I did this years ago when my kids were 3 and 6. My kids are teens now but I got rid of everything except art supplies and it changed our life. Less bickering, more creativity, and a much calmer family life. The stuff was stressing us all out more than I realized. We have never looked back!
My son knows every toy he has and had ever gotten, even years later. So what we do is go through everything together. I explain what we’re doing and why. We fill a few boxes and donate every few months. Been doing this over a year. He’s 4. Teach your kiddos from a young age. 👌
I told my 2 girls, "Go through your stuff, and give me any thing you don't want anymore. I will give you $1 for every little thing you give me." They made it into a competition and ended up giving me 50 things 😐 I thought I was going to have to dish out about $12 lol.
@@CrazyCrafter821 keep trying! It gets easier the earlier they learn. I’ve been doing this with my son since he was about 4. He’s now 11 and asking me if he can donate some of his toys. ❤
@tracy41887 You can try doing that with your staff you don't need anymore so he can see you and then go through the toys together. I used to declutter my staff with my daughter from when she was a baby. She always helped putting things in bags. Clearly she didn't know what I was doing, but as she grew, she understood
I love what Natalie Bennett does for her kids birthdays and holidays. She gets them a book, a surprise gift, 1 thing theyve asked for and 1 thing to wear
I am currently taking care of my late 90+ yo dad's house. He lived in this house for almost 40 years with my mom who passed away many years ago. I found they had kept almost all of our favorite games (we did not have much in those days) and even a favorite game I loved as a kid and always wondered if I could find a replacement on line someday. I'm 70 yo and honestly have no use for it and probably never really wanted a replacement - but it touched my heart (as so many other things did) that they thought it was special enough to keep for over 60 years - even keeping it for two moves since I had it at about 6 or 7. But times were different then. You rarely got toys except for your birthday or Christmas - so the little we had, we cherished.
I am reminded here how important it is to recognize we only need “spark engagement” of children, then they will innately “entertain” themselves. Toys can overrun children’s natural play just as they can take over a space- they should simply inspire the imagination ❤ All great tips! And congrats on your new baby!
We have all the toys but i realized it’s time to donate the majority of them when my three year old played with a piece of foam packing material for literally four hours one afternoon.
As a grandmother of 4, mother of many, I decided years ago that the kids only get half of their gifts at a time, while the other half gets stored away. They always get all their gifts on the holiday to open. Once they do that the toys that aren't getting played with right away, are quickly hidden. A few months later it's like the kids have brand new gifts again!! It worked for my kids. 🤷🏼♀️
Kallie, this is great!!! We had four kids and we learned early on that they played better AND longer, when they had fewer toys. Our kids have great imaginations, and they grew up to be very productive adults! You are on the right track!!! We also had them choose toys to give to less fortunate kids, to thin down their toys right before the holidays. That really helped to keep it under control.
I followed your example and got rid of half of their stuff….so much better and they haven’t missed anything 3 weeks later. They are playing so nicely and are able to clean everything up, even the 3 year old. Thanks mama!
Congrats Kallie. As a first time mom with a 3 month old I am trying to solidify in the aunties and grandparents now that we dont need/ have room for alot of toys. Thank you for confirming this.
We started doing events for birthdays too. So instead of getting a ton of toys, we all go to the zoo, or a theme park or something. Everyone pays their own way in lieu of a gift and we have a fun family day, minus all the clutter of unnecessary toys!
@@Jolene03 Fantastic idea. Sometimes it's better to get experiences rather than unnecessary items that don't end up used or enjoyed but instead clutter the space.
When I was a kid, I didn't have a ton of toys. I had just enough. My toys were always in my room. But when my mom got rid of any of my toys while I was at school, I noticed !
Did a quarterly toy rotation when my kids were little. It all happened while they napped, then they'd wake up to all 'new' toys. They loved it. Now I need to do this with our grandchildrens' toys.
I think a trap we also fall into is they get excited playing with a particular toy at a friend or family members house and then we feel like they need a duplicate at home, instead of it being an exciting thing they get to do away from home. My sister is a sucker for this, my niece will come here, play with something different and really enjoy it, so my sister will buy it for her to have at home, and will then complain that it doesn't get used there. Sometimes it's about the environment and who you are playing with, not the toy itself.
I love this! I decided to become a minimalist when I had a newborn and 1.5 yr old. It changed my life. No more cleaning up a thousand kids toys a day! Thanks for sharing this video. 😊☀️🌸
I've been moving towards minimalism, decluttering lots. Really mulling over the "burden of abundance". The toy declutter happened after a couple weeks of dumping bins into mountains.. very overwhelming. I decided just one cube of random toys and a teddy per child, their legos, construction trucks for outside, and a large train set. I walked them through how I would have all the rest of their toys in the basement, that it was available anytime, but they could only exchange a toy for a toy. That first week they did a couple exchanges, but other than that this past month they've been content and they can pick up after themselves in 5 minutes. It's been so healthy, and they have not stopped having the time of their lives ❤️
Her kids didn't even notice? Man, I wish I had that problem haha. My 4 year old will ask me like a year later after I have decluttered a toy, "hey remember that toy that was pink and sparkly? Where is it?" And then extreme mom guilt implodes lol.
