I Failed To Declutter My Toddler's Toys | Minimalism
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2024
- So in this quite funny vlog-styled video, I wanted to declutter my daughter Agatha's toys because she wasn't playing with them almost at all. But I wanted to explain her the whole process and be sure that she understands the idea and doesn't mind giving away some toys she doesn't like that much. Needless to say, it went a little bit not as I planned 🤪
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#minimalism #toysdeclutter
When me and my siblings where little, my mum would make us choose once a year, usually for Christmas, a certain number of toys to give to charity. She explained that those were for children who didn't have any, so for me, although it was a whole afternoon looking at my toys trying to decide, once I managed to collect the amount of toys, I was very happy with my gift-away-box and we went together to donate them. Another tip to reduce the amount of toys is to put them away and if she doesn't miss them in a certain amount of time, you can give them away without feeling guilty. However, it was very funny to watch
This is such an amazing idea ❤️
We did something similar with our son. Worked so well he now has almost zero attachment to any possessions. It’s almost scary how little sentimental value he places on things. However, I believe this will serve him well later in life 💐
My mum used to take away toys she noticed we hadn't been playing with! She'd hold onto them for a week or so and if we didn't ask for them/notice they were gone they would head straight to the charity shop.
I did the same with my children.☺️
LOL!! When your husband said, "you're the only minimalist in this family" - I felt that in my soul!! hahaha Thank you for sharing, it's so wonderful to see you happy and healthy, thriving, together
You did a great job. You didn't push or overwelm her. You did plant that seed for her to think about the things she owns and why she has them. Loved the idea of placing toys around the home. You did minimize the amount of toys in each room even if you still have the same number. She has a very reasonable number of toys.
Exactly my thought - about planting a seed! She will take time to process information you gave her - and who knows what the outcome will be, she might herself suggest giving away a toy when she feels ready.
I remember being so distraught when my parents would get rid of my toys without asking me 😭 I think it's a really sweet idea to sit down with your kid and ask them what they want to keep / give away - even if they end up decluttering nothing LOL. On the bright side, her younger sister will have lots to play with !
Same, it's such a cruel thing to do to a child.
@@nicolatoomey4882It's only a toy you would never get rid of any they really loved what have you to do keep them forever people don't have the room sometimes and explaining that giving them to children who don't have much Charity is a great thing to teach children
Oh my, Agata has grown so much! And she's becoming a Mini-Tolya! such a cutie
Vika, what a brilliant idea to document this "experiment" as you said. So interesting to see the toys (the old Soviet ones) that Agatha plays with and the interaction between you two was so heartwarming. Tolya is so funny too. I love what you said about being merciful to each other and to normalize normal homes. Although we may want to live in a beautiful organized home, in reality it does not always work that way. Much love to you all!
Agree!!
This was too cute ☺ My boys didn't like to share their toys either. I usually just watched to see what they didn't play with and then I would put it in a box in the closet and if they didn't ask for something or notice it missing I would donate them. Worked pretty well ☺
Yes. I did the same. 🙂 Worked well for us.
When our son was a toddler, he often preferred to play with boxes rather than whatever had come in them. He would stand them on end, tip them over, stack them, put one inside another….
I think you have a reasonable number of toys for Agatha. The way you have them organized seems very practical, too.
An idea: when it’s time to rotate toys, engage Agatha in the process. “Which toy would you like to bring out of the box to play with this week? Okay, to make space for that one, which one shall we put away in the box for now?” After a while, bring to her attention which ones are never taken out - not to pressure her into giving them away, just for her to notice. After some time doing this, ask if she can pick one toy to give to another child. Just one.
I don’t know whether this will ease her into minimalism, but at the very least it may help her become more aware of her own preferences ❤️💐
Great idea!
When my son was little, about Agatha’s age, I would a couple times a year take some of his toys that he rarely played with anymore and put them away in storage. Then after several months I would bring them back out and he would play with them again like they were new toys. It decluttered the toy box and kept me from buying new toys more often.
