying goodbye to another stage or phase. But it’s necessary. I like to declutter toys into a box that I put in our crawl space and if they haven’t asked for it in 3-6 months I donate them. They’ve only asked for things 2 or 3 times ever. Thanks again for the motivation

[@Katlyn_Duncan]

I blame grandparents as well!! Lol thanks for the motivation.

[@aoie11]

Endless toy declutterer over here 🙃🤪 and yes, grandparents contribute the most! Hah.

[@lindagreenacre630]

My ex husband always contributed the biggest toys at xmas and birthdays.. knowing i had zero spare space to store whatever it was. Used to drive me crazy!! :)

[@brittneymalcom8965]

it was nice that even a pro like you struggles with decluttering toys. it gives me hope that maybe i'm not as far behind as i think. thanks for being real!!!!!

[@kathyschieb6686]

We don’t any little children but the adult electronic toys is just as hard to keep up with. Thank you!!

[@annamarieatkinson9807]

The is the area I declutter most often, but I think I still have too much. I'm a child at heart so all the toys and craft supplies make me so happy too hahaha thanks for the video!

[@heatherjohnsen4513]

I like that u talk through your thinking/doing as u r decluttering. I also like your quote about being the solution to the problem. I’m going to need to say that to myself many times;)

[@intothegardeneden203]

Yes, enjoy the toys while you can!!! My last 2 (of 5) at home are past the toy stage…it’s fun to see your children grow & mature & become independent-it’s what we raise them to do-but it’s a bit sad too!! My craft room/office is my big project…it’s hard to sort what you love…but it must be done!!! We got this! One thing/area at a time!!!:)

[@Montanamom247]

After my mom passed away, My siblings & I found boxes of toys she had saved for us. Iit was really cool to see them again. I still have most of them. ~Samantha

[@actionthatsucks]

That’s why I am having a hard time with it with my kids. My parents got rid of stuff I wasn’t done with and as an adult re-bought things for nostalgia, and I don’t want my kids to hate me for getting rid of stuff they don’t use anymore. It’s always the “what if they ask about this?” It’s so damn hard to get right in and pack stuff to donate.

[@lauraoshaughnessey1629]

I literally was just doing this before I sat down to watch! Many times I will move toys that I don't think are being played with to our basement, then a few months later my kids will find them and be excited about them again or be ready to let them go!

[@lindabourcet1349]

Fun to watch and remember having this same struggle. My son is 34 so no more toys in my house as he is not planning on having children. I hated toys with small pieces -legos and puzzles and tiny toy soldiers. I stepped on so many after he had ‘cleaned’ his room.

[@carolines2088]

I have that puzzle! The farm! I grew up in Sweden and remember playing with it and now one of my boys have it here in Australia! How cool is that! The exact same one!

[@sandyfitchcorbett1782]

Kids grown. Enjoy even the annoying stuff. Goes very very fast. Mine are grown so instead I gather every pen and pencils in every room. What work keep. What doesn’t of course gets tossed. Pens, pencil, markers. I’ll hit my art table containers for this as I do my big project the craft room

[@jeanneg6408]

I absolutely love your videos and was excited to see this declutter! I just did our craft area yesterday and got a whole garbage bag of broken and used junk. I really appreciate your realness and that your house looks a lot more like my 125 year old house than some of the others I've seen! Thanks for keeping me motivated!!

[@shirleycolopy4322]

Totally agree with you. 👍 Both she and her sister are so real. 💕

[@IntoTheMysticTarot]

I have 4 kids and they each can have a medium basket of toys. They only got 1 toyish item for Christmas last year..girls got dolls and boys got leggos..rest of their presents were "grown up" items. One of the best Christmas we've had yet. I do plan on getting my youngest more toys for her bday, she'll be 7 this time.. they're quickly out growing toys, bittersweet. I want to keep my youngest pretending and imagining as long as possible..so I focus on open ended toys and avoid anything too plasticish..I'm really enjoying this decluttering challenge...thanks for sharing

[@susanmiller8164]

I kept only a few of my kids' favorite quality toys from the 80s (Legos, Brio train set, Victorian dollhouse, Fischer Price farm set) and they have been treasures to every one of my 6 grandchildren. So fun to have but must keep it limited.