@tracy41887 😂😂 I’ve done that, too. Shameless. LOL But I also occasionally included him on the declutter so he learns. He’s now 11 and asking to donate things. 👍🏻
My daughter likes to keep her toys so we “put them in memories” which is code for storage in the attic. Periodically we go through “memories” and she is often more ready let it go when she’s had some time away from it. Her love language is gifts and the majority of her toys were gifts so they are important to her. It’s not as efficient, but it helps to honor her feelings in the short run for the long term benefits.
Love this video. I try and get rid of toys every now and then to keep it managed because they have SO MUCH! Usually it’s months later if they even ask for something. But majority of the time they don’t even notice when something is gone. As you said “they really don’t need much for them to be creative and have independent play”
I'm constantly going through and purging my kids' toys. They get a lot that they like for a while, then it sits unused. They've never noticed or asked for something once it's gone. We keep their favorites. The things they consistently play with are the magnatiles, dolls with different outfits, play kitchen with food, and Legos. It's nice to have a less cluttered space, and they play so much better with less!
That is exactly what my kids play with and that’s mostly what they have! We have the play kitchen, small basket with kitchen toys and then a toybox with toys… and nothing else! They’re fine and LOVE the toys they have
Sidewalk chalk drawn roads with simple houses and places they recognize are a huge game changer for cars and other things with wheels. Keep the wheeled stuff and chalk in a container outside. Initially you will have to draw the roads and buildings but as they get older they will draw their own and spend hours with the town they made.
@@angiesue8366 it’s always a hit. Sometimes I take my basket to the local park when I take great grands and they love it and the kids there join in and everyone has a great time. Sometimes college aged kids without kids join in and make elaborate worlds. Mario or Spider-Man or Batman’s Gotham City.
Where I live the chalk drawings never stay for long but they never tire of drawing new things. One of the playgrounds next to our house has streets permanently drawn with roundabout etc. (The townhall took care of it).
Never mind the toys! Congratulations on the baby… so tell us, please? Are you well? Boy or girl? Birth weight of the new baby, pleeeease? Spill the tea! You look amazing, btw! ❤😘
Excellent experiment & study! Our kids we’re playing mostly outside since they grew up in a closed or gated community so we didn’t buy them so much toys! They made tree houses or play houses out of boxes . When they grew tired of play houses they made the boxes into another structure they we’re interested in like space ships or airplanes! They had great fun & memories! ❤️😍
One thing that has helped me so much with toys and toddlers, is yes, donating or packing up toys they don't play with, but also finding homes out of reach for the more complicated toys and puzzles, and only get those out a specific times. This keeps them from getting dumped on the floor 5 times a day, but also keeps them fresh and new when we want to do them together and have some learning time! Thankyou Cali! You inspired me to pack up 50% of their toys. I donated some and others I kept because I know as my 3 little boys grow and learn to actually build things it will take more blocks and farm animals, but for now it saves me a lot of time not having to pick so many up!
Thank you Kallie! This is a great reminder for me. Last year I heard some great stuff like this from Dawn (the Minimal Mom)... but I have forgot. Time to overhaul our household TOY situation!! God Bless!
I like to do that but i also before i get get rid of them I will take some of them that I have left I will rotate some of them that I have taken away that's how I find out what is the favorites and what I can give to family the more educational expensive toys and what I can donate to Goodwill so that's how I also Purge and keep my daughter's room nice and tidy and I get a lot of good ideas of how to manage more space from you as well
Thanks to Dawn the minimal mom, this has been my life saver before my 3rd baby came. The amount of peace in my home is so good. The kids are happy and I am happy and the hubby is happy win-win-win-win! I can go on about this but like Dawn’s video on living with a intentional “minimalism” is amazing. My toddlers clean up everyday their things and they are happy and energetic kids!
CONGRATULATIONS on your new baby!! ❤ We are mooving soon, and one of the things I'm looking forward the most, is the big decluttering purge that I'll make come with it! Great job, Kallie!
Congrats on your baby!! So wonderful. I hope you are letting yourself mend. I’m currently pregnant with number 3 and a lot of your tips are helping me to stay on top of things.
Me too! My nesting has taken on the form of extreme decluttering every time, if we get to baby number four there will be literally nothing left in the house 😂
Congratulations! Hope you all are doing well! I'm very impressed with how you managed to schedule your videos to have enough content so we didn't even notice your absence! I'm going to have a second child very soon and beg you for more parent hacks!
I tried doing something like this too, and instead of saying “it’s so clean!” like the minimal mom had said, instead my four year old said, “where did my toys go??” 😂
Try letting them know it’s in a new spot and ask which toys specifically they want to play with. It’s all about being intentional if they identify the toy they want to play with then why not bring it out back to them. You want to set them up for a successful adult life one day of not hoarding everything they don’t really use. Also you don’t want to clean up after them because they’re overwhelmed to do it themselves.
I have grandkids now and I hardly buy them anything. Books mostly. They get lots of hand-me-down clothes. I have some toys for them at my house. It's very easy to clean up with them or after they've gone home.
This video couldn't of come at a better time! My daughter just had a birthday , im so overwhelmed by all the toys. We have a small house so space is limited. Im going to try this out! Thank you for your videos, they are always so helpful!