Vika. Wonderful video! I was a pre-school teacher for many years. I found that with the children in my classroom, as well as my own children, their toys became invisible to them if they were all over the place. The way you showed Agatha each toy helped her to "see" them again. You were respectful of her choices even if she didn't want to give any away. The concept of "other kids" is a very difficult one for a two year old who isn't around other kids much. So, I wasn't surprised that she wanted to keep them all. Then, you organized the toys very much like they would be found in a preschool classroom. Now, she will see them again as though they are all new to her. One more step in her development will be to ask her to help you put them back where they belong each night before she goes to sleep. You and Tolya are loving parents. Agatha and her soon to be little sister are lucky to have you.
Great point about the concept "other kids". I just realized that I always suggested giving the toys away to my child's younger cousin whom she knew. And the other thing that worked with my child was getting a new toy that was a new developmental challenge for her and then asked the child to decide which old toy she was ready to give away to make room for this new toy. But my girl was 6 y.o. at that time - much older than your Agatha is right now.
LOL when your husband said "I'll teach our second daughter too". It is so refreshing to see you both share the humor in this experiment - most notably when Agatha quickly discerns your motive, Victoria. Smart little girl. Like you, I was chuckling the whole way through. You made a noble effort and in the end came up with a solution that looks to satisfy everyone. Your inclusive approach is the best way to manage certain aspects of child-rearing, as in this case. Bravo - 'A' for effort!
oh my goodness this is so funny 😂 thanks for showing what life is really like as a minimalist parent with a young child
We'd ask the kids what they'd like to donate to other kids like them, they always felt so proud to share.
I feel your pain!! Some where along my family's life I realized that when it came to rising kids, "the plan is, there is no plan!" My son's room was always a mess, stuff all over, I just closed the curtains, out of sight out of mind. He grew up to be a minimalist. It is not what you tell them to do, it is what you do. So carry on being a minimalist, she will follow, eventually.
“I think we need to normalize homes that don’t look like Pinterest homes”. 👏🏼🙏🏻🤍I love deco and design but it’s still so refreshing to hear you say this! Expectations are so high for every single aspect of our lives, including our home style! It’s also important to appreciate that a home that does not look like an influencer’s home picture can still be beautiful in its imperfect way.
I agree with all of this! I'm simply not a very good decorator, and don't have money or time that I want to spend decorating. Sometimes it's hard to be happy with my space because of all the perfect homes I see. Normalize average, lived in homes. Yes!
Totally agree! Who cares what the home decor looks like if there is discord and bad vibes. It's the people that live there that matters.
😂😂😂 I sympathise with you wanting to declutter but also Agathe who is finding new joy in her toys
This made me laugh haha. I declutter my 2 year olds toys because he has so much. There’s no way he needs or can play with everything. If I don’t declutter things, it literally takes over the entire house. I do notice if I think about giving something away, he suddenly plays with it haha. I only give away things he has out grown or things he doesn’t play with at all. Great job for including her in the process!
I laughed out loud when she took the one toy OUT of the box. Oh well!
Nice to see kids are basically the same no matter where they are from 🤣. This could easily have been my kids when they were little all of the times o tried to declutter. As always Agatha is absolutely adorable and looks great mom!
Agatha was so adorable! I love how she kept all of her toys. She truly doesn’t have that many. I love how you took the shoe shelf apart so you could display the toys in an easier way for her to use. That was such a wonderful idea! And since you’re having another baby it’s a good idea to keep the toys so you don’t have to spend as much for new ones.
I think you are an amazing mom! Agatha is so very lucky to have a mom who recognizes diffeent play and learning. That yard that you have provided for her is a playground that many kids would love. Her learning and play in the outdoors is imaginative and in harmony with her environment. Perhaps, to satisfy your minimiist self, is when a new toy comes in an old toy must go out (broken to the trash or to the donate box). Love your videos!
I loved the way you did the process, totally respecting the owner of the toys. I also loved the way she was willing to gift toys, just not forever. So she is interested in sharing, but not giving away. Wonderful that she prefers nature and outside to toys. Yea to normalising not-pinterest homes.