[@candiceminichini]

I love your videos! I’m so glad I found you a few days ago. I’ve been binging all your old videos and you are such an inspiration! Toys are so hard, for me it’s particularly because of the memories I have of my son playing with them. I’ve had him help me before and he is willing to get rid of so much more than I would have thought. Some of the stuff makes me sad to see it go but it’s much better in the end because everything is clean and he has more room to play with the stuff he actually kept. 🥰

[@efitz3397]

I did like you and tidied-my children’s toys into individual boxes, for them to mix them up again! Recently I’ve been in a house where it is one bigger box, the children (twins) are 3, they can easily tidy up by chucking them in the box. I wish I’d known this. They both play wonderfully with them. Love your channel, you are doing a great job. 🥳

[@BNorthwayDesigns]

Toys are so hard! I loved all the little things. My daughter is 9 and is kind of over playing with toys but she does collect items on occasion. It is kind of relieving and sad at the same time!

[@catpearson4608]

Enjoy these days; they go by sooo fast! My youngest turned 19 this month, so no toys to declutter, but lots and lots of laundry she could sort through. 😉

[@ashleebullis9917]

We have community garage sale in the area, so I decluttered all the BIG kid items- playhouse, trike, footpedal car, wagon, car seat and a Christmas tree! Thanks for the inspo!

[@mrsdove14]

Toys are sooo hard. For example I got my daughter a doll for her very first Christmas. She NEVER played with it so I gave it away when she was about 3-4. When she was 5 she found the picture of her with the doll when she was like 9 months old and absolutely flipped. I had to scour the internet for another one and paid twice as much as the original. When I got it I gave it to her brother and told him to tell her he found it in the closet. 😂 She was so beyond excited. It broke her heart that it was “missing.”

[@sherrigibbs528]

My kids are older but they move into sports things and video game equipment. There's always something to declutter!

[@harriettbremner7431]

Loved this video Steph thank you so much! I’m currently watching this from Dubrovnik in Croatia where I’m on holiday with my three little ones 😀It’s making me want to get home to the UK to declutter our toy area! You are completely right that toys are so emotive to declutter and you don’t often hear mummy vloggers say that the most important thing is to be considerate of the fact that these are the children’s things that belong to them, so I thought you were great for saying that 😃 I’ve been loving this decluttering challenge and love your videos!

[@dawnnavarra3286]

My 11 year old, 10 at the time, son helped me do a major toy declutter last year. I found it way harder for me than him. He had no financial or emotional attachment to stuff. One thing that really struck me was when I was trying to convince him to keep a remote control car. He said, “I will keep it if you want me to. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I probably won’t play with it.” GENIUS!! Why keep stuff we don’t want? Out of the mouth of babes!

[@gibsongirl9046]

No more kids at home and grandkids rarely come over yet toys are the hardest for me to declutter. I think because when I look at a toy it benchmarks a time in their lives which is nuts but there it is, plus some of the toys are so amazing!

[@lb9549]

Thanks for acknowledging how hard toys are. My boys are 8 and 12 , it does go fast! My younger son will still play with things but obviously not toddler toys and I still have trouble letting them go . Their pretend kitchen is in our garage bc I can't pull the trigger on letting it go! I love remembering them play with it

[@Claudepatrice1]

I have boy/girl 12 year old twins. My daughters room is an orgsnized mess that works for her but my son is a mini hoarder. He wants to keep everything! We have worked it out that he can keep anything as long as it fits in bins under his bed or in his closet. It works for all of us because he can have his stuff and I don't trip over it all!

[@StephL1111]

I don’t have any kids, but to help out I was cleaning my nephew’s bedroom. He was 5 and I asked him to tell me which toys he felt he had outgrown and wanted to donate. I wasn’t expecting much but I was absolutely amazed at how decisive he was for so young a kid. He had no problem getting rid of toys. Now it’s something we still do when I babysit him. He has still never decluttered a nerf gun or a lego set, though- those are still his favorites. But getting rid of all the other stuff lets him focus on his faves.