I have done this a few times. I love it. My 4 year old will always say "its so clean!" but for the most part doesn't miss the toys at all. I struggle with stuffed animals though! my kids will notice every time I even take one out of their room. very frustrating.
We do this regularly and it helps a lot! I do toy rotation every 2 weeks, everything she didn’t really touch during that toy rotation I pull aside. It either gets put away with the “younger” toys I’m saving for the next baby (sometimes I can tell it’s just too young for her now and doesn’t hold her interest) or donated. It helps keep our toy rotation manageable and she’s consistently playing with what I do set out!
Love this! I put extra toys in a spare bedroom to do toy rotation and I still think there are too many. Your experiment makes feel good about pairing down even more. I always get the mom guilt. 😊
Congratulations on baby 3. After my third baby was born I did the same thing. Decluttered toys. Its much easier for the whole family. The kids can pack up without feeling overwhelmed and you dont have to be bending over picking everything up all the time.
Great video! I did the same with my kids toys about a year ago (took 50 % of their toys to the garage) and to my big surprise my older son only asked very few times for a specific toy - I could not believe it! Rotating toys is also a game changer 👍 Oh and by the way - you look absolutely stunning! Greets from Austria
I just got rid of probably 50-75% of my boys’ toys. It’s been fantastic! My six year old made his own racetrack with cardboard the other day. It was amazing because when he was surrounded by tons of toys he was actually more destructive in his play.
Just did this in my girls' shared bedroom. I spent an hour cleaning and decluttering and ended up with three bags of toys to donate and one bag of things (broken toys, old torn drawings, etc) to throw away. I was nervous because they ALWAYS remember their toys, but two weeks later they still haven't noticed anything is gone. All they said was, "the room is clean!". These are toys that have been sitting on display for basically years. It's a win!
I just got rid of a lot of my kids toys a few weeks ago. Baby toys, things with missing pieces, duplicates and things they never use. Just like you, I pulled things out and waited. They never noticed!!! Now, cleaning up the playroom is so much easier.
I raised 2 sons in a 1200 SQ foot house. Toys were overwhelming at times but what I did was pack a lot away especially after Christmas and birthdays. Then I would bring out the stored toys and send the ones that they had been playing with into storage. This kept it fresh and they had 'new' toys to play with.
I didn’t realize you had the baby! Congratulations to you and your husband. Your son has been through having a new sibling before, but Finley hasn’t. I hope she is coping well. She seems to have a good example from her brother!
This is definitely a reaction from younger kiddos--- the older they get, the more they notice it. Grant it then they reach the age when they barely play with toys. We have kiddos ages 1 to 12 and I'm definitely thinking of getting rid of even more toys (even though we decluttered over 3k items in 2020) but the toys just keep accumulating for the young ones! Thanks for the inspo!!
I have 7 currently and have gotten rid of toys so many times. It can get out of hand really quickly between so many birthdays and Christmas. When I do declutter toys , I ask the kids do you want this, and if they’re hesitant I’ll ask when was the last time you played with it? Usually they’ll put it in the donate box. It helps keep things manageable.
My big thing lately is when a toy consists of a dozen or more pieces/components. I really only kept the mag tiles, blocks, and one color matching toy. I got rid of the ones that had multiple pieces. I also rotate toys out each month. That has been really helpful in preventing us from buying more!
Wow... you're amazing. You just dropped the news of the new kid and moved on. Congratulations!! Less toys... what a great idea! I'm going to try that. Thanks!
Wish I had found you when I had littles … I have grands now .. a small bookcase and a cabinet … grands go and grab ! Puzzles/ cards are a hit now … youngest is 6 😂I will be purging those areas within 4 years !!!!! They grow so fast ! Keep that baby little that’s my suggestion ! 😊glenda
The car comment you made really surprised me! My boys ONLY play with cars! Hotwheels large trucks, work and construction cars… all of them! Independently and together!
Just did this yesterday (playroom) and the stuff they had in there crammed was appalling 😮. So very open now with just magnetic tiles, legos and ponies plus some dress up.
I am definetely going to try this for my three children, too. I've already got some Toys in mind they almost never Play with or which have Not been played with in a Long Time.
So my thought as I watch this: what we all really are cleaning up and decluttering are our expectations Like we expect or envision how our kids will be (what play with or clothes use or what we fear they'll need) but that's not actually reality.
Gosh, now I feel that I might have been overly strict with my kids when they were little. I am a single parent of 4 children since 1984 when they were 8, 5, 2, and 6 months. We lived in a small house ( less than 850 sq. ft. I still live here!). I had to be very mindful of how many toys were taken out at any one time because, with that many kids in a small space (minus the baby for a while!), it would have been chaotic! So, except for books, each kid could only take out 2-3 toys. If they wanted another toy, they had to put one away. Since that was the rule from the beginning, they didn't know any other way, and it really worked out well for us, and saved my sanity for sure! I also didn't have the luxury of storing excess toys in the basement because I didn't have one! My house was built on a slab with radiant heat in the floors so no storage, except for an small attic space (the other side was a bedroom for my oldest daughter) and an outdoor shed. It might not have worked for everyone and it wasn't a perfect plan, but it worked for us! I applaud you for purging underused toys. They become clutter, clutter can lead to chaos, and chaos can lead to anxiety. Beautiful new baby! Love your channel!
