I’ve been a nanny for many families and I think if parents implemented this system it would dramatically transform not only their children’s play but the whole atmosphere of the household and the behavior of both the children and parents. We are all so much more overstimulated than we realize.
Hi! Saw this comment and I know this is super random, I’m curious if you’re still nannying and/or have any connections in Florida that you would recommend :)
I have six children (27-14) and I wasted so many years dealing with toy messes until I finally figured out how needless they were and got rid of almost all of them. My children were nothing but relieved. They didn’t like cleaning them up anymore than I did! When I stopped taking piles of toys in the car my daughters started playing “foot babies”. It was adorable. 😅 Children are so much smarter and more creative than we can even comprehend. The danger is in doing this for your children with some idea of it being better for them, making them smarter or more creative. It isn’t and it won’t. They might thank you for it or they might not. Do it because it feels good to you and for no other reason. Your children are responsible for figuring out their own feelings and their own future.
I had wanted to organize my 5-year-old daughter's toys for a while. When I saw your video, I started right away. Took me 2 hours to pack everything up in the end, but now it's in 3 trash bags, hidden in her closet. When she came home she looked at her shelves and THANKED me. She did ask for one specific toy but was ok when I told her we were taking a break from some toys and could get it back later. I'll keep everything for a few more months and then donate what she doesn't ask for. All that to say, the space looks so much cleaner and more inviting and we are both thrilled. Thank you!
Same.. Even though our house is full of toys the best moments of the day are outside. They actually have very little interest in their toys. Now I dread birthday parties and Christmas where we will end up with even more toys! Though I do recall Christmas as a child where receiving gifts was so exciting, so I guess that is the highlight of receiving even more toys they will likely lose interest in quickly.
That's not especially a comment on minimalism-- there are tons of intervening variables there, including novelty, change, sensory input from smells and the breeze, the stimulation of bright light, normalizing circadian rhythms, soothing hormones put out by trees, the way we're wired to like the color green...
this was quite literally an answer to prayer. My children unpack the toys and don’t even play with them! Nothing except for the magnitiles or blocks! Been praying about simplifying our lives but just didn’t know how far to go… Really felt like you were speaking my language. So appreciate your approach- so solid.
First child : had Lovevery. I obsessed over the play guide and timeline of it all Second baby: bopping around the floor with a comb and a rain boot for half hour
I admit that I approached this video with considerable scepticism, but was drawn in by your unideological and intelligent presentation. And halfway through I noticed that I have already done what you suggest. I have always tried to keep my son's toy selection simple, and it works. I had expected some radical minimalism, and instead what I got was a common sense approach that really validated me and eased my doubts about how I do things. Thank you!
I also noticed a lot of the toys in the video are not age appropriate. At some point they were probably challenging but the kids are over 4 already; the skills have been acquired for years.
This video may have changed my life. I did a massive purge, it took a couple days and I'm not sure if I'm done yet, but the difference in my home, kids, and self is palpable. Thank you! There is a lot of general decluttering left to take care of but this made a larger dent than I would have believed.
This video is so timely! We were drowning in my 2 year old twins' toys 🙈 I fell into the trap of educational toys as you were. I'm gonna try this experiment. Thanks for sharing ❤
I needed this video today! My 2 year old doesn't even play with the toys. He plays with our nugget couch and cars. I needed the permission to ditch the rest like I've been wanting to. Thankfully he's young enough he won't notice the drastic reduction of clutter.
This is how my son is, just obsessed with cars/trains. I keep wanting to downsize his toy collection both in and out of rotation, but I just keep thinking “how can I get rid of all this?!” I feel like I’m looking for permission to do it.
@@JonasBrosGirl You have permission! :) But, seriously, you just saw me unload hundreds of dollars of heirloom quality toys. You can do it! I've found that decluttering, though it involves a lot of facing disappointments from purchases that didn't work out, teaches us SO MUCH about how to forgive ourselves and learn from mistakes. I'm a wiser and more careful consumer today than I was four years ago.
@papertownhome decluttering the love every toys (I have a few toys and puzzles I got recently 2nd hand, never did a subscription thank fully) and I'm keeping the puzzled but letting go of the magical toys for diy versions to bond more and I deleted fb so I'd stop buying and selling things for awhile but I know it's in a bin in my shed just waiting. Should I try to wait and resell one day or donate? I donated almost anything I spent 50$ or under this year while decluttering and I spent that much or less on these but struggling to let go of them or the idea of them and we didn't even use them lol
@@feliciasuris2381This is so tough! I’ve found for me if I find someone who really needs something I need to get rid of it’s easier to let go of. For example I’ve passed lots of baby and maternity stuff on to my sister-in-law. I always ask if it’s something she could use. I also post things on my local Buy Nothing group and watch for people’s requests in the group as well. It really makes it easier to give things away.
Love this and been saying this for years. I'm an educator, Ive even tried to speak to administration about this and its dismissed or said "Kids need all the toys out for language development". We are the ones in the classroom who have to manage behaviors and support with routines such as cleaning. Now I can say, I'm happy to get out of the classroom now lol and no longer under that administration. Hope this catches on in a system that refuses to move forward but stays behind. Thank you for sharing this!
This is such a wonderful video and couldn't come at a better time. I agree that our children don't mind the missing toys, but grandparents are another story...
I was a kid whose parents randomly (not systematically) got rid of things they thought I wasn't using anymore, and they made some BAD mistakes. I started hiding things I loved but didn't fit my age anymore. To be clear, I fully support the process outlined above, but do NOT think you are doing your children any favors by making it a slow and continual process - especially if those kids are older. Set a new standard and stick to it. If there is a pattern of continually "stealing" your children's toys, over the years, it can really shatter trust.
I think age is relevant here. Her kids are very young. I feel like if you have memories of hiding toys you were probably older when your parents declutterred your toys.
That's understandable. Stealing is never ok even if its a child. From the age of 4 I taught my daughter that letting go of things we don't play with is a good thing and by donating them we can give them to other children. Or by selling them we can save money for something else, like a day at the arcade or save up for a scooter. Obviously we cover most of the cost but it can teach the importance of saving money at the same time. I only donate toys that my kids approve of. Sometimes I ask them to pick toys to donate or I'll come to them asking if they are OK to donate a specific thing. I keep a box by the stares that is always for donated items and one day I found my daughter who is 8 now, putting some books in it. I didn't even question her, she knew what the box is for and wanted to let something go, I was so proud of her.
@megana5658 I agree. I think they must have started when I was young, but then continued too long. I also continued to play with a broad range of my toys much longer than many children, I think (well into high school), so I wasn't really ... aging out of things at the expected rate. I don't think most kids would have noticed.
This is important. There’s no way I can get rid of my 6yo son’s toys; he has a mind like a steel trap and, like me at that age, many of his toys have deep backstories and personalities in his imagination. Yes, there are too many toys, but this is such a short time in our life. He will be grown and the clutter gone before we know it. Until then I watch and enjoy, and occasionally shove it all into a box for him to rediscover months later :)
My kids are a bit older, but I've realized that they literally dump their toys simply to play with the box. They don't even want the toys! I've seen videos like this a million times, but your realization that kids don't even need the "learning" toys has really hit home. Thank you for this. I love it. Ps. Your kids climbing out the window into the rain is adorable. We should be friends. 😂
@@ChristineCraythorne you send the people home with the junk they bought and they start to catch on how serious you are tell them that your kid could play with it at there house next time your over
Ask them to give a gift receipt and then exchange it for diapers you need. In laws burden us with the toys. I have barely bought any for our son. He has so many though that other people bought him. One triumph was getting to return an obnoxious FP “playhouse” set with 80 sounds, phrases and lighting up including a toilet flushing. I said no and my husband agreed and we got to take that back and use the money for diapers all he needed.
One set of grandparents love to bring SUITCASES full of toys and clothes every single time they come over. Our little apartment is overwhelmed and they don't listen to our Please, NO MORE.
I decided this; I've told them over and over so if I donate it right after, or a week later, then I will because I tell them at every holiday and birthday.
