Toys in Bedrooms? Stuffed Animals? (Organize & Declutter Toys Series Ep. 12)

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thanks for watching and BEST WISHES as you simplify stuffed animals and kid's rooms! You can find the playlist of toy videos here: kzbin.info/aero/PLZ-AWUEixtg0_kCqOMGfC2f_KmP5xwQBK

[@bluesouthpaw6326]

Okay so for my 20 mos old twins they have literally a full size mattress on the floor, blankets and a few stuffed animals. That it! Their room is empty otherwise completely! People think it's weird but i need them to sleep too! My daughter just got toys in her bedroom at 3 1/2. Before that she had none. The only reason they are in there is because the twins can't have small pieces to legos and barbies yet. So when they are old enough all the toys will most likely be in the playroom downstairs. Which really doesn't have much lol. It's just an extra room. And the stuffed animals...i made a hammock with fleece to hang by my daughters bed. What fits she can keep. But she is good at getting rid of some. Usually if she gets a new one, 2 or 3 old ones have to go. And my twins can entertain themselves for up to an hr in their room with just their bed, blankets, and stuffed animals. They giggle and jump off the bed into the pile of blankets and stuffed animals. Is it so cute.

[@TheMinimalMom]

LOOOOVE this!! My sister and I shared a crib until we were two, my mom said that we always had to be touching each other in some way to be able to sleep...love the mattress on the floor, though...you don't have to worry about anything then! Its like I just have to tell my kids "go to your room and DON'T play" and then they can play for an hour like you said!! ;)

[@bluesouthpaw6326]

@@TheMinimalMom yes! We used to have two toddler beds but we quickly realized they never used one of the beds and always crawled in bed with each other. And the toddler beds weren't big enough for the two of them. So we bought a full memory foam mattress for them and they still snuggle up with each other. But at least they have plenty of room until they tell us they want their own beds.

[@Michelle-by9fp]

LOVE your channel!! I can't wait to realistically tackle the things you have videos for. I am emotionally attached to everything and kind of a hoarder because of it, its horrible! And I dont want to be in bondage with clutter anymore! My question is can you do a video on how you organize your basement? Every video I've watched you say you put boxes of extra toys, clothes, etc. In the basement. I'm curious how you organize it@

[@ashleydaugherty7710]

LOVE your channel!

[@candyiggy]

I remember my mom cleaning out our room twice a year as a child. I LOVED it! I couldn't spend enough time in there. I slept better, I made my bed without being asked, it felt so fresh and airy.

[@hoffmansforhim7365]

I love seeing you actually wearing the same clothes in multiple episodes...makes me really believe that you have a minimal wardrobe! You inspired me to get rid of a lot of junk yesterday!

[@wendybp2867]

Funny stories: My kids are grown now, so for those of you in it - it’s not forever! Enjoy the ride. My boys were little, maybe 4 and 5? I was so frustrated with their messy room and their unwillingness to pick up. So my sassy self took EVERYTHING out of that room except a couple of books. The next morning I hear those boys laughing and playing! I was so mad. They were supposed to be learning a lesson! I go storming in there to yell at them for going to get their toys back and do you know what I found?! I found two sweet, industrious little boys playing with...THEIR SHADOWS!! Boys one, Mom zero. Their older sister, at about 4, refused to pick up her toys. So I tell her I’m going to get a trash bag and throw all her toys away. She says, “ Well then my room will be clean!” So now I have to do what I said. She comes up to watch. She hands me a toy and says, “Here Mommy! You better put this in there because I’m not going to pick it up either.” Kids win! And as it turns out, adults probably care way more about the toys than the kids do.

[@elizabethnichols2284]

I love the shadow story! My boys had this idea of an invisible ball they were "throwing" in the house and their third brother got so upset because "they weren't throwing it to him!" Haha 😆

[@AmythefirstA]

That's a hilarious story!

[@alishadeyoe5536]

What a great story. Thanks for sharing. I love how you said adults probably care more about the toys then the kids do. We’ll done mom!

[@ednarose86]

I'm 3yrs late now, BUT this still applies. We just had our daughter's 3rd birthday party. She had around 12 presents, with multiple gifts in each bag. It was so overwhelming for her, and she would get distracted by what she just opened, and wasn't even interested in looking at the other bags, because that meant I had to pull her attention away from this awesome, cool new gift she just got that she desperately wants to open and play with RIGHT NOW. She would have been happy with 2 presents and a cake.

[@ojyochan]

We bought empty bean bags and put all the extra blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals in them. Functional storage!

[@TheMinimalMom]

That's a great idea!!!!

[@stephandozzie]

Love this!

[@stephandozzie]

And if you don't reach for those items, you will probably realize you don't need them! That's always what happens with me.