I saw that video too and I think that maybe I should do it as well. I see lots of mess with my kids toys and not a lot of play. So maybe getting rid of things is a good idea. I'm not even sure my kids have favorite toys. I asked my son once and he said he didn't know. Maybe this will lead to him having one.
Congrats on your new bundle! I don’t have small kids, but I have fur babies. I switch out their toys frequently. They constantly think they have “new” toys!
Hmmm, our 15 months old actually went on search of one particular book we had stored away. It took us a while to understand what he wanted and then I was happy that I had kept it... Sooo, declutter with care ;)
Oh I did this with my grand-babies toys. I kept a few favorites. They love books and drawing. Ages 2 and 4. My living room looks like it can breathe. LOL
My kids are the first (and only!) grandkids on BOTH sides of the family. They had LOTS of toys given to them by grandparents and uncles. It was overwhelming. So, I separated the toys into categories and bought 6 big storage bins with covers placing something from each category into each bin. I numbered the bins 1 through 6. On the first of January I brought out bin #1. On the first of February I brought out bin #2 but only AFTER they had picked up everything and placed it back into bin #1 did I do the swap out. Each month I did this so the kids wouldn't see the toys again for 6 months. It was like Christmas the first of each month. The kids loved it and so did I.
Loved the toy purge! I saw Joy Forsyth packed away all her kids toys, and only left out two types of toys. I want to try this, but I need to be better to put away a bunch of toys at the end of the day. I hope you, Michael, and the kids have a great week!
The ATM bank can definitely be used to start teaching your kids how to save and manage money. My daughter has been using her Lakeshore Learning ATM Bank for learning since she was at least 5 years old -- she never used it as a toy but always used it as a bank for saving her money.
Thanks for the video. Yes, it's a very good lesson how few toys kids actually need. Back when my son was young, I followed the Montessori method of having a few, well curated toys out where he could see and access them. And then rotating the toys. And it really helped that Montessori recommended natural products (wood, cloth, metal toys, not plastic, for example) because there was less temptation to buy toys. Errrrrr, if you have 3 kids, doesn't it make sense to keep some toys for when the younger kids get older?
I did this when my daughter was 4. She didn't even notice. And I got rid of everything! except books and arts and crafts. She is now twenty-seven, and it never fazed her. I also never let her eat candy or drink Kool-Aid. Vegetables, fruits, water & milk. To this day, she doesn't eat candy or drink sugary drinks. She even thanks me. 😊
When kids are little they really don’t notice missing toys. I was able to get rid of hundreds of toys when they were up to 6 years old. When your kids get older they will start to notice when toys disappear but one trick I learned was to have them fill a bin to sell at one of those kids resale boutiques. My kids usually get $20-$40 per bin of the toys are in good shape and I let them keep the money.
I've kept a few rules that help the incoming toy...no noisy battery toys, no plastic junky toys, toys that span most ages. It helps a ton and the relatives know the guidelines.
I did this years ago when my kids were 3 and 6. My kids are teens now but I got rid of everything except art supplies and it changed our life. Less bickering, more creativity, and a much calmer family life. The stuff was stressing us all out more than I realized. We have never looked back!
My son knows every toy he has and had ever gotten, even years later. So what we do is go through everything together. I explain what we’re doing and why. We fill a few boxes and donate every few months. Been doing this over a year. He’s 4. Teach your kiddos from a young age. 👌
I’ve tried numerous times with my 3.5 year old but he doesn’t want to do it. I find it much easier to slim things down while he’s at daycare.
I told my 2 girls, "Go through your stuff, and give me any thing you don't want anymore. I will give you $1 for every little thing you give me." They made it into a competition and ended up giving me 50 things 😐 I thought I was going to have to dish out about $12 lol.
@@CrazyCrafter821 keep trying! It gets easier the earlier they learn. I’ve been doing this with my son since he was about 4. He’s now 11 and asking me if he can donate some of his toys. ❤
@tracy41887 You can try doing that with your staff you don't need anymore so he can see you and then go through the toys together. I used to declutter my staff with my daughter from when she was a baby. She always helped putting things in bags. Clearly she didn't know what I was doing, but as she grew, she understood
I did the same. And now my daughter so get used to it so she does de-cluttering herself from time to time. I don't even need to ask.
I love what Natalie Bennett does for her kids birthdays and holidays. She gets them a book, a surprise gift, 1 thing theyve asked for and 1 thing to wear
On the next holidays and birthdays, try gifting experiences like aquariums, zoos and museums, and try to avoid the giftshops, too!
I am currently taking care of my late 90+ yo dad's house. He lived in this house for almost 40 years with my mom who passed away many years ago. I found they had kept almost all of our favorite games (we did not have much in those days) and even a favorite game I loved as a kid and always wondered if I could find a replacement on line someday. I'm 70 yo and honestly have no use for it and probably never really wanted a replacement - but it touched my heart (as so many other things did) that they thought it was special enough to keep for over 60 years - even keeping it for two moves since I had it at about 6 or 7. But times were different then. You rarely got toys except for your birthday or Christmas - so the little we had, we cherished.
He kept you in those toys.
@@RomiAmalia :-( :-(. thank you.