I had planned to be like this when I first became a parent! But my babe turned one recently and over the year, we have been gifted SO many toys we felt bad donating ... and of course I'm also guilty of buying educational toys too.. who wants their child to be uneducated! But now we have so much, my rotation shelf is packed, the display toy shelf is full, and babe's independent play isn't great. So thank you for this video - it was a welcome reminder of my initial values around toys.
I totally get feeling bad about donating toys. If you need some inspiration from someone with the same experience as you but 3 years further down the road.. We are very intentional with receiving gifts. We ask people to give gifts together like all the uncles gave my daughter a water table for outside. And we ask more practical things like new rainboots, umbrella, jammies, cap. Or something to do with the grandparents like going to the zoo. And last if people really want to give something small, I love colouring books, stickers or sketch paper. Depends of course if your child likes that, but it will disappear in time just by using it.
There is still a lot that needs to happen in mainstream culture
2 місяці тому+4
Oh, the gifting is a real struggle! I am appreciative, but then ... what to do with it all? We are certainly a culture of excess, and any attempt to say "no toys as presents, please" is met with disgust from family that just want to spoil them.
Mom of 5. Legos, Duplos, Magnet Tiles, Matchbox, a barn and schleich animals, Sarahs Play Silks as our dress up, a nugget sofa thing, coloring stuff. Our Yoto players. Wooden blocks are available but notc used daily. My kids really love crafting so i give them access to paper, cardboard, scissors, tape etc. That's about it. Weve gone thru the various stages of kid clutter and toys has been where we've landed. And no battery toys ever! Books galore. Great video! Get the kids outside and let them play.
This was one of the very best parenting videos I have watched on UA-cam all year. You are making deep and quality content. I really appreciate your honest reflections and your guiding the viewer through your process. Even as a speech therapists and evolving minimalist-ish mom, I am completely overwhelmed by my child’s toys. Especially the grandparent gifts. I declutter constantly and own a lot less than the families we’re friends with but I have still felt completely overwhelmed by the ‘mental inventory.’ I really really appreciate your taking the time to make such a thoughtful video. I have found it so helpful and encouraging and affirming of my gut instinct that our child will do better with even less (even though that is in complete opposition to the cultural norm). Thank you thank you thank you💛
I have a 14 yo and can confirm she never cared when I would trim back her items. It really helped her enjoy what she had. Now she doesn't emphasize stuff in her life. She never has a holiday wishlist saying she has everything she needs, even when grandma asks for a list. She's an artist and as long as we always have art supplies and journals around she's a happy teen. Emphasizing time together with experiences like hikes, local theater performances, etc is helpful.
Thank you for this video! I unintentionally did a similar experiment. With this 4th pregnancy being harder the first few months, I ended up putting all of my toddlers toys away except for cars, magnatiles, kitchen supplies, craft supplies, and baby dolls/stuffed animals. They saw me packing them up to be put away and asked why. They were upset for maybe 2 seconds and then literally didn't care. About 2 months later and it's now easier to get them to clean up their toys, their imaginations have grown even more, and they play slightly better together. This video gave me the extra push I needed to officially get rid of the toys they don't truly need/care about.
Now for your next video!! How to tackle Christmas and Birthday gifts. I get my house down to a good amount of stuff like you are doing here. Then Christmas comes and along with it comes the overwhelm of more toys. And you're back to square one. Although one Christmas I asked everyone to out in cash to buy my kids a trampoline. It was an amazing idea and it's the one year I still remember 15 years later what they actually received for Christmas!!!!
For those who just want to get the key points, here’s a summary of the video: 1. Overstimulation from Excessive Toys: Research and experience show that too many toys can overwhelm children, leading to shorter play sessions, interruptions, and a lack of focus. Reducing toy quantity encourages deeper engagement, imagination, and cooperative play. 2. Historical Perspective on Toy Usage: Hundreds of years ago, children had few or no toys, instead using found objects to create their own playthings. The rise of mass production and educational theories led to today’s cultural focus on toys as developmental tools, which may not be necessary. 3. Decluttering Strategy (The 30-Minute Method): The method involves quickly identifying toys that are essential for imaginative and long-term play. The focus is on selecting a minimal, beloved collection and packing away others for a set period to test the effects of a simpler setup. 4. Observing the Benefits of Fewer Toys: After simplifying, children’s play became more creative and focused, lasting longer without interruptions. The reduced clutter fostered collaboration, self-sufficiency, and resourcefulness as they reimagined the available toys in various ways. 5. Experiment-Based Decluttering: Treating the decluttering process as an experiment allows for flexibility. Parents can test the impact of fewer toys before making final decisions, potentially building confidence to let go of unneeded items based on positive results observed.
This is one of the best videos on UA-cam. You speak clearly, calmly, & at a great pace. I usually skip through videos or speed them up-- but not here. This was immensely helpful & educational. Thank you.
Oh God I'm just through the first 2 minutes and it's sooooooo TRUE!!! Rotation system also doesn't work for us!!! He knows where we keep the rest of the toys and asking for those more than the one we provide!! And their focus distraction is so real!!!
I always appreciate the calm in your vidoes. You don't have any background "audio clutter". I just realized as a full grown adult that what I have are some sensory processing issues. I get overwhelmed easily. But your videos are relaxing to watch and I always learn something. I love decluttering! Thank you! Im off to bag up some toys. 👌
THANK YOU! My own child can testify to this. I would buy toys and she would play with it once or twice and then seek out every day stuff (water bottles, keys, pots and pans, boxes etc. ) i dreaded the thought of getting more toys because it seem like a waste of money. Now I know why! Totally agree with your video
I love this ❤ I did the same thing almost 2 years ago and it’s truly a beautiful experience. I have 3 kids, two who are Neurodivergent. I strongly encourage this method and lifestyle, typical or not, it’s amazing! Not many people would agree with it, but it’s about what’s best for your family. ❤
I love this. My husband and I read Simplicity Parenting together and drastically reduced the toys available to our children. In the weeks following, our kids would get so deeply into play that they'd play with a single set of toys (like train tracks) for HOURS. It was mind blowing. Nowadays they have found the extra toys in the closet and we're back to the overwhelm. Glad I'm not the only one, and I may do what you suggest in the video. Thank you.
I had a set of Care Bares growing up and I would constantly play with, read or just my imagination outside. Funny how we are over complicating parenting these days. I genuinely can’t remember any other toys than those ones.
LOVE everything about this and cannot wait to try this!!!!! Literally been praying for an answer to my nightmare4 and this is it. About to watch the recommended video too. Will report back in a few weeks!! THANK YOU SO MUCH
I've re-watched this video multiple times. I'm a long time follower of Dawn from the minimal mom and was already pretty minimal with kids toys. This video was the push I needed to go even farther and eliminate my toy rotation entirely after recently welcoming my second child and feeling the need for extreme simplicity in this stage of life.
True! I see this as well with my kid. ❤️ Even older folks don’t like too much all at once. They also get overwhelmed with many things. Make it simpler for them. 💯
I just finished decluttering all of my toddlers toys and she only has a few out right now simply because I haven’t set up her play area yet… she’s been playing with what we have so deeply and for so long it’s been blowing my mind. I might get rid of even more.
I have to laugh…I’m a 56 year old mother of a 23 year old daughter who saw the empty box our new treadmill came in and climbed right in. She was so excited to have a box seven feet long that she could lie down in. She is a teacher and hasn’t lost that sense of play.
I needed A LOT of convincing on this topic, so I had to dive deep on that "why." So glad I did! It's given us enormous freedom. I hope it can do the same for other families!
Love this! We have a small toy rotation which I actually love so much. But the amount of toys some people have is absolutely insane. Then they complain that their children don’t play with any toys. We try to have only open-ended toys. We spend a lot of time in nature as well. I think they appreciate the toys they have when they have less.
Love this video. I notice this a lot whenever my nephew spends time at my house for two week or so. I have some books for him but hardly any toys. He just naturally starts playing with my kitchen things, cushions, the vacuum whatever he finds really... I sometimes have to remind myself that he spends all morning at kindergarten anyways where he has a lot of things to explore and play with
After 8 years of parenting my theory is that toys are made for buying. That is their purpose to be purchased. But when I try and talk about my theory peope look at me like I have 2 heads lol. The other thing I think toys provide is a common play script, so at the library my kids will play with new kids with toys that they ignore in our home.