[@rondaherriott]

What if I’M the one attached to my kid’s stuffies? 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@karinquinn3015]

I'm sure many people can relate to this *like me* but it might help to think, "I might be attached to this but if my kid isn't how is this toy going to serve its purpose and be used?" Hope this helps :)

[@heatherc6121]

I am totally the same. I always remember the story behind them. It’s so hard to part with them

[@EverTheOptimist37]

I put up a toy hammock for the ones I wanted the kids to keep 😅

[@felinafoster2367]

I decided to have my 5 yr old work with me to simplify stuffies this past weekend. We set up a keep and donate bin and laid them all out on the floor to count. First pass she had 43 (I was shocked). I didn’t make any limitations to quantity other than what would fit in the bin. We made a first pass where she picked her absolute favorites. Pretty easy. Second pass she picked up the item and as I watched her I was surprised to see her make the decision. If she was choosing to give it away, she hugged it, kissed it and thanked it and even told it to make the next kid happy. I was a hot mess of tears!! So proud of her for being so intentional about thanking her stuffed animals and giving them new life with the next kid. There were a few that she decided to give up that I realized I may be more attached to then she is ... which made me cry again!! Good grief, never realized how much I would be affected by the process. I did take a few that I apparently had some attachment to and decided later to take a picture of her with it but to let the actual item go. A lot learned in short decluttering exercise for both of us.

[@katemiller5990]

😂😂😂

[@grannysquareswagonwheels2604]

I'm so glad you are covering all of this in detail. I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next video to post about the games and puzzles.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Coming soon, I promise ;)

[@Prepper123]

Ahh so sweet your kids want to play in the room closest to you. Their room must be so easy to sleep in. Reminds me of the Waltons

[@missmegan3694]

Love ALL of your videos!! I especially love how you explain in this video, and other videos on this topic, that we are teaching our kids the importance of cleanliness, organization, and prioritizing, and that we are teaching them about the joy and peacefulness that comes from being in simplified, clean, uncluttered spaces.

[@katiegoff8800]

I love how your tips are so practical and manageable

[@karena.4977]

Our family just moved and I took that opportunity to declutter my kids toys. I got them all a small, clear tote that they could put their most special items in and everything else that wasn't broken got taken to charity where it would be enjoyed by someone else. It felt so good to finally be free of the burden of that stuff! I am looking forward to cleaner spaces when we move into our new home! I have also noticed that the kids play so much better when there is less stuff too.

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES!! This is awesome!!!! :)

[@caitlinkincaid1420]

Dawn, I’ve been following you and watching your videos over and over for years. Over those years we’ve had six kids, the last ones twins. Just when I thought I’d gotten a handle on the clutter, we’d have another baby and collect too many things again. My twins are almost two now and I’m motivated again to get rid of the clutter! So I’m rewatching all of your videos from the beginning. Last week I took 8 large black trash bags full of things to donate. Yesterday we counted the stuffies in our house and I was shocked to discover we had about 200!!! TWO HUNDRED. We were able to cut that in half, and although I know it’s still too much, it is progress. Thank you so much for your videos. You are truly an inspiration!

[@koriwebb5854]

Dawn, hi. I want to thank you for your videos. They have motivated me to clean more. I am a mom of 3…2 teenagers and a 5 year old. With watching your videos and doing a little at a time I feel I am able to keep my home more managed than before. Your videos are a blessing. Just wanted to thank you and let you know that what you do is making a positive impact on this mom/wife. Thank you.

[@sarahmann5977]

Oh my goodness! You are amazing!!! I have been slowly working through a lot of your suggestions, especially with my son and his toys. I use to run a day home and so my son kept all of "his" toys in his room and after so long I really started to feel like he was a hoarder. (The black garbage bag to get rid of garbage... genius!) I use to try and smuggle even broken crayons out like I was a drug lord or something but now that I include my son and used so many of your tips his room has come full circle. We went from 3 overflowing "stuffy" bins to one! With 3 on his bed! You are a miracle!!!

[@enjoyinglifewithsuzie375]

Just did this with my oldest sons stuffed animals. He doesn’t want to get rid of them but he’s 11 so he doesn’t play with them. I had him pick his 3 favorite and the rest went into vacuum sealed bags for storage. We will probably donate them next year but at least his room is so much better! I love all your videos and have started the process of minimal toys. It is wonderful and I have less to deal with at the end of the day. I just condensed my 2yr olds monster trucks/cars from a huge toy bin down to like 12 of them in a small container. He loves carrying them around and has played more with them. I love the big bin is gone and they aren’t all over the place anymore! I still have ways to go but it all started me on this because of your videos! Thank you!

