My kids are beyond blessed. Our house resembles a poorly organized toy store. They have more toys than I ever saw as a child and the in-stream is non-stop. Even if my husband and I were to never buy them another toy again, they would still have tons coming in via grandparents, birthday and holiday gifts, and mommy's connections as a blogger (yes, my kids get lots of swag because I blog).
I don't begrudge them any of their toys, but if we let them keep them all and never got rid of any there would be no room for anything else in our home. So periodically we go through and get rid of old toys. I have amassed some tips that make the whole process go smoother.
Read more ¿Qué más?: 6 Genius ways to organize your kids' toys (PHOTOS)
By smoother I mean easier for both the kids and myself. Here's what we do.
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Make the kids part of the decision. When the toy box starts overflowing, my husband or I sit with both of our daughters and go through every toy. They get to pick which toys go and which stay. Sometimes I give them a minimum number of toys that need to go, but most of the time that's not necessary. It's also great because they rediscover toys they had forgotten about.
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Toys are not trash. My conscience would kill me if I threw away all the toys my kids no longer want or use. If they are broken or no longer usable, then I suppose they are trash, but if they are still in good shape you can donate them to women's shelters or certain thrift stores.
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Find out where you can donate your gently used toys. Don't just pack up your used toys and take them to the nearest Goodwill. Why? Because not all thrift stores accept children's toys. I know that where I live, Goodwill does not accept them, but Salvation Army does. It's as easy as making a phone call to find out.
Going through your household stash of toys on a regular basis makes it easier to control the clutter that can come with kids. I highly recommend including your children in the process because of course they are going to get upset that you got rid of their favorite lint ball if you didn't discuss it with them first. Wouldn't you get upset if they gave away your favorite pair of shoes just because you don't wear them every day?
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