This is SUCH A GOOD POINT! When I was reading about the history of play in Colonial America, I learned that, historically, toys were owned by ADULTS! They would own blocks and figurines and such. I was initially shocked and then thought, no that totally makes sense. I'm very drawn to toys as an adult. Historically, children made their own playthings from objects found in nature or around the house.
Oh my goodness yes I agree. Mine and my husband's parents are remarried and + great grand parents there's 10 grand parents and we are the only ones with kids. They are very spoiled on Christmas and birthdays because of this. My mother thank goodness listens to me when I say please don't get them more than 1 thing or nothing at all lol. Iv asked other grandparents to either just spend time with them or donate to their college fund, but if they insist on toys we have an Amazon wishlist the kids get to curate. My mom just renews a zoo pass every year and takes them to the zoo periodically.
I agree with the buying part. I’ve always tried to but one good solid won’t break easy type toys for Christmas, birthday & sometimes Easter. Been raising kids since 1993 and it really does seem a handful of good ones is much healthier, more enjoyable then an entire sea of stuff.
And here in the UK if the health visitor (which is the professional who does a home visit to check on your and baby once they’re born for up to two years) They raise no or little toys as red flags! I get there are situations where the child maybe neglected over all and that is one of the red flags. This is something I’ve contemplated for some time and amazingly, God put this on my feed without me having to search for it at all. ❤
Thank you so much for this! As a new parent to a 6 months old, i recently started noticing the difference in behaviour when my child is surrounded by toys vs. not that many. Although wasn't consciously looking solve this, I found this video at a very fortune moment. Thanks again!
So glad to see someone admitting how time consuming rotation systems are! I’d love to hear if you’ve been through gifting seasons and birthdays since implementing this new system. Family love gifting our kids with physical things and seeing their joy in opening things - which then become part of our (cluttered) home. How do you manage to maintain your system whilst managing your kids’ and everyone else’s expectations around gifting?
Yes, please, address this. Birthdays, Christmas, etc. Especially address what grandparents should do. I am a grandma now but raised eight kids. Even though the grandparents would give only one gift per child at Christmas, that's 16 additional toys (two sets of grandparents) that entered the house that one day. It was almost like each kid got 16 new toys because of course they play with each other's toys (though not all ages played with all levels of toys.)
I really really appreciate that you do a lot of research and reading before making a video! I have been really enjoying watching all your videos since I recently discovered your channel. They're very calming to watch too ❤
I appreciate that! I'm loving doing the more heavily researched videos, though they take between 80 and 120 hours to produce so I may have to limit them to a few a year and fit in some more casual topics as well :)
This is not to be understated. One of the biggest mistakes I made as a parent was buying too many toys in the beginning. I've donated so many, but still, too many remain, stashed away. All ready to be donated.
The kids forgot about them pretty fast. Less is more. I aim to keep it simple with their favourites: Legos Blocks Trains Doll + clothes But theres still so much to offload. I have told everyone: "we dont need anymore toys"
I just listened to hunt gather parent on audible. I have one kid who just turned 3.5. We recently moved into a one room log cabin w a loft. I eft most of our things boxed up in the barn but we still have 3 small shelves of toys and and its just too much. I want to reduce and this was helpful encouragement. Thank you!
Wow. I totally agree, my sister and I would have the most sustainable fun with the least. We had a painters tape roll that we played with in a big empty house that my parents were painting and updating electrical for. I still remember that single play session maybe 20 years later.
I want to do this for myself!! I think the excess of fabric and yarn I own actually limit my creativity. But what great advice for everyone! Thank you!
I’ve watched a bunch of these videos and nobody has explained this as well as YOU have!! I feel a sense of purpose and less confusion and guilt and paralyzed of where to start this decluttering journey. Thank you so much!!!😊
I really enjoyed this video-- everything from the topic, your work on the research, your approach with the experiment and the way you presented it all. And, the way you explained your previous thought process on educational toys really hit home. Thanks so much for creating and sharing!
My two children 7 and 5 always had a lot of toys and my daughter’s room was always a mess. Recently, I cleaned up the clutter and made displays out of their playmobil sets and everything that they don’t play with much went into the closet. They don’t even go into the closet for toys now 😂 they love magnetiles and legos but most of all they love the palaces I make them with our L shaped couch. I see my daughter cleaning up after herself without me begging her all day 😮💨 it feels amazing. I plan on decluttering their toys even more as the ones in their closets are almost untouched and collecting dust. Thank you for making this video, it further motivates me to have a minimalistic approach to toys and less toys = less mess = less cleaning
Uow! The video I needed. I felt into the same traps (fancy educational toys, complex montessori activities, toy rotation that made me exhausted). They all stopped working after my son was 2 years old. And I am constantly trying to create an environment to make him entertained for longer periods…
Thank you. Very helpful. Uncluttered video. Points well received . Trying the experiment starting 10 minutes ago. My own brain already feeling better. Thanks to God for blessing you with the gift of clear communication
I agree with everything you said in this video. I have a 4 year old & soon to be 2 year old & we really didn’t have a lot of toys for them. Kids are happy with the simple things in life & i also realize this helps them to use their imagination 😊. I love seeing my kids play great together & how creative they are with using their imagination!
Thiiis is so interesting! I actually learnt new things that I didn't know. We reduced in half the amount of toys with my kids, we donated what we could and I plan on decluttering even more. It feel like a weight lifted up off my shoulders. Kids are also content and play more.
Am I a mom in my 50s who has 6 grown children? Yes, I am. Did I watch every minute of this video? Yes I did. We didn’t have tons of toys because we did not see the need and grandparents couldn’t afford spoiling six. I was always amazed at watching my children, girls and boys, play with shoes as cars and reinvent other toys into something else. I was fascinated with how they played best together when they played like this. They still speak of these days and their play. My personal fondest memories were fixing “dinner” for my brothers out of acorns and berries using old pots and sticks in the little house in the woods at my grandmother’s house. She had a small box of toys, no tv, books and an acre or so of land. We liked exploring outside best, or as we grew older, making up stories and adventures or chatting in an upstairs bedroom. My brothers even wrote and illustrated stories and we carried these adventures through our play anywhere. I still miss those days so very much!! I hope your children grow to have fond memories of childhood as well.
Thank you so much! Such an encouraging and important message here. I have similar memories from my childhood and the magic of those days is still with me.
Thank you for this video. It's like you read my mind. I've recently started decluttering my kid's toys because I noticed they only play with a few things. The rest of it is in the way!
I've saved this video to watch soon! We live in a small flat with two young children (3&1) and have way too many toys and it's overwhelming. I struggle to declutter, mostly due to sentimental reasons, feeling bad for getting rid of gifts and thinking some toys are beneficial. My 3 yr old will soon be turning 4 and im dreading a new influx of toys! Im keen to glean from what you share in this video and hoping for a shift in my thinking!
Just the other day I just put 90% of my kids misc. toys in a bag out of frustration at the constant mess and neglect of their things. They have indeed been way more creative in how they play and what they use, and have only asked about 1 or 2 specific toys which lets me know what toys they are actually interested in!
I LOVE that I'm not the only one who took this approach! I'm thinking about calling it "The Bag-and-Banish Method" or maybe "The Hide-and-Decide Technique" 🤣
i am neither a father nor a mother, but I subscribed to your channel because your approach is so calming, and it is amazing to watch you to prep myself to be a future father! Thanks a lot for your marvelous editing & audio work too. ❤
I love this. My best memories of play as a kid were ones where I was either making my own toy or game from scratch or just using my imagination with what I had. I really loved making my own toys though. If I wanted something at the store my mom would say something like "you could make a cooler version of that!" She thought she was just keeping me from thinking I could spend all her money on toys but really she was helping me learn creativity and resourcefulness. Usually this involved craft supplies she always made available to us. Sometimes she let us paint over Legos, which maybe some would think is bad, but we made lots of "new Lego sets" we basically saved my parents hundreds of dollars haha
Thank you for sharing this! Makes me feel encouraged that I let me kids draw on their toys, hahaha. My research into the history of toys and play in America taught me that, historically, children made their toys from objects they found in nature and around the house. I thought that was amazing!