[@TheMinimalMom]

YAAAAAAY!!! I'm SO glad to hear this!!! And I know this will encourage other parents, too, THANK YOU for sharing and GOOD WORK!!! :)

[@moderndays.oldways2609]

We've had great success with bean bag shells for stuffed animal storage. They get to keep 3-5 out and the rest go in the bean bag chair. They also keep extra blankets in there

[@hollykbae5231]

We rotate books in our house (big reading family). Our son (4) and daughter (2) have about 30 books in the living room that are rotated approx every 2 weeks (or when their interest in reading slows up). The 30 out of rotation fit in one bin in a closet. Recently I sat my son down and asked him (without any input from me at all), to hold each book and tell me if he wants to keep it. I said if he feels very happy and warm about the book, he can keep it if he wants it. There was no wrong answer, every answer that he said would be what happened to the book. If he didn’t want the book, he could give it back to me and say “give,” “garbage,” or “sister.” He was done in 2 minutes. He intuitively knew which books he still wanted, and which he was done with. The garbage books (too used to donate) were recycled by him, the books he donated went into a donation box, and the ones he said were good books but “too baby” for him were left for his sister. My husband and I were surprised about some of the books he gave away, and at his maturity and ease about it. I will be doing this with his toys later.

[@tammygorring6771]

My kids have between 15-20 stuffed animals. I'm ok with that, but it has definitely hit their limit. About 2 years ago we implemented the "One in, one out" rule. They have to really think if the new one is special enough to donate one they already have. It really makes them think about what brings them joy ❤

[@KathelleStrandom]

I am loving how thorough yet simple this series is! Very helpful. Thanks to your inspiration 4 bags of stuff was put to charity on Wednesday 👍🎉🎉 x x x

[@TheMinimalMom]

Wahoo!!! So glad to hear this!!!! :)

[@kristenjung2665]

Thank you for answering these questions. I just went threw my kids rooms and decluttered. Feels great! A clutter free organized home is so peaceful and much essier to clean! Keep the vidoes coming!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Yay!! Good work!!! :)

[@raea3588]

One tip that has helped me so much with minimalizing is setting up physical boundaries. And this can help children feel that they are in control while also learning self control. If they're a stuffed animal sort of kid, tell them "You can have as many stuffed animals that can sit against your pillows in a row without falling off or that will fit in this small bin." Then the choice is up to them which ones they have and if they want more, they'll have to give one up.

[@GodtaughtKendra]

We simplified our toys after Christmas and it has given me and my kids so much peace! I asked them to clean there room since simplifying and it takes them no time at all, and my littles are 3 and 5 and they’re able to clean all on their own and put things where they go🤗. I’m excited to try this method with the stuffed animals 🤦🏾‍♀️ my kids have about 10 each in their beds. PRAY FOR US!! Lol. Thanks for your help! 😊

[@kimjaymama26]

Yes! When they are in their bedroom, they sleep. Thank you! So many people look at us like we are crazy when we say that, like all kids should have their own room with their own toys in their own room. Kid's are able to be creative if they are left to be allowed to be bored.

[@daphnerosbury9093]

Another great video! Their room is so practical, simple and so neat! I would love for you to do a house tour room by room like you did in the kitchen.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Yes, in the works!!

[@elizabethnichols2284]

We just did a first pass through the biggest kid bedroom two of our boys share. We do keep some toys in bedrooms partly to keep little siblings (crawling babies and toddlers who are just learning) from destroying certain things. We definitely can stand to do another pass through but we had a great conversation about how many activity books and how many "special Lego builds" you can have going at once. We threw away a huge bag of random stuff and everything still in there is organized. Now I know, too, that they gave plenty of projects and activity books etc to do when they need screen free down time this summer! Progress!

[@baby52312]

I would love to hear how bedtime works with your kids in one room. I have 3 in a tiny room now (7, 5, 2) with the third being the opposite sex, so I am curious how that's working as well as getting everyone to go to sleep.

[@paigekrome1141]

We used to have one of those hanging nets filled with stuffed animals. The kids NEVER played with them. I realized I was more attached to them than they were because most of them were gifts from friends and family. We now have five stuffed animals: three on my son’s bed and two next to my daughter’s crib.

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES, this is awesome!!!!!

[@svitlanaivanenko9042]

Thanks for sharing again. And I love your hair every time! We already did a big toy purge but it’s always a work in progress. Love all the tips

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank you and thank you for the compliment on my hair!

[@Selahsmum]

Yeah this is where im different- toys ONLY in bedrooms lol. 😂😂 Different strokes! ❤❤❤

[@lindseyhetu1109]

Same here! I love having the living room toy-free.

[@janelportukalian1813]

Same!!

