I'm not playing around
With Christmas Quickly approaching one of my biggest gripes and irritations will once again be brought front and center. It's not the thought of putting on a few holiday pounds or not having that perfect gift for someone but the thought of more toys.
Yes, I said toys. Our dirty little secret is out. Santa, please forgive me but we have too many damn toys at our house. THEY say the first step in solving a problem is admitting you have one in the first place. Well we have a whopper of a toy problem. Only I should Mctoy problem because even the little happy meal toys are piling up. Gah!
I admit the wife and I started the problem. When we had our first we went overboard with stuff. At age Seven our son is just now old enough to play with things we bought him when he was three. Rookie mistake on our part but in our defense we were rookies at the time.
I honestly thought it would even out. Our second was a boy, so all the toys would still work for him. Good plan, bad execution. Even though he had PLENTY of toys to play with the urge to buy more, so he could have something to open on his birthday and Christmas, got the best of us. Arggg!
Then my little girl was born. So that means all new girl toys. We just ignore the fact that she plays with the cars, tanks and toy guns and buy her dolls, tea sets and anything pink. Bah!
Over the years we have tried to cut back and we have... to a degree. But, there are still grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends that contribute. We tell them to buy clothes for the kids but just like us they go for the big exciting make them love you gifts (TOYS) not the more practical, useful, and in the end much more used clothing gifts (BORING).
So now with Christmas at the gate I looked in their play room only to see mountains of old toys everywhere. Many a weekends I have made the resolve to go in there and throw out the broken, old, unused toys, only to find one of them playing with the dump truck missing two wheels and a door. How sweet is that? Grrrr! So I never throw any out because I can make a case for all the toys to stay. Plus I always remember the Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer movie and the land of misfit toys. How pathetic am I?
But no more! Before the happy, red suited, fat man comes down our chimney I plan to resolve this situation. There's a new sheriff in town (ok, it's still just me) and he hates old, worn out, unused toys. He plans on getting tough and taking action. So watch out toys, you're going down this time and believe me... I'm not playing.
14 comments:
Good luck Sheriff!
I'll be interested to see how this turns out!
Getting rid of toys is such an overwhelming project. Mike still asks where his pirate ship went from the first time I discarded the "unused" toys. Who knew he'd ask for the damn thing after not touching it for almost a year?! About 35 seconds after it hit the garbage truck and started rolling down the street, it was his new favorite.
As a parent, you just can't win sometimes...
;)
But toys are people too!
*jump*
*roll*
*tackle*
HI HB!!!
*grin*
Jen: I'll need all the luck I can get. There are going to be some long sad faces in that play room. I'm pretty sure the kids will be upset as well.
HB: Helloooooooo there HB! Is it getting cold up there yet? I'm glad to see you're still stopping in. :) Yes, my children treat some of their toys better than they treat each other. Kids, sheesh!
Hi Jen, Hi RT, Canadians are immune to the cold but it depresses the heck outta me. Last year I had to shovel the driveway only three times all winter, four times so far this time, looks like it's going to be brutal.
Iam going to hibernate now, bye.
Good to see you rearing your head, HB!!
RT, I am laughing so hard at the "Land of Misfit TOys" reference that I almost lost sight of the task at hand...
Jen's right, you can't win this one no matter what. So it's better to just push up your sleeves and git 'er done, Sheriff. What are childhood memories without one where Daddy threw out your favorite toy and you cried for weeks on end?
*grin*
I think you may be thinking along the wrong lines. There are 2 great ways of getting rid of toys, and teaching the kids at the same time.
First set the ground work. Tell the kids, that because it is coming close to Christmas, and Santa is coming, they are going to need more space for "big boy/girl" toys. That means some of the old toys that you don't use anymore, because they are for "babies", have to go. Its a simple fact that kids don't like to be called babies.Next tell them you need to either fix a broken toy or throw it out. Get the kids involved.
Having to fix a toy, means that they have to value it more, because they put work into it. And if they are willing to put work into it, you know they want it kept. They will also learn that something might be beyond repair, which might instill a value in not breaking something.
Next give them the option. You can either have a yard sale, and sell your toys. Meaning they get money back to spend on something for them. Maybe sweets, maybe a holiday, teaching them about money and the cost of items.
Or you can let them donate the toys to a charity shop. Kids love the idea of charity if you sell it to them right. Poor kids who Santa cant find, or poor kids who lost all their old toys in New Orleans.
When it is all done, the kids will have something to be happy about, wont look for an old toy, and you have a cleaner house.
The first time I went through Mike's toys I told him that there were kids everywhere who weren't lucky enough to have all the cool stuff he had and maybe we should look through it and give some away.
I reassured him that he didn't have to give anything up if he didn't want to (which was all a fabrication since I was throwing some shit away one way or another!!)
We went through a massive amount (not your house massive!) and got rid of a lot of stuff. I was proud of my little guy for wanting to help others so much.
Daughter: I think we're showing our age with the misfit toy reference :) The other is not a problem because I'll throw them out and tell them mommy did it. I don't like being the bad guy ;)
I tried to get my oldest involved once. He wanted to throw out all the other kids toys :(
Good suggestions Darren, some I will definitely try. Two of my children are still too young to reason with. They are all spoiled (the wife did it!)but we're getting better. It's everybody else now. Sheesh!
Jen: I was throwing some shit away one way or another
HA! that made me lol. I need to bring Jacob around Mike for a bit. Jacob hides his toys around the house so his brother and sister can't find them. Have you ever sat on a six shooter? Even for a sheriff, ouch.
Sweet post again :)
Blimey Darren - you'll make a good dad :)
I say send the broken old ones to a third world country :) make your kids realise where they're going too.
Your playroom reminded me of my old bathroom again :(
I've almost had a misfit toy tattoo a few times. It's in line behind some other stuff.
*blush*
I've never sat on a six shooter, but the transformers aren't a lot of fun on the butt either!
:-D
"Blimey Darren - you'll make a good dad :)" - hopefully one day
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