I'm 56. One of my fondest memories from my childhood is playing "little house on the prairie" outside. We didn’t use toys. We'd build forts with what we could find and create a house. We'd collect items to be sold in the store. We'd use small rocks for money. I think kids today miss out on creating their own fun. If my daughters ever told me they were bored, Id tell them that being bored is a choice because the world is full of exciting things, you just have to find them. 😊
That sounds very similar to my childhood. Memories I cherish. Have you ever read the children’s book Roxaboxen? It perfectly captures these kind of childhood experiences.
We were never bored. I do think we had toys, but we had free rein of the yard and also if we said we were bored, my parents liked to suggest a chore we could do. We were never bored.
This was incredibly helpful! My son loves legos and cars. I have constantly wondered if I’m giving him enough in different areas of play but even when we have tried branching out, he loses interest and always goes back to the same categories. My hardest part is the books as a homeschooling family! There is always the library so we just need to keep favorites. So glad to see a video from you again!
Thank you!! I agree. Books are a tough area. As I mentioned in the video, I'm doing a book rotation still. I think books are easier to rotate, but I'm not sure if I'll stick with it. I'd like to cover the subject of books too (but it needs some good research first). We've also just started homeschooling this fall, so our book collection is growing. I try to get things from the library, but it doesn't always work out.
The number of GOOD books available at small local libraries.... Flabbergasts me. I grew up in a larger library network, and walking into our local library and not being able to pick up a book on George Washington (not a specific book, ANY non-adult book) was just.... I can't lean on our library. I mean seriously. NOTHING on GEORGE WASHINGTON?!!!!
@@elemaster3428 Preach! That's my exact experience. I'm working with my local library to learn more about the resources available to parents and homeschool educators to get specific books quickly. Hoping I can share down the road because I think those of us in smaller networks need extra support in this area.
I am a mom of a 3.5 year old and a 22 momth old. I am so glad I stumbled accross this video. It is so freeing!!! Just last night and today I put away so many toys! I could never decide what to put away and what to keep before. This made it so easy! I can't wait to see the difference it will make! Already the lack of clutter is just so nice!! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful, methodical, informative and enabling video. I really appreciated it. Throughout i was thinking about needing to declutter my "stuff", so was so pleased that you linked another video to cover this. I look forward to watchiny it as soon as i can. Thanks again
Thank you for this video! I have been declutterring toys recently and donating them, but there is still so much! Toys have over run our home and it causes so much stress. By showing how to take the emotion out of the process, it will really help me to take away more. Between my daughters emotional attachments, mine and my husbands it can be hard. My husband was actually taking things out of the donation box as we were loading the car. I had him listen to your video as well. He is now prepared and agrees to letting more things go. With Christmas around the corner we have even notified our relatives that she has too much and have asked for science kits and crafting items and clothes instead of toys. My 4 year old really wants to be a scientist and is very into discovery and experiments. So we really want her to explore. Thanks again!
This video was so beautifully done!! After reading Simplicity Parenting, we decluttered 90% of our kids toys (which we felt was previously minimal)… and it was life changing for our family! Thank you for this video, I hope it reaches more families who need it!! ❤️
I found this video fascinating. Almost all the findings about children having too many toys, apply to me. I'm a single senior citizen who has bought too many gadgets over the years, without using most of them. I intend to try the proposed experiment on myself. Not sure how that will work, but let's see!
This is absolutely amazing. I've been thinking this for ages that less is more and also want to declutter. What's even better is my husband sent me the video and now we are both on the same page we can implement this together. I am also inclined to stretch this further applying it to my own items and clothes - in this consumerism world we live in, we all simply have too much stuff that distracts from life. Personally, we spend far too much time tidying toys, hunting for lost toys and also storing things we don't use or need. This is AMAZING!
I'm so glad I came across this video! I just started my own experiment because I noticed my kids don't seem to use their toys much. We all function better with less!
We have ALL the lovevery toys. I studied child development and tried to keep it very minimal. We have the same issue with rotations and the toy closet my kids constantly want to pull from. I’m struggling to minimize because it was such an investment and because we are having another on the way. Thank you for this video. I can give this a try!
You can try reselling! I’ve seen a lot on eBay and you can get a good amount back because some parents either don’t want the entire box or lost and item, or just can’t afford it. I’m also a Lovevery mom and that’s what I plan to do. It’s been worth it so far imo 😊
This is such a great idea! My son plays so much better when I take him to parts of the house where there are no toys. Your videos are awesome, please keep making them ❤
I love this ❤ I naturally did this with my boys they create in their own way. With the minimum toys. There toys are the same, my 3 year old is a pro at independent play now because of it, I'm still helping the very busy two year old.
I’ve started slow recently by putting some toys away. Just one bag at the time. NONE was remembered or asked for. Bag after bag after bag. I was shocked, to be honest. I think your method is great - quick and eye opening.
Wow! Thank you so much! I considered myself a very conscious consumer but was also hyped by loveverys play kits (found it through The Confused Mom) .... but this video really opened my eyes. Our baby is only 11 months old now but I'm sure I can still make changes and see improvement :) Thank you so much!
Okay, I didn’t even reach half of the video but I had to stop and say THANK YOU! I’ve read many educational books , bought many similar toys (often times the same) as you have. The rotation of toys drove me crazy and my kid’s reaction was the same as yours. The importance of your videos relies on helping how to do this change when before l thought I was doing the right thing for my kids. In the past I had noticed that after declutterring the kids always played better.
"Like them, I am just an idiot with a camera." I don't know you, but I really appreciated this comment as it made me laugh and relax! Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It was a calm experience for me because of the lovely music, and the slow image transitions, without any hype. I also appreciated you taking the time to type out the bullet points for the journal. I love the idea of taking a few months to review the progress before making a decision, and sort of savouring the time to observe and engage with the process. I'm showing my other half this video as he's mentioned he thinks we have too many toys, and I think I'll enjoy running this experiment in the run-up to Christmas (when grandparents do their thing...!).
@@ChristineTorrance-t3e I'm so glad somebody appreciated that joke! LOL. Good luck with trying out this approach! I've gotten some great feedback from others who've already tried a similar approach, which is encouraging that it's working for folks!
This is the first video of yours I’ve seen, I’m so happy UA-cam recommended it 😊 I’ve watched several now lol We have 3 kids and have been embracing minimalism for many years but still declutterring content is my favorite haha This was such a beautiful video, so well done and I loved the way you incorporated research and posed questions. I went through all my kids toys again (they were getting out of hand) and put most of them in the basement. Also, side note. Our kids share a room too. It’s been interesting to me as a mom how much I have to go through things again and adjust systems as our family changes. I have decided it’s fun now and I love the satisfaction of having something truly work for our family instead of trying to change us to fit the system. Thanks for your videos, love your channel, it’s great!
Love this idea and the fact that you included research to back everything up. After watching, I slimmed down and my kids noticed nothing. Would love a video or response on what you do about holidays/birthdays and how you handle family members giving gifts to your kids.
I just wanna say Thank You. You did such a great job researching and a lot of mothers can benefit from this. So truly Thank You for sharing this with us.
Wow this is the video I didn’t know I needed.. we have every lovevery toy and it stresses me out and overwhelms me! And the guilt over my non existent toy rotation 😮💨 time to overhaul the toys my kids have, when I just have out basic wood toys and plates out they play so much better!
I have my kids involved in the process and talk with them about it. When i was four years old, my mom got rid of my fisher price cash register, and it made me really sad all the way into my teen years.
Those were the best! I still remember playing with one every time I visited my grandma. I can see why you were upset. It’s definitely a good idea to pay attention to what our kids play with before decluttering and keep it stashed away for a time just in case.
I played with only my hands and a couple of little trinkets (usually hairbands and very small containers) when i was little because everytime my parents bought a toy, it would be destroyed within hours after entering the house. It was always my brother's fault too. I was quite sad when they stopped buying me toys altogether. Honestly i don't really care now because they were just some cheap fragile Chinese toys.
