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You walk into your child’s room and stop dead in your tracks.
You’re not sure, but it looks like a tornado has hit the room or maybe the toy box exploded in some sort of freak Legos-vs-Barbies-induced accident.
It’s a true “face/palm moment” when you notice the carpet has virtually disappeared until a mass of play items.
Welcome to the world of parenting.
Let me assure you; you are not the first parent to be mortified by the state of your child’s playroom.
To make matters worse, each new toy brought in only makes the mess worse.
As much as you try to keep everything organized and the chaos under control, toys/games/Legos/dolls seem to be taking up every available nook-n-cranny in your home.
But don’t despair, the following is a great strategy that can help you declutter the toys and enjoy a (somewhat) mess-free space.
The Toy Tangle Solution: A Toy Rotation
One of the problems with children’s toys is that they collect on your floor and seemingly procreate at night when no one is watching.
What was once a single puzzle has now multiplied into what looks like 40 different puzzles that are trying to make a run for it.
Each day seems to add a new toy to the pile and chances are your child doesn’t play with all of those toys every day anyway. In fact, there are probably some toys that your child hasn’t touched in months.
The reality is that too many toys, and a constant need to make too many choices on what to play with, can often create a sense of overwhelm for kids and parents alike.
If this is the case in your home, its time to “rotate your stock” and create a toy rotation.
How to Create a Toy Rotation
Grab some bins and fill them with toys your child hasn’t played with recently.
Tuck them away in a safe and out-of-the-way space where your children can’t easily “make a raid” and drag them all back out again.
Once a month, pull out a bin and put those toys in your child’s play space. Then refill the container with the toys your child has been playing with.
Then sit back and watch what happens. It’s surprising how what was old, suddenly becomes “new” again in the eyes of your child.
They’ll start playing with those tucked-away toys as if it’s the first time they ever laid eyes on them!
The bonus is that your child will experience more creative playtime and you’ll have created a system to reduce the toy clutter in their room.
An Important Side Note: There will always be those favorite toys that should not get packed away and should remain available at all times.
However, the majority of the toys could and should enter this monthly rotation, and your newfound system will make for a cleaner room… and a happier mama!
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