I am reminded here how important it is to recognize we only need “spark engagement” of children, then they will innately “entertain” themselves. Toys can overrun children’s natural play just as they can take over a space- they should simply inspire the imagination ❤ All great tips! And congrats on your new baby!
We have all the toys but i realized it’s time to donate the majority of them when my three year old played with a piece of foam packing material for literally four hours one afternoon.
As a grandmother of 4, mother of many, I decided years ago that the kids only get half of their gifts at a time, while the other half gets stored away. They always get all their gifts on the holiday to open. Once they do that the toys that aren't getting played with right away, are quickly hidden. A few months later it's like the kids have brand new gifts again!!
It worked for my kids. 🤷🏼♀️
Kallie, this is great!!! We had four kids and we learned early on that they played better AND longer, when they had fewer toys. Our kids have great imaginations, and they grew up to be very productive adults! You are on the right track!!! We also had them choose toys to give to less fortunate kids, to thin down their toys right before the holidays. That really helped to keep it under control.
Congratulations on your new bundle of joy! Hope you all are alright and Had a wonderful time getting to know each other . ❤
I followed your example and got rid of half of their stuff….so much better and they haven’t missed anything 3 weeks later. They are playing so nicely and are able to clean everything up, even the 3 year old. Thanks mama!
Congrats Kallie. As a first time mom with a 3 month old I am trying to solidify in the aunties and grandparents now that we dont need/ have room for alot of toys. Thank you for confirming this.
We started doing events for birthdays too. So instead of getting a ton of toys, we all go to the zoo, or a theme park or something. Everyone pays their own way in lieu of a gift and we have a fun family day, minus all the clutter of unnecessary toys!
@@Jolene03 Fantastic idea. Sometimes it's better to get experiences rather than unnecessary items that don't end up used or enjoyed but instead clutter the space.
When I was a kid, I didn't have a ton of toys. I had just enough. My toys were always in my room. But when my mom got rid of any of my toys while I was at school, I noticed !
Did a quarterly toy rotation when my kids were little. It all happened while they napped, then they'd wake up to all 'new' toys. They loved it. Now I need to do this with our grandchildrens' toys.
I think a trap we also fall into is they get excited playing with a particular toy at a friend or family members house and then we feel like they need a duplicate at home, instead of it being an exciting thing they get to do away from home.
My sister is a sucker for this, my niece will come here, play with something different and really enjoy it, so my sister will buy it for her to have at home, and will then complain that it doesn't get used there. Sometimes it's about the environment and who you are playing with, not the toy itself.
Yup I have unfortunately fallen into that trap too many times! But it stops today!!
You can do it 👏 😊
I love this! I decided to become a minimalist when I had a newborn and 1.5 yr old. It changed my life. No more cleaning up a thousand kids toys a day! Thanks for sharing this video. 😊☀️🌸
I've been moving towards minimalism, decluttering lots. Really mulling over the "burden of abundance". The toy declutter happened after a couple weeks of dumping bins into mountains.. very overwhelming. I decided just one cube of random toys and a teddy per child, their legos, construction trucks for outside, and a large train set. I walked them through how I would have all the rest of their toys in the basement, that it was available anytime, but they could only exchange a toy for a toy. That first week they did a couple exchanges, but other than that this past month they've been content and they can pick up after themselves in 5 minutes. It's been so healthy, and they have not stopped having the time of their lives ❤️
Her kids didn't even notice? Man, I wish I had that problem haha. My 4 year old will ask me like a year later after I have decluttered a toy, "hey remember that toy that was pink and sparkly? Where is it?" And then extreme mom guilt implodes lol.
Same!
@tracy41887 same here!!!
Yes. Same! Every single toy.
My 9 year old is like that 😆 I'm like girl that toy has been gone for 2 years what you talking about
@tracy41887 😂😂 I’ve done that, too. Shameless. LOL
But I also occasionally included him on the declutter so he learns. He’s now 11 and asking to donate things. 👍🏻
My daughter likes to keep her toys so we “put them in memories” which is code for storage in the attic. Periodically we go through “memories” and she is often more ready let it go when she’s had some time away from it. Her love language is gifts and the majority of her toys were gifts so they are important to her. It’s not as efficient, but it helps to honor her feelings in the short run for the long term benefits.
I really like this idea.. thank you!!
That is so sweet and honoring to your kid! Thanks for sharing!
Right the best way is to buy less to begin with 😊
I don’t use other social media much, so please post something to TH-cam about the new baby 😊 I cannot wait to meet them!!
Love this video. I try and get rid of toys every now and then to keep it managed because they have SO MUCH! Usually it’s months later if they even ask for something. But majority of the time they don’t even notice when something is gone. As you said “they really don’t need much for them to be creative and have independent play”
I'm constantly going through and purging my kids' toys. They get a lot that they like for a while, then it sits unused. They've never noticed or asked for something once it's gone. We keep their favorites. The things they consistently play with are the magnatiles, dolls with different outfits, play kitchen with food, and Legos. It's nice to have a less cluttered space, and they play so much better with less!
That is exactly what my kids play with and that’s mostly what they have! We have the play kitchen, small basket with kitchen toys and then a toybox with toys… and nothing else! They’re fine and LOVE the toys they have
This is the system I use in my home daycare. So much better play and much easier to manage!