[@McHeidikens]

Same! 😂

[@msmary126]

I love it. I was just looking at the stuffed animals on the floor of my older boys room and cringing....knowing this battle was next!!!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Haha, GOOD LUCK Mary!!! ;)

[@hatcherhomestead]

Can you do a video on tips for room sharing? I have an 8 month old and 2 year old and want them to share a room as soon as baby girl stops her 5 am wake up 😉. Tips on how to make the transition, what bedtime routine looks like, do they all go to bed at the same time, ect. Love your videos!! I have already simplified many areas in our home and it has made a huge difference. ♥️

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES, coming up! And SO glad to hear this!!!

[@ladykatietx]

"if everything is special, then nothing is special" ...SO TRUE!

[@laurelreynolds5890]

Thank you!! I am planning to clean out and organize my kids bedroom tomorrow (that is where all the toys have always been) and I was literally just saying to my husband right before I got the notification for this video that I would like to move the toys in the living room since that is where they end up anyway! Haha

[@TheMinimalMom]

That's too funny! Good luck today!!! :)

[@kristiesadowski9632]

Love these toys videos!! They are so helpful and give me great ideas! We have 3 kids all under the age of 5! Love watching your videos and LOVE that you’re from Minnesota. I grew up in Prior Lake! :)

[@TheMinimalMom]

Ah we're not far from there, that is so fun!!! And thank you for the kind words!!!

[@magentacolors967]

I’m gonna take pictures of the ones I love but I know I need to let go of, and make a slideshow! That way any of them I start to miss, I just watch the slideshow.

[@kanona0115]

I was just thinking about games and puzzles after reviewing the main toy categories we have before decluttering. Can’t wait for tomorrow. Our “Stuffed friends” are a whole other ball game. I have to tread lightly here-- There.are.a.lot! 👀 I have purged/packed away some but still a lot physically in her bed/accessible to her.

[@lesliejoseph123]

kanona0115 you are not alone! I have 2 boys. We HAD 422 stuffed animals 😬. We still have 200, 100 each it was really hard for them to let go of 222 of them but still made a big difference. Good luck

[@Soo_Blessed]

Not many kids have room to play in their bedrooms because of the amount of toys is what I've been seeing when I visit friends to have space to make a tent or stretch out and lay down on the carpet and read I think it's wonderful 😄

[@beckysmyth2830]

This is just so helpful!! Thank you!!

[@janeller1687]

Do you have a follow up video to this? I'm new to your channel (LOVE IT!) but in your recent videos, I've seen toys in the kids rooms. Has your thinking changed? Thanks!

[@bronspencer7815]

Your information is so on par Dawn! I hope one day I get the chance to meet you and thank you ❤️ Thanks for reading, Carrie Spencer

[@TheMinimalMom]

I would LOVE that Carrie!!!! What state are you in??

[@bronspencer7815]

I actually wrote you a reply in a private message on Instagram . Which I hope didn't freak you out! Thanks for reading, Carrie Spencer

[@deenahaines200]

Getting rid of stuffies is hard for me. But this time I’m MAKING myself do it. Their build a bears and their loveys that my SIL made are givens. After that I’m gonna have them choose 3. Then if they don’t pick the ones I absolutely love I’ll keep those but get rid of the others. I have already done the storage method and I’m over it lol

[@JenniferAMThomson]

Fantastic series. I’m a busy mum too and it seems like they multiple :) thanks for this video xx

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank YOU, I greatly appreciate it!!! :)

[@guynellerandle9742]

I think 3 is a perfect number to focus on.

[@stephanieschleckser9317]

Unfortunately we really don’t have the space to have the kiddos toys in the living room. However, we have built in wardrobes that we can’t change because we rent - so what I’ve done is designated one of the wardrobes in each of their rooms for toys and I bought bike locks and I can lock up the wardrobe at the end of the day or if we are doing school at home or what have you and I don’t want them having access to the toys. It also requires that all the toys go back into the wardrobe by the end of the day, and I don’t have to worry about them playing when they should be sleeping lol.

[@stephanieschleckser9317]

Oh and it also limits how many we can have due to space!

[@summergirl6130]

Thank you for answering my question! I love your videos, you are such an inspiration.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank YOU!!!!

[@alyssarosengard6674]

I'm interested in how you decorate for Thanksgiving and Christmas?

[@TheMinimalMom]

Good question! I will have a video coming soon!!!

[@alecktra1]

I need to minimize my daughter's dollhouse. Barbie is hoarding too much junk in there!

[@katemiller5990]

😂😂😂

[@ruth_daugherty]

Thank you. This video motivated my 7 year old son to get rid of some of his toys.

[@celestiafanforever]

What I have found to help keep most of my own stuffed animal collection off the floor and out of my closet is a stuffed animal net.

[@andjelamarkoski2320]

My mom rotated my toys every 3 to 4 months, and to be honest I usually forget most of the by the time she gives them back to me. So she got rid of half of them every time, and I didn't notice. Now I am 15 and have around 20 special things that were always my favourite. My friend's mom kept all her toys, expecting my friend to get rid of them when she gets older,and now my friend can't get rid of anything, because she doesn't know what to do with all of that stuff, but doesn't want to get rid of everything....