[@mychalbrown4585]

Oh, I'm right with you on toys being the hardest thing! So much guilt and memories and sentimental stuff with kids outgrowing things. I decided not to save toys to pass down to younger siblings unless they were hugely sentimental or a few very high quality items. I had saved SO MUCH and then at every birthday/Christmas there was literally nothing I wanted on their Christmas lists. It was such a pain, and every gift they got felt like a burden to me. I still have tons to go, but it's getting better and my kids love a clean, open room!

[@sandybrown8698]

I hates the days of decluttering toys. I now have teens and one is a crafter and she wants to save everything to use for crafting. I’ve been working on the container concept with her. She also loves to just leave things and come back to them. But she has piles all over the house and on every flat surface. We keep working on it!!!!

[@chantellek3982]

My mother has always told me I have way too many toys for my boys (age 2&7, so different toy stages), and I go through the same mental barriers as you when I attempt to declutter!. She was at my house yesterday and I asked her to declutter them. The conclusion after a small pile in the middle of the room. “You really don’t have much here, their toys are so different from each other. It looks like a lot, but you only have like one toy per bin.” So much mental relief! Hahaha

[@jessicacorreia15]

I do not have much toys left in my home. The ones I currently have is sentimental. I studied early childhood development and we were taught that children actually don't need to have a lot of toys in order to happy. Children tend to be very creative and they can play with anything. When it comes to finding ways to entertain kids, open-ended material's are recommended. These are things like papers, blocks, lego, things from nature, and so many more.

[@Caseyd1966]

Also - I LOVED my Fisher Price 1970s toys - farm, garage, town etc. Now I'm a grandma to 3 little boys (2, 2 & 1 year), and I have searched FB marketplace & Kijiji to find these vintage sets. My Fisher Price "Empire" (as I lovingly call it) is almost complete. So far my little grandsons only play with the circus train, the barn (they love the "moo" when the barn door opens) ,& the garage, but I will bring out the other sets as they grow older.

[@kellymarass1193]

Toys are the hardest things to go thru. So many memories!

[@kibkac]

Funny! I'm 58. I have no kids at home but I have kids who come to visit. I have a few bins of toys that just sit waiting for kids to come and play with them. I have 3 baskets filled with vintage children's toys, spinning tops, yoyo's, brain games, winding toys etc. Cool stuff that I like but rarely look at anymore. I've been thinking it's time to go through and rid myself of this stuff. Once again I'm encouraged by your videos and the timing is perfect for me.

[@tngirlz4622]

I remember those days - I even had the same storage unit you do, except I had the fabric bins for some of the cubbies. I agree relatives are the biggest source of ‘toy overwhelm’. Would your relatives consider giving experiences, rather than things? E.g. a trip to a zoo or science centre, water park, camping, or some other activity the child would enjoy with that person. The relative could make an elaborate gift certificate for the child to unwrap on Christmas or birthday. The activity doesn’t have to be expensive. Full disclosure, I tried this with our family and some of them still wanted to just buy stuff.🤣 I fully intend to do this when I have grandkids, though!

[@LindsayDroke]

It does end. I have a 9,11,12 and 14 yr old. I remember thinking my house looked like toys r us. Do I miss it, no. I miss the kids at that stage but not the mess. I am enjoying this age a lot

[@ginamcgrew9955]

Yes, its so difficult! Toy rotation is the best answer we have found!👍

[@adelevercueil9172]

I've experienced the same thing about having too much toys in our house and decided to donate some of my daughter's toys. I really don't like the building blocks which always somehow reappear! 🤔 Less toys & stuff = more creative play! Great job Steph. Thanks for the wonderful tips and videos!

[@laurarysedorph7200]

I struggle letting toys go but my daughter thinks it’s the best thing in the world to go through her toys.

[@darlenewoods5726]

I did toy rotation when my kids were little too. I like the way you put things in groups and then put groups of toys in the appropriate size bins.