A Few Miner Adjustments

How to Purge Toys with the Kids and Get Your Sanity Back

A guinea pig moved in last spring.

I was less than thrilled, but she is cute and you should have seen the look on Brady's face when he found out that she was his birthday gift.

So, I am embracing her...

...and her cage

...and her hay

.....and her wood chips

...and these things aren't as pretty as my grandmother's antique milk glass bowls.

But I digress.

We did a lot of organizing before Christmas to make room for Santa, but I feel like it is time to go through the toys and purge again.

And yes, I did this with both kids.

There were no tears.

There was no flailing around on the floor.

There were no whines of...

"I want this half piece of paper that I colored 6 months ago"

"I can't live without this remote control car
with a missing charger and wonky wheel."

Let's make a few Miner adjustments to the toys, shall we?

How to purge toys with the kids

1. Ask the kids if they would help you with a project.

{They will perk right up}.

2. Tell them that they will get paid for this project.

{They will perk up again...notice I haven't told them what the project is yet}.

3. Do this project with one child at a time.

{I worked on it with the youngest while the oldest was not home}.

4. Work with one space at a time.

{It was less overwhelming for us and the guinea pig}.

5. Empty the toy box completely.

6. Put all pieces and parts that belong together...well...together.

7. Make a separate pile with all the toys that you think the kids are not interested in anymore.

{I still hadn't told them what we were doing yet. The 5 year old thought we were just organizing}.

8. Once you have a sizable pile, tell your child what you will be doing.

"Sweetie pie, Honey Bunch, Apple of my Eye.

We have toys here that no one plays with anymore.

So let's go through this pile {point to pile} of toys.

I want you to tell me "yay or nay" if they stay or go.

We will then sell them and you will get part of the money,

so that you can save it for college buy some new toys.

OK? {Don't wait for a response}. Here we go."

9. Of course they will say, "Yay" to the first toy you pick up, so start with one that you are OK with keeping.

10. Do this sort fast before they lose interest or have time to protest.

I promise, there will be toys that they will get rid of. The kids like making money from selling them.

11. When child #2 comes home, tell him that he needs to approve what is left in the to-go pile as well. Let him keep the couple of toys that he truly wants.

12. Remove the "to go pile of toys" from the house as quickly as possible....post online, take to the consignment shop, or donate them and give each kid $5.

Your reward for all this hard work....returned sanity.

I don't even mind the guinea pig cage anymore, now that she is purring and wiggling those little whiskers of hers.

{Shh, don't tell my husband. Pinky Swear?}

PS. The sour patch gummy worms were strictly for me...not the guinea pig.

PPS...All the little toys that seem to multiply, but have absolutely no use (goody bag types...cheap plastic spinners, mini Slinkies, rubber snakes, rings from the tops of cupcakes) can be quickly put in your pocket and thrown out or recycled later. They will never miss them. Out of sight...out of mind!

You can find me here:

www.thistlewoodfarms.com