This is the best video I've come across so far on children and excess toys. 🙏 one note on the car bin: wipes can get moldy in the car! I used to keep mine in my car too but I soon realized this, just wanted to share! Thank you for this awesome video! 🎉
Trying this!! I have noticed my 19month old daughter would rather play with the laundry basket, her own socks, and other random household items!! Definitely gonna be getting rid of some of her toys.
I also have the lovevery boxes. Bought them second hand and keep them in the attic for kid nr2. I don't really rotate toys, but books. I felt guilty not rotating past favorites in from time to time, this helps a lot. Thank you! I'd be interested which art supplies you keep. We have a roll of paper, 6 crayons and I'm gifting a pair of learning scissors for christmas. Also getting some markers soonish. Everyone seems to have a huge collection of art supply.
Glad to see your new video! Yes, there is so much pressure of maintaining and rotating toys, especially holding onto old ones even if they grow out of them. Why did we make this an unnecessary burden. But even with less toys, I personally struggle with seeing a mess and if it’s not being used I’m constantly telling my kids to put it away. I think this is my problem, I don’t know how to ignore it and move on with my day. However, I have found a small but impactful way of being present while my kids are playing; I sit on the floor instead of on the couch, I feel free and it’s kind of fun to be at their level.
I love this!! I've been finding that singing and doing rhymes with my kids as been a wonderful way for us to connect and then they go into their independent play with a lot more ease. Getting down on their level is huge. Also, I totally get that feeling of being irked when things get messy. It's helped me to have significantly less toys because I feel confident that the kids and I can handle cleaning them up as needed.
I really love the thought and intention in this video. I have long agreed with the philosophy and I would love to reduce my kids toys further. I used to be able to keep it quite minimal, but in the last few years we have gone through the onslaught of birthday gifts in the first couple of years of school, several Christmases with overly generous relatives, and as the kids are getting older it is getting much harder to keep a lid on it. I would love more info about the 30 minute method your video is suggesting, as I went in for that - as an overloaded working mother I'd love to know how to truly reduce the overwhelm in a 30 minute (or even a one hour) method! Please give us more on that! I get so overwhelmed every time I even think about tackling this huge task.
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I feel this works really well with young children but a lot less with older ones. I think at some point we have to let them desire some things (and get them, not all, but some). They go to friend's houses, they get their own money, their own tastes, it's normal they just develop tastes and desires bigger than a few blocks and toys.
I completely agree. While certain aspects this video can be helpful and beneficial for my younger 2 kiddos, it wouldn't necessarily work with or for my 9 year old. Also my kids read dozens of books a day and we definitely need a lot so that we can rotate them in and out.
We have taken two 1 month or longer family vacations with very few toys and it is absolutely the best. The kids become much more imaginative and play better together.
Thank you so much for this video. I have a 1 year old and it’s so easy to go down the shopping rabbit hole of all the things she “needs” This video has inspired me to cancel our toy subscription, we’d had one box so far which was nice but I don’t think she needs new stuff every few months. I had already collected all her toys to pop into storage bins earlier in the week and saw the volume she has accumulated already, so we are on a shopping ban now 😅
As a teacher and researcher of young children for almost 40 years , I’m thrilled that you created this vital video. Well done Mama! ❤
@@sl9906 oh my goodness! Thank you! That’s so encouraging 🥰
I’ve been a nanny for many families and I think if parents implemented this system it would dramatically transform not only their children’s play but the whole atmosphere of the household and the behavior of both the children and parents. We are all so much more overstimulated than we realize.
Hi! Saw this comment and I know this is super random, I’m curious if you’re still nannying and/or have any connections in Florida that you would recommend :)
I have six children (27-14) and I wasted so many years dealing with toy messes until I finally figured out how needless they were and got rid of almost all of them. My children were nothing but relieved. They didn’t like cleaning them up anymore than I did!
When I stopped taking piles of toys in the car my daughters started playing “foot babies”. It was adorable. 😅 Children are so much smarter and more creative than we can even comprehend.
The danger is in doing this for your children with some idea of it being better for them, making them smarter or more creative. It isn’t and it won’t. They might thank you for it or they might not. Do it because it feels good to you and for no other reason. Your children are responsible for figuring out their own feelings and their own future.
I had wanted to organize my 5-year-old daughter's toys for a while. When I saw your video, I started right away. Took me 2 hours to pack everything up in the end, but now it's in 3 trash bags, hidden in her closet. When she came home she looked at her shelves and THANKED me. She did ask for one specific toy but was ok when I told her we were taking a break from some toys and could get it back later. I'll keep everything for a few more months and then donate what she doesn't ask for. All that to say, the space looks so much cleaner and more inviting and we are both thrilled. Thank you!
I'm so thrilled for you and your daughter! Congrats and thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Mind blown… My kids are indeed happiest outside in nature, when they aren’t even around their toys. So interesting!!!
Same.. Even though our house is full of toys the best moments of the day are outside. They actually have very little interest in their toys. Now I dread birthday parties and Christmas where we will end up with even more toys! Though I do recall Christmas as a child where receiving gifts was so exciting, so I guess that is the highlight of receiving even more toys they will likely lose interest in quickly.
That's not especially a comment on minimalism-- there are tons of intervening variables there, including novelty, change, sensory input from smells and the breeze, the stimulation of bright light, normalizing circadian rhythms, soothing hormones put out by trees, the way we're wired to like the color green...
My kids takes her toys outside to play with. 🤷♀️ Dolls, animals, etc. She plays with her toys and nature at the same time.
@@laurenell1112a good strategy for me was new toy comes in, old one goes out. Birthday and Christmas you’re only dealing with twice a year
Yep! A decent tree to climb, surrounded by a garden to pick snacks from can go a long way.
this was quite literally an answer to prayer. My children unpack the toys and don’t even play with them! Nothing except for the magnitiles or blocks! Been praying about simplifying our lives but just didn’t know how far to go… Really felt like you were speaking my language. So appreciate your approach- so solid.
Thank you! I'm so happy this video was a blessing to you!
As a montessori teacher this is a very good video that goes in the deepth of this theme :)
First child : had Lovevery. I obsessed over the play guide and timeline of it all
Second baby: bopping around the floor with a comb and a rain boot for half hour
I admit that I approached this video with considerable scepticism, but was drawn in by your unideological and intelligent presentation. And halfway through I noticed that I have already done what you suggest. I have always tried to keep my son's toy selection simple, and it works. I had expected some radical minimalism, and instead what I got was a common sense approach that really validated me and eased my doubts about how I do things. Thank you!
I also noticed a lot of the toys in the video are not age appropriate. At some point they were probably challenging but the kids are over 4 already; the skills have been acquired for years.
This video may have changed my life. I did a massive purge, it took a couple days and I'm not sure if I'm done yet, but the difference in my home, kids, and self is palpable. Thank you! There is a lot of general decluttering left to take care of but this made a larger dent than I would have believed.
This video is so timely! We were drowning in my 2 year old twins' toys 🙈 I fell into the trap of educational toys as you were.
I'm gonna try this experiment.
Thanks for sharing ❤
You're welcome! Good luck!
How did it go?
I needed this video today! My 2 year old doesn't even play with the toys. He plays with our nugget couch and cars. I needed the permission to ditch the rest like I've been wanting to. Thankfully he's young enough he won't notice the drastic reduction of clutter.
This is how my son is, just obsessed with cars/trains. I keep wanting to downsize his toy collection both in and out of rotation, but I just keep thinking “how can I get rid of all this?!” I feel like I’m looking for permission to do it.
@@JonasBrosGirl You have permission! :)
But, seriously, you just saw me unload hundreds of dollars of heirloom quality toys. You can do it! I've found that decluttering, though it involves a lot of facing disappointments from purchases that didn't work out, teaches us SO MUCH about how to forgive ourselves and learn from mistakes. I'm a wiser and more careful consumer today than I was four years ago.
If anything he'll just notice the extra space to jump around on that nugget!
