After the latest influx of toys into the house from birthdays and Christmas last year, I had my annual toy decluttering session in January. This involves getting four bin bags and sorting through the storage boxes we have dotted all over the house (a feeble attempt at restraining the toys as they always find a way out).
Some toys get put in the bag for moving up to the attic – this is a sort of half-way-house for toys which have been grown out of but are handy to hold onto for when friends with younger kids come to play or stay.
Some toys get put in the bag for fixing – a sort of toy triage bag. These are the lucky ones.
Some get thrown into the rubbish bag. These are generally the free plastic crap attached to the front of magazines and various other bits and pieces which have fallen apart – helicopter blades, tractor wheels, broken arms, rogue heads – toy zombies, if you will.
Then a final group gets put into the charity bag.
The eldest has a say in all of this and I make absolutely sure that he is happy for things to be put into certain bags. “Are you sure you don’t play with this one any more?”, “Yes mummy. We can give that one to charity. That’s fine.”
So, having gone through this very careful process, it’s a bit frustrating when this week he started asking for most of the toys we threw out or gave away. “Mummy,” he wails, “I really liked my tow truck and I don’t have it now. And my Flex is broken and I can’t find the missing piece,” (the missing piece had enough jagged edges on it to cut diamonds so was chucked out) and “Mumeeeeeeee, I really, really want to play with my Gripper and Grabber (magazine tat).”
Just like elephants, my boy, it would seem, never forgets. Maybe I’ll have a fifth bag next year for toys that should be thrown out or given to charity but may be looked for again at some point in the not so distant future!
Some toys get put in the bag for moving up to the attic – this is a sort of half-way-house for toys which have been grown out of but are handy to hold onto for when friends with younger kids come to play or stay.
Some toys get put in the bag for fixing – a sort of toy triage bag. These are the lucky ones.
Some get thrown into the rubbish bag. These are generally the free plastic crap attached to the front of magazines and various other bits and pieces which have fallen apart – helicopter blades, tractor wheels, broken arms, rogue heads – toy zombies, if you will.
Then a final group gets put into the charity bag.
The eldest has a say in all of this and I make absolutely sure that he is happy for things to be put into certain bags. “Are you sure you don’t play with this one any more?”, “Yes mummy. We can give that one to charity. That’s fine.”
So, having gone through this very careful process, it’s a bit frustrating when this week he started asking for most of the toys we threw out or gave away. “Mummy,” he wails, “I really liked my tow truck and I don’t have it now. And my Flex is broken and I can’t find the missing piece,” (the missing piece had enough jagged edges on it to cut diamonds so was chucked out) and “Mumeeeeeeee, I really, really want to play with my Gripper and Grabber (magazine tat).”
Just like elephants, my boy, it would seem, never forgets. Maybe I’ll have a fifth bag next year for toys that should be thrown out or given to charity but may be looked for again at some point in the not so distant future!
I'm not there yet, mine are still too young, but I have the boxes all over the house and attempt to chuck or charity most of the plastic crap when the toddler's not looking..
ReplyDeleteOohhh, I have been here so many times that I just wait until he is well grown out of them before touching anything. It does ease out as they get older. I have more toys in my attic that I dare think about though!! Jen.
ReplyDeleteOh my yep, se have to pop things in the loft before the charity shop, as a kind of insurance policy!!
ReplyDeleteAnything that's good enough to sell I'll sell at an NCT sale (usually make 70 pounds after the 30% which goes to the NCT charity has been taken), things which are still good but not good enough to sell I offer to friends with kids, the rest gets chucked.
ReplyDeleteOh - it's a nightmare isn't it? I've had exactly the same experience recently. And I gathered lots of not-beloved, have-sat-around-for-years-and-not-been-looked-at soft toys, hid them in a bag waiting to take them to a charity shop..... and they were found! And now they're scattered about the house...again!
ReplyDeleteHe's just training for a future like mine, one where I can merrily say to someone 'oh, I've got a book about that you can borrow' followed moments later by, 'Ah, I had a book about that' when I remember it went to the local charity shop in the last 'we-must-get-rid-of-some-before-the-house-collapses' clear-out.
ReplyDeletei need that bag for my clothes. just this weekend i was wondering what i'd done with a leather jacket i wore 10 years ago and quite fancy having a peek at now. long gone though..... which is why i'm also a nightmare at getting rid of any toys. even the box of baby toys that i tried unsuccessfully to hide away is still quite popular!
ReplyDeleteFor a minute there I was feeling guilty. I used to sort the toys when my children were out. And when they looked for missing broken toy, I would deny all knowledge. I still have bags of their toys in storage boxes in the basement. I can't part with the still intact good toys, and they are all in their twenties now. LOL
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful mine are too small to notice the things that end up in the charity bin yet.
ReplyDeleteOh you are good to involve them in the decision making process. I am much more sneaky because they do find it hard to part with anything - even the McDonalds tat - even if things are broken or it's for a good cause. Reminds me that I need to start sorting toys. I want to try to sell some of them before we go home but it seems so much easier to do the bin/charity combo and be done with it!
ReplyDeleteIt's always the way... Mine have incredible memories - Daisy can remember something I promised her (in a fit of quick distraction) 5 weeks ago! Damn.
ReplyDeleteThe 9 year old cannot bear to part with his treasures, he gets so emotionally attached. The 6 year old - she's oodles better at clearing out.
ReplyDeleteHowever they both remember without fail - when I have 'borrowed' their chocolate & owe it them back....
Aren't you good? I operate the one bag policy in our house...anything which came with a comic/left on their carpet/I don't like the look of...gets chucked into a bin bag and put out for the dustman...
ReplyDeleteI know, I love to de-clutter toys.I keep the good ones up in the loft in case my son has a family in the future, but still have a job suggesting she really has grown out of her aged 4 snow white dress (remembering that she is now 10) The worst things are blessed cuddly toys - we have two big black sacks in the attic and she still keeps on buying them at xmas fayres and so on and has collected 16 build a bears for various birthdays !!!! No way I will ever be able to suggest charity shop or black bag for those!
ReplyDeleteYou are so clever. It's been five years with kids now, and I still haven't done a clear-out. We're about to drown in toys. It's time, I think.
ReplyDeleteI remember my brother wailing (a few years ago (he's 40)) about some old toys our Mum threw out when he outgrew them. It's kind of a running joke in my family... my Mum discarding his stuff without his permission. Perhaps hang on to a few of those things... you never know, he could be bringing this up in thirty years..!
ReplyDeletePS as if you aren't busy enough I've tagged you at mine for the handbag contents do-dah if you fancy doing it!
ReplyDeleteOh I can relate. When I was due with number two, I brought out number one's old baby toys and he insisted he still needed to play with each and every one - right down to the teething rings.
ReplyDeleteWe're overrun with toys and overdue a clear out. Right now I just pretend I don't see the mess.
Just to let you know, you're one of my Hot Blog Titles for February.
http://babesabouttown.com/2010/02/10-hot-blog-titles/
P.S. I've tagged you over at my blog
ReplyDeleteMy middle son was like that too. Still is truth be told!! Although, I'm not sure if it was the guilt laden angst he played up on more than actually missing the toy itself.
ReplyDeleteYou've reminded me I've got a certain 3-year-old's toys to declutter this week.
We are going through this right now and I have spent the last while explaining the concept of 'eBay' to my 3 year old....
ReplyDelete