Sidewalk chalk drawn roads with simple houses and places they recognize are a huge game changer for cars and other things with wheels. Keep the wheeled stuff and chalk in a container outside. Initially you will have to draw the roads and buildings but as they get older they will draw their own and spend hours with the town they made.
This is a brilliant idea!
@@angiesue8366 it’s always a hit. Sometimes I take my basket to the local park when I take great grands and they love it and the kids there join in and everyone has a great time. Sometimes college aged kids without kids join in and make elaborate worlds. Mario or Spider-Man or Batman’s Gotham City.
Where I live the chalk drawings never stay for long but they never tire of drawing new things. One of the playgrounds next to our house has streets permanently drawn with roundabout etc. (The townhall took care of it).
Never mind the toys! Congratulations on the baby… so tell us, please? Are you well? Boy or girl? Birth weight of the new baby, pleeeease? Spill the tea! You look amazing, btw! ❤😘
Boy she keeps Instagram updated
Baby boy Tate
Excellent experiment & study! Our kids we’re playing mostly outside since they grew up in a closed or gated community so we didn’t buy them so much toys! They made tree houses or play houses out of boxes . When they grew tired of play houses they made the boxes into another structure they we’re interested in like space ships or airplanes! They had great fun & memories! ❤️😍
Congratulations on the new baby! Thanks for the great suggestions!
You could do a toy rotation with the toys you put away.
She used to! I think she would rotate weekly, if I recall correctly
She did she said so in the beginning of the video.
Forget that
Doesn’t work on a 6 yr old she remembers and says “I had this” and she walks away rolling her eyes
One thing that has helped me so much with toys and toddlers, is yes, donating or packing up toys they don't play with, but also finding homes out of reach for the more complicated toys and puzzles, and only get those out a specific times. This keeps them from getting dumped on the floor 5 times a day, but also keeps them fresh and new when we want to do them together and have some learning time! Thankyou Cali! You inspired me to pack up 50% of their toys. I donated some and others I kept because I know as my 3 little boys grow and learn to actually build things it will take more blocks and farm animals, but for now it saves me a lot of time not having to pick so many up!
Thank you Kallie! This is a great reminder for me. Last year I heard some great stuff like this from Dawn (the Minimal Mom)... but I have forgot. Time to overhaul our household TOY situation!! God Bless!
I have done this and my kids also did not bat an eye. They were more inclined to play with less overwhelm ❤
Congratulations on the new baby!!!🥰
Really really good point about toy clutter.
❤hello, my youngest is in the 2o`s and I did this constantly, never noticed. New generation's fell bad about doing this. Your awesome mom, it's ok. ❤
I like to do that but i also before i get get rid of them I will take some of them that I have left I will rotate some of them that I have taken away that's how I find out what is the favorites and what I can give to family the more educational expensive toys and what I can donate to Goodwill so that's how I also Purge and keep my daughter's room nice and tidy and I get a lot of good ideas of how to manage more space from you as well
Looking for ideas for gifts; I'm going to be using the chap books idea! What a fun gift and a memory maker, too!
Yay you had your baby! So sweet ❤. Congratulations
Good stuff on the video, thanks for sharing
The couch, plant, art and lighting of this video are very lovely and you look so glamorous!
Thanks to Dawn the minimal mom, this has been my life saver before my 3rd baby came. The amount of peace in my home is so good. The kids are happy and I am happy and the hubby is happy win-win-win-win! I can go on about this but like Dawn’s video on living with a intentional “minimalism” is amazing. My toddlers clean up everyday their things and they are happy and energetic kids!
CONGRATULATIONS on your new baby!!
❤
We are mooving soon, and one of the things I'm looking forward the most, is the big decluttering purge that I'll make come with it!
Great job, Kallie!
Congrats on your baby!! So wonderful. I hope you are letting yourself mend. I’m currently pregnant with number 3 and a lot of your tips are helping me to stay on top of things.
Congrats on baby number 3! I am pregnant with baby number 3.
Me too! My nesting has taken on the form of extreme decluttering every time, if we get to baby number four there will be literally nothing left in the house 😂
Congratulations! Hope you all are doing well! I'm very impressed with how you managed to schedule your videos to have enough content so we didn't even notice your absence!
I'm going to have a second child very soon and beg you for more parent hacks!
I had the same exact thought!
I tried doing something like this too, and instead of saying “it’s so clean!” like the minimal mom had said, instead my four year old said, “where did my toys go??” 😂
This is the response I was waiting for. 😂
4 year olds are wild.
Try letting them know it’s in a new spot and ask which toys specifically they want to play with. It’s all about being intentional if they identify the toy they want to play with then why not bring it out back to them. You want to set them up for a successful adult life one day of not hoarding everything they don’t really use. Also you don’t want to clean up after them because they’re overwhelmed to do it themselves.
Same. Every time I pack away my 3 year old daughters toys, she asks me for them. She names specific items that she misses and goes looking for them
Yep, mine too😅
But in all fairness, we've already made it very minimal and have about 1/3 of what we started with.
I have grandkids now and I hardly buy them anything. Books mostly. They get lots of hand-me-down clothes. I have some toys for them at my house. It's very easy to clean up with them or after they've gone home.
This video couldn't of come at a better time! My daughter just had a birthday , im so overwhelmed by all the toys. We have a small house so space is limited. Im going to try this out! Thank you for your videos, they are always so helpful!