@papertownhome decluttering the love every toys (I have a few toys and puzzles I got recently 2nd hand, never did a subscription thank fully) and I'm keeping the puzzled but letting go of the magical toys for diy versions to bond more and I deleted fb so I'd stop buying and selling things for awhile but I know it's in a bin in my shed just waiting. Should I try to wait and resell one day or donate? I donated almost anything I spent 50$ or under this year while decluttering and I spent that much or less on these but struggling to let go of them or the idea of them and we didn't even use them lol
@@feliciasuris2381This is so tough! I’ve found for me if I find someone who really needs something I need to get rid of it’s easier to let go of. For example I’ve passed lots of baby and maternity stuff on to my sister-in-law. I always ask if it’s something she could use. I also post things on my local Buy Nothing group and watch for people’s requests in the group as well. It really makes it easier to give things away.
Love this and been saying this for years. I'm an educator, Ive even tried to speak to administration about this and its dismissed or said "Kids need all the toys out for language development". We are the ones in the classroom who have to manage behaviors and support with routines such as cleaning. Now I can say, I'm happy to get out of the classroom now lol and no longer under that administration. Hope this catches on in a system that refuses to move forward but stays behind. Thank you for sharing this!
This is such a wonderful video and couldn't come at a better time. I agree that our children don't mind the missing toys, but grandparents are another story...
I was a kid whose parents randomly (not systematically) got rid of things they thought I wasn't using anymore, and they made some BAD mistakes.
I started hiding things I loved but didn't fit my age anymore.
To be clear, I fully support the process outlined above, but do NOT think you are doing your children any favors by making it a slow and continual process - especially if those kids are older. Set a new standard and stick to it. If there is a pattern of continually "stealing" your children's toys, over the years, it can really shatter trust.
I think age is relevant here. Her kids are very young.
I feel like if you have memories of hiding toys you were probably older when your parents declutterred your toys.
That's understandable. Stealing is never ok even if its a child. From the age of 4 I taught my daughter that letting go of things we don't play with is a good thing and by donating them we can give them to other children. Or by selling them we can save money for something else, like a day at the arcade or save up for a scooter. Obviously we cover most of the cost but it can teach the importance of saving money at the same time. I only donate toys that my kids approve of. Sometimes I ask them to pick toys to donate or I'll come to them asking if they are OK to donate a specific thing. I keep a box by the stares that is always for donated items and one day I found my daughter who is 8 now, putting some books in it. I didn't even question her, she knew what the box is for and wanted to let something go, I was so proud of her.
@megana5658 I agree. I think they must have started when I was young, but then continued too long. I also continued to play with a broad range of my toys much longer than many children, I think (well into high school), so I wasn't really ... aging out of things at the expected rate. I don't think most kids would have noticed.
Nope. As much as I would love to get rid of some clutter and as much as I think my kids would be happier, unless they ok it, nothing leaves.
This is important. There’s no way I can get rid of my 6yo son’s toys; he has a mind like a steel trap and, like me at that age, many of his toys have deep backstories and personalities in his imagination. Yes, there are too many toys, but this is such a short time in our life. He will be grown and the clutter gone before we know it. Until then I watch and enjoy, and occasionally shove it all into a box for him to rediscover months later :)
My kids are a bit older, but I've realized that they literally dump their toys simply to play with the box. They don't even want the toys! I've seen videos like this a million times, but your realization that kids don't even need the "learning" toys has really hit home. Thank you for this. I love it.
Ps. Your kids climbing out the window into the rain is adorable. We should be friends. 😂
I'm so glad it was helpful! Yes, let's be friends!
Where are these videos you’ve seen a million times? Id love to see more info on this. It’s very encouraging
@@vrock913 if you google "20 toy rule" you will find some, plus some articles about it :)
3:55 When kids have less things.. i'd say this is true for adults too. Simple living is beautiful and far more rewarding than always wanting more
I am a stay home dad and i 100percent agree hardest thing for me is getting all the relatives to stop buying the junk
This! I have outright ASKED them to stop buying, but every little thing is "it's so cute" 😢
@@ChristineCraythorne you send the people home with the junk they bought and they start to catch on how serious you are tell them that your kid could play with it at there house next time your over
Ask them to give a gift receipt and then exchange it for diapers you need. In laws burden us with the toys. I have barely bought any for our son. He has so many though that other people bought him. One triumph was getting to return an obnoxious FP “playhouse” set with 80 sounds, phrases and lighting up including a toilet flushing. I said no and my husband agreed and we got to take that back and use the money for diapers all he needed.
One set of grandparents love to bring SUITCASES full of toys and clothes every single time they come over.
Our little apartment is overwhelmed and they don't listen to our Please, NO MORE.
I decided this; I've told them over and over so if I donate it right after, or a week later, then I will because I tell them at every holiday and birthday.
I had planned to be like this when I first became a parent! But my babe turned one recently and over the year, we have been gifted SO many toys we felt bad donating ... and of course I'm also guilty of buying educational toys too.. who wants their child to be uneducated! But now we have so much, my rotation shelf is packed, the display toy shelf is full, and babe's independent play isn't great. So thank you for this video - it was a welcome reminder of my initial values around toys.
I totally get feeling bad about donating toys. If you need some inspiration from someone with the same experience as you but 3 years further down the road.. We are very intentional with receiving gifts. We ask people to give gifts together like all the uncles gave my daughter a water table for outside. And we ask more practical things like new rainboots, umbrella, jammies, cap. Or something to do with the grandparents like going to the zoo. And last if people really want to give something small, I love colouring books, stickers or sketch paper. Depends of course if your child likes that, but it will disappear in time just by using it.
@@ANNEM90 These are such great ideas! Did you have a wishlist you gave to people or just told them what you could use instead of more toys?
@@xtinafusco I had a wish list but more in categories.
There is still a lot that needs to happen in mainstream culture
Oh, the gifting is a real struggle! I am appreciative, but then ... what to do with it all? We are certainly a culture of excess, and any attempt to say "no toys as presents, please" is met with disgust from family that just want to spoil them.
Mom of 5. Legos, Duplos, Magnet Tiles, Matchbox, a barn and schleich animals, Sarahs Play Silks as our dress up, a nugget sofa thing, coloring stuff. Our Yoto players. Wooden blocks are available but notc used daily. My kids really love crafting so i give them access to paper, cardboard, scissors, tape etc. That's about it. Weve gone thru the various stages of kid clutter and toys has been where we've landed. And no battery toys ever! Books galore. Great video! Get the kids outside and let them play.
The battery toys 🫠 love your comment. I can relate!
This was one of the very best parenting videos I have watched on UA-cam all year. You are making deep and quality content. I really appreciate your honest reflections and your guiding the viewer through your process. Even as a speech therapists and evolving minimalist-ish mom, I am completely overwhelmed by my child’s toys. Especially the grandparent gifts. I declutter constantly and own a lot less than the families we’re friends with but I have still felt completely overwhelmed by the ‘mental inventory.’ I really really appreciate your taking the time to make such a thoughtful video. I have found it so helpful and encouraging and affirming of my gut instinct that our child will do better with even less (even though that is in complete opposition to the cultural norm). Thank you thank you thank you💛
You’re so welcome! I’m so thrilled it was helpful.
I have a 14 yo and can confirm she never cared when I would trim back her items. It really helped her enjoy what she had. Now she doesn't emphasize stuff in her life. She never has a holiday wishlist saying she has everything she needs, even when grandma asks for a list. She's an artist and as long as we always have art supplies and journals around she's a happy teen. Emphasizing time together with experiences like hikes, local theater performances, etc is helpful.
Thank you for this video! I unintentionally did a similar experiment. With this 4th pregnancy being harder the first few months, I ended up putting all of my toddlers toys away except for cars, magnatiles, kitchen supplies, craft supplies, and baby dolls/stuffed animals. They saw me packing them up to be put away and asked why. They were upset for maybe 2 seconds and then literally didn't care. About 2 months later and it's now easier to get them to clean up their toys, their imaginations have grown even more, and they play slightly better together. This video gave me the extra push I needed to officially get rid of the toys they don't truly need/care about.
Now for your next video!! How to tackle Christmas and Birthday gifts. I get my house down to a good amount of stuff like you are doing here. Then Christmas comes and along with it comes the overwhelm of more toys. And you're back to square one. Although one Christmas I asked everyone to out in cash to buy my kids a trampoline. It was an amazing idea and it's the one year I still remember 15 years later what they actually received for Christmas!!!!