Oh my goodness, this video gave me such a good laugh! Agatha is such a character 😆 I'm sure her little sister will get lots of enjoyment out of those toys, and I'm so glad you were so happy with the way you were able to organize them! I so feel your pain here- I have 3 boys and am constantly looking to get rid of all of our excess toys, and it always turns out exactly how it went for you here. Maybe there's no such thing as a minimalist child 😆
If the weather is bad she can always play with her toys . I saved my brother's old block. His son loves them .
I love the shelf idea and your creative thinking.
That’s too funny! 😆 Yep that’s what kids do - they play with everything all at once to “show you” that they like the toy and play with it all the time 😁😆😄😂 I agree with the person who said to put away certain ones to see if she misses them or asks for them…. Playing outside with dirt, rocks and sticks is the best! 😍🥰🌳🪵🌿🌸
You tried mama! Lol 😅 Maybe when Agatha is older she'll want to declutter. You did a great job! ❤
Totally, I start liking the concept of decluttering when I was about 10 or 11 y.o....before I was waaaaay too sentimental about things :)
@@miriamjaymes 👍🙂❤
One thing that helped my daughter declutter was to have her see me give my own things away first before asking her to give her things away. Also when we would find something we needed at a thrift store I told her how thankful I was that someone shared their things and had given them to the store and now we could use them.
When I was a little girl I had a lot of toys. my grandmother noticed this and that there were several that I simply forgot or never used, so she would hide them, wrap them and give them to me as gifts for special occasions. Until I was 4 or 5 years old I had the same toys. I never noticed it. my mom always laughed because i exclaimed things like “it's just what i wanted” “it's great” and i never realized they were my own toys. LOL
you brought me a very funny memory
My mother did something very similar. She would put away a box of toys that we weren’t using. Then on a rainy day, when we were bored and restless, she would bring down the box of our own toys. It was such a special treat!
Hi guys, Agatha is so cute and remind me of my girl when she was little.I love the fact that at the beginning she was going to put away toys that she like and wanted to share. Then only when she understood they are not coming back she changed her mind.What a clever girl. Also in the winter time and when the baby arrives you will have less time for her and she will start playing. For now it's good for her to be outside exploring and playing.My kids also loved sand pit.I like it that you have a garden to enjoy.Take care.
Yes, Vika! Normalize cozy family homes. I noticed I was beginning to feel bad about my house because everything I see on TV, TikTok, and Pinterest look like ultra designer homes that nobody lives in!
I love how you involved Agatha! When I was younger, I felt like I wasn’t involved in decisions about me or about my things. Now, I’ve become overly possessive and OCD because I want everything my way. You are always raising her in such a great way! I love watching you and your family!
Agatha had me laughing so hard, but then Tolya got me laughing until I cried!! 😂🤣. Agatha is her fathers daughter for sure!!! I just love your family! The three of you are fantastic and I cannot wait to see your next little addition to your beautiful family! You three brightened my day today! 🌈🦄
I don’t remember giving toys away as a kid (maybe they just disappeared!) but our family of 8 took long road trips in our extra long van a few times a year. My mom always brought the ‘travel toys’ which were so exciting to see only now and then. Brilliant!
I've been decluttering for the past year or so, in earnest. I was like Agatha, I'd find things that I hadn't used or needed in months, then decided I couldn't let it go. But in my next round of decluttering I realized I really didn't need to keep the item. Fun video! Your videos have been an inspiration to me on my minimalist journey. I'm so glad you and your lovely family are happy and safe.
Adorable and gentle little baby girl! I think that she was more generous compared children usually are☺️
So sweet watching her absorb your instructions and think about what she wants to keep and give away. Could tell she was thinking very carefully, even though she decided to keep them all haha.
Absolutely loved your comments on normal homes/Pinterest homes!
Well mom, that worked out great.... 😂 for Agatha 🥰
You are the best mom ever! I love how in the decluttering process you involve Agatha, helping her understand the process! Also, she looks so much like her daddy! Love to all of you❤️
Oh well at least she's playing with them now, not quite ready to give them up yet and that was so funny and cute😂. Xx
I loved this video, Vika! Brought back a lot of memories. I’m glad Agatha won out this time, you’ll thank her when her sister is her age because you’ll save money not having to buy similar toys all over again. Agatha will gift them to her sister, hopefully without too much fuss! Having moved a lot I do understand the perks of, and need for, minimalism, but I’m glad for now you have extra space when it’s needed. I think the outdoor toys; dirt, sticks, grass, leaves, flowers, dogs, rightly distract her from the winter toys for now. Personally I think your home IS Pinterest worthy! It has a lot of character! Thanks for sharing your life with us!