I have done this a few times. I love it. My 4 year old will always say "its so clean!" but for the most part doesn't miss the toys at all. I struggle with stuffed animals though! my kids will notice every time I even take one out of their room. very frustrating.
We do this regularly and it helps a lot! I do toy rotation every 2 weeks, everything she didn’t really touch during that toy rotation I pull aside. It either gets put away with the “younger” toys I’m saving for the next baby (sometimes I can tell it’s just too young for her now and doesn’t hold her interest) or donated. It helps keep our toy rotation manageable and she’s consistently playing with what I do set out!
Love this! I put extra toys in a spare bedroom to do toy rotation and I still think there are too many. Your experiment makes feel good about pairing down even more. I always get the mom guilt. 😊
Congratulations on baby 3. After my third baby was born I did the same thing. Decluttered toys. Its much easier for the whole family. The kids can pack up without feeling overwhelmed and you dont have to be bending over picking everything up all the time.
Great video! I did the same with my kids toys about a year ago (took 50 % of their toys to the garage) and to my big surprise my older son only asked very few times for a specific toy - I could not believe it! Rotating toys is also a game changer 👍
Oh and by the way - you look absolutely stunning! Greets from Austria
I have to do a small purge before each gifting holiday, because grandparents and uncle are always so generous with their gifts.
I just got rid of probably 50-75% of my boys’ toys. It’s been fantastic! My six year old made his own racetrack with cardboard the other day. It was amazing because when he was surrounded by tons of toys he was actually more destructive in his play.
Just did this in my girls' shared bedroom. I spent an hour cleaning and decluttering and ended up with three bags of toys to donate and one bag of things (broken toys, old torn drawings, etc) to throw away. I was nervous because they ALWAYS remember their toys, but two weeks later they still haven't noticed anything is gone. All they said was, "the room is clean!". These are toys that have been sitting on display for basically years. It's a win!
Yes that happens to me all the time with my kids. It's amazing. I tell parents not to declutter with their kids there. This video shows why.
Sweet baby number 3! I love this video....less stuff = happy kids but better yet = happy mom. Have a wonderful mothers day.
I just got rid of a lot of my kids toys a few weeks ago. Baby toys, things with missing pieces, duplicates and things they never use. Just like you, I pulled things out and waited. They never noticed!!! Now, cleaning up the playroom is so much easier.
I did this a few month ago with the method of the minimal mom. I had pretty much the same results. My kids never asked about the toys I put away.
I raised 2 sons in a 1200 SQ foot house. Toys were overwhelming at times but what I did was pack a lot away especially after Christmas and birthdays. Then I would bring out the stored toys and send the ones that they had been playing with into storage. This kept it fresh and they had 'new' toys to play with.
Exactly what I did. It worked out great. I had 3 sons and a 1600 sq. Ft. House.
I didn’t realize you had the baby! Congratulations to you and your husband. Your son has been through having a new sibling before, but Finley hasn’t. I hope she is coping well. She seems to have a good example from her brother!
This is definitely a reaction from younger kiddos--- the older they get, the more they notice it. Grant it then they reach the age when they barely play with toys. We have kiddos ages 1 to 12 and I'm definitely thinking of getting rid of even more toys (even though we decluttered over 3k items in 2020) but the toys just keep accumulating for the young ones! Thanks for the inspo!!
I have 7 currently and have gotten rid of toys so many times. It can get out of hand really quickly between so many birthdays and Christmas. When I do declutter toys , I ask the kids do you want this, and if they’re hesitant I’ll ask when was the last time you played with it? Usually they’ll put it in the donate box. It helps keep things manageable.
My big thing lately is when a toy consists of a dozen or more pieces/components. I really only kept the mag tiles, blocks, and one color matching toy. I got rid of the ones that had multiple pieces. I also rotate toys out each month. That has been really helpful in preventing us from buying more!
I sometimes play with the magnatiles after my little one has gone to bed, they are brilliant! 😆
Wow... you're amazing. You just dropped the news of the new kid and moved on. Congratulations!! Less toys... what a great idea! I'm going to try that. Thanks!
Could you tell us more about those picture books? (Pics of kids books)
My kids do remember toys from a few years ago.... So I do try to include them in some of the decisions for purging....
Congratulations ! Your newborn ( as well as your older children) is sooo precious ❤
Congratulations on your new baby! Hope you are doing well! ❤️
Wish I had found you when I had littles … I have grands now .. a small bookcase and a cabinet … grands go and grab ! Puzzles/ cards are a hit now … youngest is 6 😂I will be purging those areas within 4 years !!!!! They grow so fast ! Keep that baby little that’s my suggestion ! 😊glenda
The car comment you made really surprised me! My boys ONLY play with cars! Hotwheels large trucks, work and construction cars… all of them! Independently and together!
Just did this yesterday (playroom) and the stuff they had in there crammed was appalling 😮. So very open now with just magnetic tiles, legos and ponies plus some dress up.
I am definetely going to try this for my three children, too. I've already got some Toys in mind they almost never Play with or which have Not been played with in a Long Time.
Congratulations for new addition to family
So my thought as I watch this: what we all really are cleaning up and decluttering are our expectations
Like we expect or envision how our kids will be (what play with or clothes use or what we fear they'll need) but that's not actually reality.