[@littlebitsofchaos]

This video couldn't have come at a better time I'm currently trying to decide if I want to move my kids toys to their bedroom and only allow them to bring one bucket to the living room at a time or if I want to leave them downstairs in the living room

[@TheMinimalMom]

Oh that's funny! I know, ultimately, everyone has a different house setup so it is difficult to make blanket statements, but I'm glad if it helps!

[@littlebitsofchaos]

@@TheMinimalMom yes i still cant decide 🤣 i see benefits on both sides of it because their room is upstairs my living room could be free of toys but then the kids will be tucked away and ill end up spending less time with them. Humm well i guess this comment helped me decide 🤣🤣🤣

[@mattbertrand9496]

I’ve used the truck of “go clean your room” or “go do your laundry” to get my kids to play. You want them to play, give them a chore to do.

[@edennovak3244]

In spring of 2017 my sister was involved in an automobile accident that incapacitated her for 3 months. About 2 weeks after her accident, we hadn't really had time to clean in weeks and had had babysitters at our house every day. We came home from the rehab center it was 10pm and there were 6 inches (really) of toys from one end of the living room floor to the other. We had to kick a path just to get through. Suddenly the weight of all of these toys I now had to deal with was just too much. I spent a sleepless week cutting the kids toys in half, and it was great and I thought we were done. The kids were OK about getting rid of things, but because we started with sooooo many cutting it in half actually didn't make it much easier to manage. And then another year of holidays passed and another years worth of stuff came in. This Christmas after begging relatives to do the "experience" thing and having almost no one listen I've really started downsizing and yes challenging at first but its been sooo beneficial!! As it turns out my son doesn't really want any of his action figures and cars. He wants SPACE to display his completed lego sets. We are homeschoolers so I'm finding it extremely difficult to be minimal in the classroom.... and also this topic of stuffed animals. Tackling them next. Wish me luck, this will be harder than toys at my house!

[@heatherb7126]

Eden Novak I’m also a homeschooling mom and stuffed animals are the biggest struggle. I’d love to hear if you’ve had success in this area and any suggestions. My kids still guilt me about a dollar store stuffed bear given to them by a grandparent that made it’s way into the donation bag 2 years ago!!! My latest attempt at taming this situation has been to purchase a small storage bench for each child. I have explained to them that this is where all of their favorite toys and stuffed animals need to fit and when it is overflowing we need to narrow down. We are currently at overflowing status and now Christmas is right around the corner....so, I guess it’s time to tackle the toys!

I managed to get my twin boys to whittle it down from about 12 stuffed animals on their bed to 4! I was surprised at how happy they were to do it. We kept some other ones in a box cos they had gotten rid of a lot of toys and it was too hard to get rid of more. We'll go back to those again...

[@gchaudhry1]

That's a great video. I'll be watching the rest in series.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Thank you!!!

[@balboathedog]

These are so helpful, thank you!

[@jillboswell4]

great ideas!!!!! Thank you for sharing.

[@LeahLebow]

PS I LOVE your channel. I’m a new twin mom to baby girls and I’ve embraced minimalism over the last few months- it’s a work in progress but I am enjoying it. Does anyone have any suggestions for books? I have a bunch of books that I intend to reread but haven’t and being a new mom I feel like I’m not going to have much time..

[@sunny-paigevinup7940]

Where did you find your toy storage? I love that it blends with the rest of the house and doesn't scream "TOY BOX"

[@TheMinimalMom]

Good question, it is from Ikea but I've been told that they don't sell it in black anymore, just white and wood colored :)

[@sunny-paigevinup7940]

Thank you I'll definitely be heading that way!

[@bostelmanfamily]

Do you have any room tours that show what you keep in your kids rooms? We currently live in a 3 bedroom house and we would like to have 1 or 2 more kids (we currently have 3) and I’m torn on how to organize the kids rooms to accommodate more children. We don’t want to move because we really like our house, but I don’t know how to make the rooms work. I know you mentioned you have a small house so I was hoping you could provide some input.

[@TheMinimalMom]

GOOD question: So basically what you see in this video is it, we only have two bedrooms right now (the kids' bedroom and our bedroom) but plan to remodel this winter to turn the upstairs into two bedrooms so we'll have three bedrooms total and then we'll split the girls and boys up. So all four of our kids are in one room right now and basically they each have a bed and then there is one dresser and a closet. We wouldn't really need the dresser right now, but I think we will when the kids get older, so it is just kind of sits in there not being used. It's kind of hard to tell from the video but its a decent size room and they all do great together right now, we just know as they get older they will want separate rooms. We can't do bunk beds because of the slanted ceilings, if we could that would be a big space saver. I hope this helps a little?