Lol! I love all your videos Victoria, but this one had so many authentically funny moments😅 Love to you and your little fam from Canada❤
Total success ! Agatha was able to practice the concepts yours/mine & experience having her decisions respected. Your hubby was pretty cute with his minimalist comment. He seemed to enjoy that a lot! Precious family, thanks for sharing
I love your attitude about being content to use what you have. Pinterest homes can make us discontent if we are not careful. (: We can miss living in the present by dreaming of our future home.
that was cool to watch! i think it’s totally okay to implement decluttering into a child’s routine if it’s important to you, as long as you let them know, make them a part of the process and respect their choices (like you did)! if you keep offering to declutter together now and then Agatha might get used to it when she is older, too. toddlers are more focused on themselves and usually start to understand the concept of sharing and gifting around 3-4yo🌻 i’m so glad she’s enjoying the yard and nature around the house! hope you guys are doing well!
Made me laugh😂. She's so adorable. Good try . Your right, kids are kids. And the shelves look really nice. Good video. 👍💕
What a sweet video! I was a preschool teacher in the US for many years. Agatha reacted very appropriately for her young age.🥰 You helping her look through her toys probably did cause her to become interested in them once again. The way you organized them for her is wonderful. They are in little sections & she can use the low shelves to play on with her toys. Rotating her toys is a great idea...then she will see them as "new" & interesting again as they are rotated back in after awhile. Also, having too many toys out at once can sometimes be overwhelming to a child. Your putting some away (rotation) and organizing them makes it easier for her to see what she has. You did a great job! 💖
I am so glad she has a dog the best companion to children better for her to be out in nature and develope a relationship with her dog love
That was a great video and when your husband said you were the only minimalist in the house I had to laugh 😂. My mother was a minimalist also unlike me who hates to part with anything, probably because of my not having much to play with? I don’t know but I certainly didn’t take after my mother lol 😂.
I think you did a great job! It takes a while for a toddler to get some concepts, such as keeping or sharing. You and Tolya have been teaching her with love, and she's smart, so she'll get these concepts soon.
Tuning in from Ireland. Im in total awe of your videos!!! A young woman with so much wisdom ❤. There is a beautiful simplicity to your approach to everything in life which reminds me of how it was in my country when i was young (now 64 yrs). You also possess a very admirable regard for the feelings of others. Your little family is beautiful. Always looking forward to your next video. Take care. Xxxxx
I just love your family. All of you are so sweet and kind. It warms my heart to watch your videos with you and your family. Agatha speaking is the cutest thing 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 it was the cutest fail I’ve ever seen
Agatha is adorable and SO BIG! Perhaps you could try showing her first the concept of decluttering before she has to apply it to herself. For example, declutter another part of the house, maybe the kitchen or a bedroom, and ask her to help you choose what stays and what goes. Then, ask her to go with you to donate the stuff so she can see she's doing a good thing for someone else. When she has to say bye to her own toys it might not be so difficult... You're both adorable cuties and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Oh my god, those creepy "doll" things gave me such childhood flashbacks lol. I used to have a lot of old soviet & eastern german toys as a child, hand-me-downs from my mother and her cousins. And also a lot of 90s stuff from my siblings. (Definitely didn't make me the cool kid in kindergarten and school, but looking back on it, that was some pretty nice stuff lol)
My toy collection was INSANE. Just the plushie collection was already over 100. And I was constantly overwhelmed. I would force myself to play with things I didn't enjoy, just because I didn't want it to be a waste of space and money. I feel like if I had kids, I would take a similiar approach like you did. Spoiling your children is awesome, but too much of anything can become quite stressful.
This video was enjoyable and sweet! The decluttering with Agatha went as well as to be expected! Agatha looked like she had fun. I do agree that rotating some toys helps maintain a child's interest. With baby number 2 arriving, the toys Agatha doesn't really play with much may come in useful at some time!