Gosh, now I feel that I might have been overly strict with my kids when they were little. I am a single parent of 4 children since 1984 when they were 8, 5, 2, and 6 months. We lived in a small house ( less than 850 sq. ft. I still live here!). I had to be very mindful of how many toys were taken out at any one time because, with that many kids in a small space (minus the baby for a while!), it would have been chaotic! So, except for books, each kid could only take out 2-3 toys. If they wanted another toy, they had to put one away. Since that was the rule from the beginning, they didn't know any other way, and it really worked out well for us, and saved my sanity for sure! I also didn't have the luxury of storing excess toys in the basement because I didn't have one! My house was built on a slab with radiant heat in the floors so no storage, except for an small attic space (the other side was a bedroom for my oldest daughter) and an outdoor shed. It might not have worked for everyone and it wasn't a perfect plan, but it worked for us! I applaud you for purging underused toys. They become clutter, clutter can lead to chaos, and chaos can lead to anxiety. Beautiful new baby! Love your channel!
I saw that video too and I think that maybe I should do it as well. I see lots of mess with my kids toys and not a lot of play. So maybe getting rid of things is a good idea. I'm not even sure my kids have favorite toys. I asked my son once and he said he didn't know. Maybe this will lead to him having one.
Congrats on your new bundle! I don’t have small kids, but I have fur babies. I switch out their toys frequently. They constantly think they have “new” toys!
Hmmm, our 15 months old actually went on search of one particular book we had stored away. It took us a while to understand what he wanted and then I was happy that I had kept it...
Sooo, declutter with care ;)
Oh I did this with my grand-babies toys. I kept a few favorites. They love books and drawing. Ages 2 and 4. My living room looks like it can breathe. LOL
Congratulations with your new baby 🎉
Love your simplicity!! You have a way of making rhis concept so easy; well easier to tackle!!
I love how only part of the title shows up in feed ..'I got rid of all my kids ..' 😂
😂😂
Congratulations Kallie 🎉❤Hope you are feeling well.
I find kids definitely play more imaginatively with fewer toys. Modern kids need this cuz weve spent too much effort finding amusement for them
Man my kids will ask about a toy from 3 years ago 😂 I wish I could do this 😂😂
I really liked this video! It kind of helps ease my anxiety over getting rid of some of my toddler’s toys, thank you! 🙌🏽💕💕💕
Congratulations on your new baby xx
My kids are the first (and only!) grandkids on BOTH sides of the family. They had LOTS of toys given to them by grandparents and uncles. It was overwhelming. So, I separated the toys into categories and bought 6 big storage bins with covers placing something from each category into each bin. I numbered the bins 1 through 6. On the first of January I brought out bin #1. On the first of February I brought out bin #2 but only AFTER they had picked up everything and placed it back into bin #1 did I do the swap out. Each month I did this so the kids wouldn't see the toys again for 6 months. It was like Christmas the first of each month. The kids loved it and so did I.
I have to ask myself, do they want to play with it or do I want to play with it? Most of the time it’s me. 😂
Margaret Matheny did the reel! She’s had great TH-cam videos to.
Loved the toy purge! I saw Joy Forsyth packed away all her kids toys, and only left out two types of toys. I want to try this, but I need to be better to put away a bunch of toys at the end of the day. I hope you, Michael, and the kids have a great week!
The ATM bank can definitely be used to start teaching your kids how to save and manage money.
My daughter has been using her Lakeshore Learning ATM Bank for learning since she was at least 5 years old -- she never used it as a toy but always used it as a bank for saving her money.
This is a really great idea! My son used to have a cash register, but I think he’d do better with an ATM to learn saving and spending. ❤
It's especially important to keep "old" toys as the new baby grows. BTW: CONGRATS!! 🎉❤🎉❤🎉
Thanks for the video. Yes, it's a very good lesson how few toys kids actually need. Back when my son was young, I followed the Montessori method of having a few, well curated toys out where he could see and access them. And then rotating the toys. And it really helped that Montessori recommended natural products (wood, cloth, metal toys, not plastic, for example) because there was less temptation to buy toys.
Errrrrr, if you have 3 kids, doesn't it make sense to keep some toys for when the younger kids get older?
I did this when my daughter was 4. She didn't even notice. And I got rid of everything! except books and arts and crafts. She is now twenty-seven, and it never fazed her. I also never let her eat candy or drink Kool-Aid. Vegetables, fruits, water & milk. To this day, she doesn't eat candy or drink sugary drinks. She even thanks me. 😊
Looks great and your kids are at the perfect age for this. Congrats on the little one!!!
When kids are little they really don’t notice missing toys. I was able to get rid of hundreds of toys when they were up to 6 years old. When your kids get older they will start to notice when toys disappear but one trick I learned was to have them fill a bin to sell at one of those kids resale boutiques. My kids usually get $20-$40 per bin of the toys are in good shape and I let them keep the money.
Congratulations on your new little one!
Great video, congratulations on the new addition to your family xx
I've kept a few rules that help the incoming toy...no noisy battery toys, no plastic junky toys, toys that span most ages. It helps a ton and the relatives know the guidelines.
This was eye opening! I'm going to share this with my sister and my niece!