[@bostelmanfamily]

The Minimal Mom thank you. I appreciate the reply. We were thinking bunk beds. Our kids rooms are on the small side. I think 10x11. Do your kids seem to mind sharing a room? Our older two (5&3) seem to love sharing now. They even ask when their brother (10 months) is going to join them. At this point I know they’d love it. I’m just thinking at 15, 13, and 10 they might not. I’m probably overthinking things. I appreciate your videos because they inspire me to think outside the box for practicality. 😊

[@amandan943]

What do you get the kids for Christmas and birthdays and what do you recommend family give them? I’m worried I’ll do all this then holidays will hit and it will all be an issue again.

[@tiffanychalmers8866]

Perfect timing Dawn! I’m planning on simplifying the toys ahead of Christmas, so you re-opening the topic has given me the motivation! Thank you! I know that this isn’t relevant to you anymore, but do you have any ideas for keeping toys for older children away from babies (I’m thinking choke hazards), yet still keeping things minimal and out of bedrooms?

[@TheMinimalMom]

Good question: Most of our toys were usually baby-friendly, too, since our kids are close in age, but our girls did have a few lego sets and doll sets with small pieces. Those each had their own plastic container that we kept in a closet so that I had more control when they came out so that I could make sure the baby was napping or that they played with it at the table or counter where he couldn't get it :)

[@jakobbourne6381]

While young, you'd want to pique their interest into minimal and healthy hobby gifts such as books, if you want to not only help organize and declutter but also promote great hobbies. Other hobbies are fine, but piquing their interest into reading via *personalised childrens books* (custom versions) would benefit both nonetheless

[@MyLifeAsAMum]

@TheMinimalMom OH MY GOODNESS, THIS ONE.. I can relate too x I have 5 kids BUT my 14yo daughter has one of those ikea, hang from the ceiling pocket thingy's STUFFED with teddies so much so it keeps falling down... I said to her over a year ago, go through your teddies keep what you want get rid of some, really look at them and try to part with some (in no way did I tell, her to get rid of anything she couldnt part with I was simply saying TRY to get rid of some she has SO MANY, she came down with a black bag full but a bit of sad face, her dad asked her what was wrong and she said, mum told me to go through my teddies and get rid of some, but I dont want to.. I gave a little chuckle and said Brooke, when I told you to go through your teddies I meant really TRY to get rid of any, I dont want you to part with thing's you really dont want to, (I'm sure you know what I mean) but she just couldnt part with any. and took them ALL lol back up to her room x

[@stephaniechesser902]

What a about kids sentimental things how much and what to keep do you decide what to keep or them or depends on age

[@annabellazsanctuary]

You’re awesome 😎

[@chloedicken8253]

Stuffed Animals? love you

[@charmedpipper1]

I am an adult at 23 with too many stuffed animals, I have decluttered everything else except them and I'm really struggling to do it with these. Any advice for letting it go? Or even to simplify the process a little bit?

[@agonza4381]

All your kids share one room? Also, we are about to start moving into a new home I was considering packing all the toys and only taking out what they ask for if after a month they haven't asked for some of the toys that are still in boxes I was going to go donate them do you think that would work? I have a 7 year old boy and a 2 year old girl. Any input is greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES, I LOVE this idea with the toys!!!! I think that will work VERY well!! And yes, for now, all four of our kids share a room. Our house only has two bedrooms right now, but this winter we plan to remodel the upstairs to have two bedrooms and then we'll divide the kids up. But for now, I actually think they sleep better knowing there are other kids in the room!

[@ADAstrong]

Kids sleeping together is a great idea when they are little ...even in a large home. So many benefits, overhead budget, upkeep, etc. This is how the majority of the world lives. The luxury of a single bedroom for each member of the family is a North American thing. Once they are in their preteen stage ....you do need to seperate the girls from the boys.

[@sable747]

Hi! This was so motivating because I have one daughter that is more sentimental than the other. We are still unpacking and wouldn’t you know we found a box of mommy’s studies from childhood! My husband took a picture and now I will attempt to lead by example! :) also, I’ve noticed you and your husband don’t have many books?

[@TheMinimalMom]

We don't, he listens to books on Audible and I'm about 50/50 on my kindle app and real books, but I've gotten better about using the library or passing on books to my aunt, mom or sister once I've read them. We have a few that we keep, they are in a closet upstairs :)

[@sable747]

@@TheMinimalMom whoa. whoa. whoa. I'm speechless!

[@briannakurtz4220]

I notice in a couple of your videos you recommend just putting things aside in storage. We live in a small 2 bed apartment with no garage or basement and limited closet space. I always feel like we have too much stuff but if your only option is to keep or get rid of it then how do you decide? Advice? Do you already have a video about this?

