Is an Abundance of Toys Ever a Negative for Kids?
One of my favorite ways to celebrate the holidays is buying gifts for the great kids in my life! And there are so many fabulous choices: cute clothes, wonderful books (hey, don’t forget that I used to be a librarian!), the latest toys… Plus it makes children so happy to get presents. Let’s be honest: we all love a good gift!
So don’t worry: I am not here to be the Grinch in your Whoville! But I would like to ask if it’s possible that your kids already have an abundance, maybe even an overabundance, of things. If that is the case, now is the perfect time to box up old clothes, books no longer read, toys no longer played with, and give them to a community organization.
Winnowing your children’s things has many benefits.
Other families can enjoy those gently used toys, clothes and books. (Please don’t donate anything that is broken or soiled!)
With the removal of these items from your house, your kids will now have room for all the lovely gifts that are being chosen for them as we speak!
With fewer toys, your children may actually enjoy the ones they have more! Not only will it be easier for them to find the toy they want, but studies show that when kids have fewer things to play with, they get more creativity. And creativity increases brain power!
Plus I have another question to ask you: have you been feeling overwhelmed, in part by too many toys underfoot? Is the clutter adding to your stress level? Kids do pick up on our stress, so minimizing the clutter will help lower your stress which in turn will reduce your kids’ stress. Win-win!
This can be a challenging project, but just take it one step at a time. First, look for anything that is broken or is missing pieces, and throw it away. Next, ask your children for toys that they don’t play with anymore. These go in the donation pile. And by the way, you’ll be teaching your kids valuable organization skills by including them in this process! Remember, this won’t happen all in one day, so don’t put that pressure on yourself. Lasting change happens in small pieces.
Grace In Cycles is always here to help, whether you just need a DIY package to get started or you need us to come to your home to tackle this project. We work with clients in south central PA, from Harrisburg to Camp Hill, from Hershey to Mechanicsburg, and beyond!