I love how you accepted that she wanted to keep everything but the broken car! When I declutter my daughter's toys I respect her as much as my self, so we both need to be able to live here! I declutter really old stuff, broken stuff, stuff she has too many of and gifts of low quality. I do not ask her, but I think it is respectful.
When I saw the title, I thought that is not going to happen! With another little one on the way some of those toys can go to her. Rotating toys is a great option. God Bless!
Hey Vika, Tolya, Agatha & Future Baby Sister! Vika, thank you for sharing this experiment openly and honestly with us. It was fun seeing Agatha just being herself and Tolya getting a friendly laugh out of it. I actually have a memory of my late mom having me go through my toys, books and vinyl records (read-along & music) as a child, and putting them on a shelf myself, in the living room by the upright piano. I think Mom hid my toys as I played with them less and secretly got rid of them somehow. It wouldn't have been hard, since I preferred books, too. It's been a long time since I thought of that memory, so thank you for helping me dust it off. Bright blessings.
Hey Vika,
you two are just so lovely with Agatha. I love how respectfully you are dealing with her belongings. I remember your video when you where filming the decluttering process of Tolya and you definitely would have thrown out more clothes but you respected his decision. What a wonderful character trait that is, Vika. Love your tolerance and will try to lean in it much more over the next time to come. - At the beginning of your video, Agatha seems to feed the camera *LOL
Best wishes from Germany, take care and have a wonderful evening.
Melanie
That was so funny and heart-warming, too. You did a great job in interesting Agatha in her toys again. Ha! And you made a beautiful and appealing area for her toys. I like the way you separated them into groupings and put some in other places around the house.
Hahaha, You'll learn in future to skillfully get rid of what Agatha doesn't use anymore without her knowing! Love how your husband is conspiring with her! xxx
My two year old plays with my oldest daughter's baby toys. Greta way of saving on buying new ones. Great video
Rotate toys for sure. We did for many many years and kept her interested in them. They became new again after a few months. And her few favorites were always there.
My daughter is older but I found it helpful to hold up two toys and get her to pick one to keep and one to give away.
So glad to see you again..so healthy and. Happy...I am so glad you let Agatha decide about her toys..and you did a great job organizing the toys at eye level for her..Your husband was so cute laughing and saying Agatha is just like him😁You and Tolya are very wise parents..Many Blessings and do another video soon..Much love from Alabama, USA 👩🦳🥰✝️🙏💖
Agatha is such a Cutie! You are a lovely family. Can't wait to meet the baby!
Agatha is so Cute!
Loved the Cute and creepy toys!! And her hiding in the Box! 😅🤣
The shoe shelf is perfect, very organized and neat!❤
This was one of my favourite videos haha
I like that she was going to share them with the other children but then when she realised she wouldn’t get them back she changed her mind 😂 so sweet!
she plays with everything she needs! playing outside and helping mom or dad is like mostly all they really need. and if she has some toys she actually loves it would be obvious for you. also just a few, carefully choosen or loved toys will be looked at much more then an overload. you organised them well! anyways her reaction was hilarious (and expected haha)
Hahaha this made me crack up. I do this with my kids (started a little later though), and I try to do it before their birthdays and Christmas. I started small though and just had them pick 3-5 toys that they no longer want (not go through allll the toys). Also 1 in, 2-3 out rule when I can.
It’s nice that you respect her decision and asked, not take away when she is not watching.
Okay, that was so so cute! Thank you. I needed that today.
You inspired me to sort my son’s toys. It’s a mess! Greetings from Poland!
The yellow doll brings me happy memories. My brother used to have one when he was little.
Decluttering a child's room is a huge teaching element. It allows them to find out that we don't need a lot of "stuff" to be happy. At Christmas, we used to get our kids one "big" gift, with smaller, more items in their stocking. We might also have one big family gift (a planned vacation, etc.) Thus the real meaning of Christmas was rescued from being overwhelmed and ruined by materialism. Keep doing what you're doing. It matters. It plants the seeds of real happiness.