[@melanierust7129]

Im going to work on with my kids picking out what they do want amd not the oplosite. I tried the opposite and it seemed like he was very confused. Looking forward to the stuffed animals. We prob have 30+, yes insame, but there are really only 3 or so he always plays with. Im not sure about my daughters 19months old, her baby dolls. She plays with them all, but maybe ill try taking one away here amd there.or pay extra attention to the ones she grabs or not..?

[@clewis8555]

Thanks for another great video! Can you share how you make nap and bedtime work with a shared room?

[@TheMinimalMom]

YES, coming up!

[@annebarbosa1]

Yay can’t wait !!!

[@camiioan822]

I found it very hard to part with my childhood things as well, till I tried it, and now it’s not that hard. I am 23 years old, and because we moved from Europe to America i found that it was hard to part with everything from my childhood in Europe.

[@jules9618]

You mentioned in another video that you do NOT rotate out your toys. You also mentioned that your kids can keep up to 3 stuffed animals on each of their beds. Do you rotate out stuffed animals? Or keep stuffed animals somewhere else? Or do your kids only have the stuffed animals on their beds? Sorry for all the questions but my daughter LOVES stuffed animals and I can’t image her only having 3 or less! Just curious if it is possible. Thanks!!!

[@TheMinimalMom]

Just three total! For some reason our kids have never been into stuffed animals that much! But you could definitely start by simplifying to 10 or 15 and then fewer from there. Some moms have said they can have the same number as their age which is kind of fun :)

[@hollykbae5231]

My son is extremely sentimental about his stuffed animals. He also has some anxiety around giving his beloved things away. We got out all his stuffed animals and put them on the floor. He had 2 weeks with them all over the place, in reach. He could access anything he wanted. We noted every animal he played with. At the end of 2 weeks, the ones he didn’t touch were put away in the garage. He didn’t even notice for months. When he finally asked where they were, we told him and he was fine with it because they weren’t “gone.” Then my husband and I started talking amongst ourselves about how the toys in the garage are really good baby toys. This sink in, and he said they would be better for babies and to give them away. That got rid of half his stuffed animals. After that, we allowed him to choose his favorite animals. He chose all but 3, and those 3 went too. He uses and loves there others regularly. We implemented a one in one out rule for our whole family, and that includes his toys. He now has to choose between a new stuffed animal and giving away one of his favourites. Every time he chooses the favourites and doesn’t even want the new one that people give as gifts. This was a bit of a long process but it was painless for our whole family, and only took moments of time here and there.

[@kristataylor4129]

we have an overly large teddy bear from last Christmas. I was thinking about making this giant bear into a puppet. Can you make a diy video on how to make it into a puppet? I thought this would be fun

[@MariaGarcia-bn8wh]

I really like the toy storage shelf you have in your living room! Could you let us know where you got it from?

[@TheMinimalMom]

Ikea, although apparently they don't have it in black anymore :(

[@Katy_living_simply]

Stuffies! My enemies. . . We have a house rule for them. Age number = Stuffies kept... simple as that... example my daughter is 8 and she can only have 8 stuffies, regardless if she spends her own money on a stuffie, gets them as gifts... I remind her if you want this new stuffie you have to get rid of one you already have. This usually tames the desire. And this is a kid who's favorite things in the world are stuffies.

[@TheMinimalMom]

LOOOOOOVE this rule!!! That is awesome!!!

[@LeahLebow]

I have a full laundry basket of stuffed animals from when I was a child with the intention of my own children playing with them. What should I do?

[@ashleylaha2967]

Do you have extra toys in storage/ garage to rotate? Or is the black shelf in your living room the only toys you own?

[@michellecuevas5243]

I think have been able to identify the why behind my son's clingy behaviors to all of his stuff to animals. After watching so many animated movies, he is determined to see them as having human characteristics. They all get names and personalities on their way in the door. They love him and their home. They have feelings. He introduce them to all their brothers and sisters. He remembers how painful it was for Jesse from Toy Story to be locked away in a dark box in storage. So now if I have correctly identified the problem, I feel like my only hope is to let him outgrow these childish ways. At least he is being creative and using his imagination???😂

[@Baby_Bebbi_The_Fur]

Well, watching this as a 13 year old with 200+ plushies all in my small room, this was so very helpful 🤣🤣🤣 Edit : Aight just to let people know this was a joke, so I don’t get yelled at XD

[@ERICA850]

The three things that are still controlling my life are homeschooling supplies, kids toys, and kids clothes. I have a whole wall in my garage with giant metal shelves dedicated to these things perfectly organized, labeled, in clear bins. I feel like if you saw it you would laugh. I am embarrassed about the amount of totes I have! I still can't keep up with it I thought if I gave everything a designated home with a label it would work but I still end up with piles of toys that get left behind that I have to organize into their bins and I just can't live this way.