For those who just want to get the key points, here’s a summary of the video:
1. Overstimulation from Excessive Toys: Research and experience show that too many toys can overwhelm children, leading to shorter play sessions, interruptions, and a lack of focus. Reducing toy quantity encourages deeper engagement, imagination, and cooperative play.
2. Historical Perspective on Toy Usage: Hundreds of years ago, children had few or no toys, instead using found objects to create their own playthings. The rise of mass production and educational theories led to today’s cultural focus on toys as developmental tools, which may not be necessary.
3. Decluttering Strategy (The 30-Minute Method): The method involves quickly identifying toys that are essential for imaginative and long-term play. The focus is on selecting a minimal, beloved collection and packing away others for a set period to test the effects of a simpler setup.
4. Observing the Benefits of Fewer Toys: After simplifying, children’s play became more creative and focused, lasting longer without interruptions. The reduced clutter fostered collaboration, self-sufficiency, and resourcefulness as they reimagined the available toys in various ways.
5. Experiment-Based Decluttering: Treating the decluttering process as an experiment allows for flexibility. Parents can test the impact of fewer toys before making final decisions, potentially building confidence to let go of unneeded items based on positive results observed.
This is one of the best videos on UA-cam. You speak clearly, calmly, & at a great pace. I usually skip through videos or speed them up-- but not here. This was immensely helpful & educational. Thank you.
Same!
Oh God I'm just through the first 2 minutes and it's sooooooo TRUE!!! Rotation system also doesn't work for us!!! He knows where we keep the rest of the toys and asking for those more than the one we provide!! And their focus distraction is so real!!!
I always appreciate the calm in your vidoes. You don't have any background "audio clutter".
I just realized as a full grown adult that what I have are some sensory processing issues. I get overwhelmed easily.
But your videos are relaxing to watch and I always learn something. I love decluttering!
Thank you! Im off to bag up some toys. 👌
THANK YOU! My own child can testify to this. I would buy toys and she would play with it once or twice and then seek out every day stuff (water bottles, keys, pots and pans, boxes etc. ) i dreaded the thought of getting more toys because it seem like a waste of money. Now I know why! Totally agree with your video
I love this ❤ I did the same thing almost 2 years ago and it’s truly a beautiful experience. I have 3 kids, two who are Neurodivergent. I strongly encourage this method and lifestyle, typical or not, it’s amazing! Not many people would agree with it, but it’s about what’s best for your family. ❤
I love this. My husband and I read Simplicity Parenting together and drastically reduced the toys available to our children. In the weeks following, our kids would get so deeply into play that they'd play with a single set of toys (like train tracks) for HOURS. It was mind blowing. Nowadays they have found the extra toys in the closet and we're back to the overwhelm. Glad I'm not the only one, and I may do what you suggest in the video. Thank you.
I had a set of Care Bares growing up and I would constantly play with, read or just my imagination outside. Funny how we are over complicating parenting these days. I genuinely can’t remember any other toys than those ones.
LOVE everything about this and cannot wait to try this!!!!! Literally been praying for an answer to my nightmare4 and this is it. About to watch the recommended video too. Will report back in a few weeks!! THANK YOU SO MUCH
Yay! I can’t wait to hear!
I've re-watched this video multiple times. I'm a long time follower of Dawn from the minimal mom and was already pretty minimal with kids toys. This video was the push I needed to go even farther and eliminate my toy rotation entirely after recently welcoming my second child and feeling the need for extreme simplicity in this stage of life.
Five minutes in and I am so glad your eyes were opened to the developmental scam of these toys! ❤
Thank you, Katy! Only took me four years 🤣
True! I see this as well with my kid. ❤️ Even older folks don’t like too much all at once. They also get overwhelmed with many things. Make it simpler for them. 💯
I just finished decluttering all of my toddlers toys and she only has a few out right now simply because I haven’t set up her play area yet… she’s been playing with what we have so deeply and for so long it’s been blowing my mind. I might get rid of even more.
I have to laugh…I’m a 56 year old mother of a 23 year old daughter who saw the empty box our new treadmill came in and climbed right in. She was so excited to have a box seven feet long that she could lie down in. She is a teacher and hasn’t lost that sense of play.
I'm a 42 year old dad and that's the first thing I would do with a box like that. Build a fort! 😅
I remember making cars and houses out of boxes as a kid. So fun!
I would get in it and then turn it into a doll house.
Kids and cats love empty boxes
My kids do that too@@user-me2bc2zd8q
Yes!! Thank you so much! I love that you put so much research into the "why" this needs to happen, not just the how to do it.
I needed A LOT of convincing on this topic, so I had to dive deep on that "why." So glad I did! It's given us enormous freedom. I hope it can do the same for other families!
Love this! We have a small toy rotation which I actually love so much. But the amount of toys some people have is absolutely insane. Then they complain that their children don’t play with any toys. We try to have only open-ended toys. We spend a lot of time in nature as well. I think they appreciate the toys they have when they have less.
Absolutely! And I find that consistent time outside leads to even better play when we're home.
Love this video. I notice this a lot whenever my nephew spends time at my house for two week or so. I have some books for him but hardly any toys. He just naturally starts playing with my kitchen things, cushions, the vacuum whatever he finds really... I sometimes have to remind myself that he spends all morning at kindergarten anyways where he has a lot of things to explore and play with
After 8 years of parenting my theory is that toys are made for buying. That is their purpose to be purchased. But when I try and talk about my theory peope look at me like I have 2 heads lol. The other thing I think toys provide is a common play script, so at the library my kids will play with new kids with toys that they ignore in our home.
This is SUCH A GOOD POINT! When I was reading about the history of play in Colonial America, I learned that, historically, toys were owned by ADULTS! They would own blocks and figurines and such. I was initially shocked and then thought, no that totally makes sense. I'm very drawn to toys as an adult. Historically, children made their own playthings from objects found in nature or around the house.
Oh my goodness yes I agree. Mine and my husband's parents are remarried and + great grand parents there's 10 grand parents and we are the only ones with kids. They are very spoiled on Christmas and birthdays because of this. My mother thank goodness listens to me when I say please don't get them more than 1 thing or nothing at all lol. Iv asked other grandparents to either just spend time with them or donate to their college fund, but if they insist on toys we have an Amazon wishlist the kids get to curate. My mom just renews a zoo pass every year and takes them to the zoo periodically.
The amount of toys I bought because my toddlers played with them in some other place for them to collect dust at my house 🤦🏻♀️
I agree with the buying part.
I’ve always tried to but one good solid won’t break easy type toys for Christmas, birthday & sometimes Easter. Been raising kids since 1993 and it really does seem a handful of good ones is much healthier, more enjoyable then an entire sea of stuff.
And here in the UK if the health visitor (which is the professional who does a home visit to check on your and baby once they’re born for up to two years)
They raise no or little toys as red flags!
I get there are situations where the child maybe neglected over all and that is one of the red flags.
This is something I’ve contemplated for some time and amazingly, God put this on my feed without me having to search for it at all. ❤
Thank you so much for this! As a new parent to a 6 months old, i recently started noticing the difference in behaviour when my child is surrounded by toys vs. not that many. Although wasn't consciously looking solve this, I found this video at a very fortune moment. Thanks again!
So glad to see someone admitting how time consuming rotation systems are! I’d love to hear if you’ve been through gifting seasons and birthdays since implementing this new system. Family love gifting our kids with physical things and seeing their joy in opening things - which then become part of our (cluttered) home. How do you manage to maintain your system whilst managing your kids’ and everyone else’s expectations around gifting?
Yes, please, address this. Birthdays, Christmas, etc. Especially address what grandparents should do. I am a grandma now but raised eight kids. Even though the grandparents would give only one gift per child at Christmas, that's 16 additional toys (two sets of grandparents) that entered the house that one day. It was almost like each kid got 16 new toys because of course they play with each other's toys (though not all ages played with all levels of toys.)