Agatha is soooooooooo adorableeeeeee ❤️ I think you did this perfectly. It wasn’t at all traumatizing for her and it allowed her some control over her things. She was so sweet about it.
I also didn’t want to just take my children’s things. I occasionally gave them a basket and let them fill the basket with what they wanted to give away. It helped them learn to not just keep ‘stuff’ just for the sake of having possession of it.
Great job, Mama. I love the way you handled everything!
There are several techniques. Just do what's right for you & your family.
Tfs & take care 🌺
this reminds me of when i go thru my own stuff and i suddenly like everything and NEED to keep it all lol
Tolya is SO funny!! I love it when he's in the videos :)
This went perfectly! The first time is just exposure to the idea. She learned a lot, and you all had a lot of fun. Great job!
This was a very interesting video showing real life things that don’t go as planned. I also agree, people need to quit with the pinterest photos of a perfectly styled home and just decorate how they want.
I remember when you were in Russia, that Agatha used to play with household things - pots, spatulas, etc.
Was a good idea Vika even though it didn't work out as planned..Yes Tolya looked so smug..so funny 🤣 Agatha is so cute looking like her daddy so much lots of love from London ❤
Very enjoyable video. Once I gave away my son’s play mat which he hadn’t used in two years and was not even with the rest of his toys. As soon as I donated it he asked for it! I felt guilty and never did that again. It’s a process, like all things with children. Her toys look great organized on the repurposed shelves, which are real life. Great seeing everyone looking so well. Take care.
I've just done a declutter and my daughter is pretty good at it now (she's 7) but before that she couldn't really handle it. Agatha made me smile a lot in this video!
Toy rotation is a good idea. Also, there's nothing wrong with periodically removing things without letting her know they're going. A couple of times a year, I would look over the toys, then put those that i hadn't seen them play with in a while in a box that went into the garage. If 6 months went by and no one asked about them, then they went to the church nursery or to the charity shop. You guys are adorable. Also, I think it's good that we understand that kids go through stages, and that voluntary sharing with others at age two is hard for them. It comes a little later.
Awhhh. Sweet little Agatha trying to feed us a bite of cereal. Sharing is beautiful. I love your little family. Thank you for sharing these beautiful moments with us. God Bless you
You are such a lovely spirit! You did a great job even if she didn't choose to get rid of anything. I loved how you took apart the shoe shelf, too- genius! :) Thanks for a great video. :)
Agatha is such a beautiful kid. She has Tolya's cheeky smile and your expressive eyes.
I totally relate to you wanting to keep her toys to the minimum. My parents were also very intentional about what kinds of toys we have. At least once a year they put up a box and made me and my brother put everything we didn't like anymore in it and only keep the toys we regularily played with. My mom then gave the box to her colleague who had younger kids.
But they also sometimes went through our room when we were away and threw things away without asking us, and I always hated that because I felt like "my things" weren't really mine. I would not want to do that with my kids.
This was so funny! I think Agatha has a good amount of toys, and any she outgrows will be good for the new bub.
Tolya's comment cracked me up!! You are a good Mum, respecting Agatha's ownership, and I loved how you arranged them all. I can't see your home ever being over- run with toys, as you are wise in not bringing too much in.
This was such a fun experiment, and I loved seeing both your reactions.
God Bless from Australia.
I loved what you did with the shoe shelves. To me it looked absolutely pinterestable :-)
But still I agree: we should be merciful with each other and normalize normal homes :-) Very nicely said 👌
Love this video. Lol 😂. Your husband made me laugh 😂. Nice experiment ❤️
You did good!!:) I think she loved the time with you.
She Is too liittle! 😹❤️ Love you, guys
It is because she wants to do "work" and engage as Mama and Papa does.Developmentally she is still self oriented, she doesn't really understand the task. YOu organized everything perfectly and it looks very enticing for a toddler! Lovely!
Now that you have places for her toys you can continue to help her tidy up her own play space. Children learn these things by example🙂
It was clear in the 34 years of early childhood teaching in my case❤️
I love watching videos of yours on mornings 🥰 thank you for your work
I'm so happy u have this wonderful house now!