[@hoffmansforhim7365]

Do you really keep the extra toys in storage? Or do you sneak and get rid of it or ask or tell them you are permanently getting rid of it?

[@amiehegeman]

Can you talk about your cleaning routine?

[@TheMinimalMom]

Coming up!

[@HarrietShearsmith]

Oh this is so helpful, I'm terrible!

[@stacyhigginson170]

Can't wait until we settle down in a few years into a real house so I can get the toys out of my son's room. We travel full-time and live in our RV and there isn't anywhere else to put this toys other than in his room.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Yes, that would DEFINITELY change things!!!

[@misspenelopediamond1856]

Got two a year apart and i do this

[@Joyfulmamaof2]

I love your videos! I was wondering how bedtime goes with all 4 of your kids in the same room! Our 2 kids share a room and bedtime is usually a nightmare! I would love to see how you do bedtime with your kids!

[@anniechen7606]

So, I simplified my kids’ toys and donated the ones I thought they didn’t care about. Then my oldest (3.5 yrs old) started asking for those toys! I have been feeling so guilty that I got rid of some stuffed animals that were hers from when she was born... so maybe that was over doing it in my part? But I’ve been trying to “let it go” because it is just stuff, and there are a bazillion more stuffed animals in the world. But the win is that cleaning up is a breeze.

[@er6730]

This is why I put the purged toys in a box and label it with the date. I give it 6 months-1 year, then donate. That way I'm sure it's fine. (I retrieve the asked for items if it comes up)

[@kellibrown2768]

Can't wait clean my 3 yr olds room tomorrow

[@michellegiblin6812]

Hi dawn please do a jewellery video and one unwanted gifts thanks dawn good luck

[@Christina-ip7eq]

I know it's not really a toy, but what about awards/trophies and things rock collections? My daughter likes to display every one of them...she earned it so I feel bad.....advice??

[@lisaowens9779]

PLEASE HELP ME !!!!! I was in a car accident 4/24/19 still not working have a notebook to try to keep all accident stuff together I have seen numerous different Dr's due to the accident With many different scans and tests Trying to keep track of notes i have taken do to accident Bills that need to be sent to Lawyer Test results Social services Social security admin Disability Counseling..... I am so overwhelmed I just had spinal and disc surgery I also was hurt at work beginning of april trying to keep this together as well..... I have only recently found you on utube I LOVE U GUYS Sister on sundays Your D.I.Y projects with husband Thank you again you simplify everything Wish i were closer to be able to meet y'all in your mobile home that y'all have worked on soooo hard Sorry for Diarrhea of the mouth

[@LearningPlantingGrowing]

What do you do when you have a child hoarder. A kid who will cry forever about a broken button. I cant stand the mess anymore and it spills all over the house. It's not my stuff so I'm not confident on getting rid of it.

[@TheMinimalMom]

Good question! You might find this video helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKe2lX5sosl7eLM buying toys from out kids has worked REALLY well!!!

[@hollykbae5231]

Help your child by teaching them about collecting. They have hoarded toys instead of collecting and you should own that you’ve allowed it. It’s their stuff but it’s your house. If you own it, it empowers you to act on it. Your hold can learn about collecting, which involves choosing pieces for certain qualities. For example, a hoarder can’t throw out a broken toy, but collector of toys will throw out the toy when it breaks if their collection doesn’t allow for broken toys. Also, collectors know everything in their collection. Does your child know everything they have hoarded? It’s a stepping stone to free them so they don’t feel they are getting rid of their Poe’s sessions as much as they are rooting out the ones that they don’t believe belong. You can teach collecting through children’s books in the topics, and then implement small rules that the child can make. Like my sons rule that a broken toy car doesn’t belong because his collection is of cars that aren’t “broken down” or “in need of repair.” Hope that’s helpful in some way or sparks some other useful idea in you. Best wishes

[@thymesawastin]

I looked through a lot of comments and didn’t see my question so I have a question: I’m diving in big to decluttering. I like your videos because they are different and more relatable for me. I’ve “de-cluttered”, organized and reorganized COUNTLESS times over the years with our large family. My kids joke quoting Fränk from Father of the Bride 2, “I could change this room!” -Mom!! lol Question: Is the blue bedside tub storage also or nightstand? If storage also what would you keep in it? Thank you for your fabulous videos!!!

[@notpadme]

me with my 176 stuffies on my bed LMAO

[@robloxwatch234]

You can never have too much stuffed animals I have a whole room full

[@Troliomr]

im a 25 yr old with a thousand stuffies not a single one will be thrown away also donating to goodwill is like donating to a landfill goodwill is corrupt