The Great Toy Purge

[Amber]

Who all is doing a Great Toy Purge?

These past couple of weeks I have been sorting through toys, and boxing up what the boys don't play with any more. Of course I have to do it when Cole isn't around because he tends to get a little upset by it. I have taken out some many little toys that they never really played with except to dump out all over the floor :giggle It feels good, but it is hard. I feel guilty when I put away toys that were given to the boys as gifts, even if they don't play with them :shrug There are still more things that I could move out too, but I think I will wait until after Christmas and see what they get :shifty

Some of the toys are being put away for a yard sale next spring/summer, others I am going to try selling on Craigslist, and we are keeping a few (but not many). It is so bittersweet.

[BHope]

I need to do a toy separate and clean up before I can begin purging. But I dream about that day.

[Sarai]

I"m doing the same, and it is hard. I boxed up all of the old wooden puzzles that he doesn't use anymore, as well as most of his old board books. All of those types of toys I'm going to store for now. My mom will probably take some for her house and the rest will likely get sold in a yard sale next summer.

Anything broken got tossed, and the toys that he just doesn't play with are going to get donated. Where, I'm not sure.....both his daycare and Sunday School are out since he will know they are "his" toys and that will just cause problems. :think Maybe I'll end up selling those, too. :shrug At any rate, they're in a big box that needs to go up in the attic now. :yes

[hey mommy]

I haven't been, but I will start soon. I always do before Christmas and b-day.

[mom2threegirls]

I am in a couple of weeks! :yes We're putting our house on the market tomorrow and moving to a bigger one in 2 1/2 weeks and I packed up ALL the toys except a handful of favorites in boxes. The kids have been playing BETTER together and haven't even noticed for the most part :jawdrop :rockon. It's amazing. I didn't have time to go through the toys- just dumped them into boxes but when we move into the new house ALL the boxes of toys and larger toys are going straight into the garage for me to sort through before they go into the house :yes. We will be purging a TON of things. Or maybe we'll try rotating them again and getting rid of some :think. Rotating hasn't worked so well for me in the past :think.

It's amazing how clean the house is staying without hundreds of little toy pieces scattered all over their rooms and throughout the house :smile.

My kids get upset when I go through their toys when they are around too. I know what is special to them and what they play with and only get rid of the things that DON'T get used (they just get thrown to the side so they can get to what they want! :giggle) but they still get upset when they see things going away.

[Marielle]

ours is done because Ian's birthday was last week. The first year I did it I felt guilty. Now I don't. I've also let go of the guilt regarding general decluttering. When it was used, it was used. If not it's out of here. More space, more peace.

I mentioned it in another thread but we went from 14 large ikea bins down to 4 or 5. And it's a relief. They play more now instead of sifting through the mess.

All of the excessive wooden toy buying we AP parents feel compelled to do has come to an end. Not that I'm going to stop buying wooden toys but that I'm no longer a slave to all the Melissa and Doug stuff and buying them out LOL.

[Amber]

All of the excessive wooden toy buying we AP parents feel compelled to do has come to an end. Not that I'm going to stop buying wooden toys but that I'm no longer a slave to all the Melissa and Doug stuff and buying them out LOL.

Amen! They toys that I am having the hardest time getting rid of are some of our wood toys, even if the boys don't play with it :O I have no problem getting rid of the cheap plastic stuff, but when it comes to the higher quality toys I start making excuses. I have to remind myself that we don't have to completly get rid of them, those are the toys that we can hang on to and see if the boys want to play with them later, or give them to the next baby that comes along.

[LadybugSam]

:popcorn, i'm doing this in 2 weeks (after Caleb's birthday party)

Man i hope his grandparents decide to get him clothes :O