Great video! My "dolls" were plants from my moms garden... I had a childhood full of imaginations and joy. Amazing content to help parents ❤
I really really appreciate that you do a lot of research and reading before making a video! I have been really enjoying watching all your videos since I recently discovered your channel. They're very calming to watch too ❤
I appreciate that! I'm loving doing the more heavily researched videos, though they take between 80 and 120 hours to produce so I may have to limit them to a few a year and fit in some more casual topics as well :)
This is not to be understated. One of the biggest mistakes I made as a parent was buying too many toys in the beginning. I've donated so many, but still, too many remain, stashed away. All ready to be donated.
The kids forgot about them pretty fast.
Less is more. I aim to keep it simple with their favourites:
Legos
Blocks
Trains
Doll + clothes
But theres still so much to offload. I have told everyone: "we dont need anymore toys"
I just listened to hunt gather parent on audible.
I have one kid who just turned 3.5. We recently moved into a one room log cabin w a loft. I eft most of our things boxed up in the barn but we still have 3 small shelves of toys and and its just too much. I want to reduce and this was helpful encouragement. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Wow. I totally agree, my sister and I would have the most sustainable fun with the least.
We had a painters tape roll that we played with in a big empty house that my parents were painting and updating electrical for. I still remember that single play session maybe 20 years later.
Oh my thank you for the idea! A roll of painters tape is much more play for much less money! Lol. And more fun!! What a great memory you have!
I want to do this for myself!! I think the excess of fabric and yarn I own actually limit my creativity. But what great advice for everyone! Thank you!
You should! Such a great idea!
I’ve watched a bunch of these videos and nobody has explained this as well as YOU have!! I feel a sense of purpose and less confusion and guilt and paralyzed of where to start this decluttering journey. Thank you so much!!!😊
You are so welcome! I'm thrilled to hear this!
I really enjoyed this video-- everything from the topic, your work on the research, your approach with the experiment and the way you presented it all. And, the way you explained your previous thought process on educational toys really hit home. Thanks so much for creating and sharing!
My two children 7 and 5 always had a lot of toys and my daughter’s room was always a mess. Recently, I cleaned up the clutter and made displays out of their playmobil sets and everything that they don’t play with much went into the closet. They don’t even go into the closet for toys now 😂 they love magnetiles and legos but most of all they love the palaces I make them with our L shaped couch. I see my daughter cleaning up after herself without me begging her all day 😮💨 it feels amazing. I plan on decluttering their toys even more as the ones in their closets are almost untouched and collecting dust. Thank you for making this video, it further motivates me to have a minimalistic approach to toys and less toys = less mess = less cleaning
Uow! The video I needed. I felt into the same traps (fancy educational toys, complex montessori activities, toy rotation that made me exhausted). They all stopped working after my son was 2 years old. And I am constantly trying to create an environment to make him entertained for longer periods…
Thank you. Very helpful. Uncluttered video. Points well received . Trying the experiment starting 10 minutes ago. My own brain already feeling better.
Thanks to God for blessing you with the gift of clear communication
I agree with everything you said in this video.
I have a 4 year old & soon to be 2 year old & we really didn’t have a lot of toys for them. Kids are happy with the simple things in life & i also realize this helps them to use their imagination 😊. I love seeing my kids play great together & how creative they are with using their imagination!
Thiiis is so interesting! I actually learnt new things that I didn't know. We reduced in half the amount of toys with my kids, we donated what we could and I plan on decluttering even more. It feel like a weight lifted up off my shoulders. Kids are also content and play more.
Am I a mom in my 50s who has 6 grown children? Yes, I am. Did I watch every minute of this video? Yes I did. We didn’t have tons of toys because we did not see the need and grandparents couldn’t afford spoiling six. I was always amazed at watching my children, girls and boys, play with shoes as cars and reinvent other toys into something else. I was fascinated with how they played best together when they played like this. They still speak of these days and their play. My personal fondest memories were fixing “dinner” for my brothers out of acorns and berries using old pots and sticks in the little house in the woods at my grandmother’s house. She had a small box of toys, no tv, books and an acre or so of land. We liked exploring outside best, or as we grew older, making up stories and adventures or chatting in an upstairs bedroom. My brothers even wrote and illustrated stories and we carried these adventures through our play anywhere. I still miss those days so very much!! I hope your children grow to have fond memories of childhood as well.
Thank you so much! Such an encouraging and important message here. I have similar memories from my childhood and the magic of those days is still with me.
Hey what’s the age gap between kids and is it more and more difficult the more kids you have ?
Thanks for this video. Both my daughter and I need to declutter. Your video was our (my) motivation
Thank you for this video. It's like you read my mind. I've recently started decluttering my kid's toys because I noticed they only play with a few things. The rest of it is in the way!
I've saved this video to watch soon! We live in a small flat with two young children (3&1) and have way too many toys and it's overwhelming. I struggle to declutter, mostly due to sentimental reasons, feeling bad for getting rid of gifts and thinking some toys are beneficial.
My 3 yr old will soon be turning 4 and im dreading a new influx of toys!
Im keen to glean from what you share in this video and hoping for a shift in my thinking!
Just the other day I just put 90% of my kids misc. toys in a bag out of frustration at the constant mess and neglect of their things. They have indeed been way more creative in how they play and what they use, and have only asked about 1 or 2 specific toys which lets me know what toys they are actually interested in!
I LOVE that I'm not the only one who took this approach! I'm thinking about calling it "The Bag-and-Banish Method" or maybe "The Hide-and-Decide Technique" 🤣
Hide and decide 😂 love it
i am neither a father nor a mother, but I subscribed to your channel because your approach is so calming, and it is amazing to watch you to prep myself to be a future father! Thanks a lot for your marvelous editing & audio work too. ❤
A little off topic, but your storytelling and videomaking in general was on point. Very nice video
Awesome! Thank you!
I love this. My best memories of play as a kid were ones where I was either making my own toy or game from scratch or just using my imagination with what I had. I really loved making my own toys though. If I wanted something at the store my mom would say something like "you could make a cooler version of that!" She thought she was just keeping me from thinking I could spend all her money on toys but really she was helping me learn creativity and resourcefulness. Usually this involved craft supplies she always made available to us. Sometimes she let us paint over Legos, which maybe some would think is bad, but we made lots of "new Lego sets" we basically saved my parents hundreds of dollars haha
Thank you for sharing this! Makes me feel encouraged that I let me kids draw on their toys, hahaha. My research into the history of toys and play in America taught me that, historically, children made their toys from objects they found in nature and around the house. I thought that was amazing!
I'm 56. One of my fondest memories from my childhood is playing "little house on the prairie" outside. We didn’t use toys. We'd build forts with what we could find and create a house. We'd collect items to be sold in the store. We'd use small rocks for money. I think kids today miss out on creating their own fun. If my daughters ever told me they were bored, Id tell them that being bored is a choice because the world is full of exciting things, you just have to find them. 😊
That sounds very similar to my childhood. Memories I cherish. Have you ever read the children’s book Roxaboxen? It perfectly captures these kind of childhood experiences.
We were never bored. I do think we had toys, but we had free rein of the yard and also if we said we were bored, my parents liked to suggest a chore we could do. We were never bored.
Thank you for making this video. It inspired us to clean up our play room which was full of toys that were never used.
You’re welcome! I hope you’re enjoying your less cluttered playroom!
This was incredibly helpful! My son loves legos and cars. I have constantly wondered if I’m giving him enough in different areas of play but even when we have tried branching out, he loses interest and always goes back to the same categories. My hardest part is the books as a homeschooling family! There is always the library so we just need to keep favorites. So glad to see a video from you again!
Thank you!! I agree. Books are a tough area. As I mentioned in the video, I'm doing a book rotation still. I think books are easier to rotate, but I'm not sure if I'll stick with it. I'd like to cover the subject of books too (but it needs some good research first). We've also just started homeschooling this fall, so our book collection is growing. I try to get things from the library, but it doesn't always work out.
The number of GOOD books available at small local libraries.... Flabbergasts me. I grew up in a larger library network, and walking into our local library and not being able to pick up a book on George Washington (not a specific book, ANY non-adult book) was just.... I can't lean on our library. I mean seriously. NOTHING on GEORGE WASHINGTON?!!!!
Needless to say, I will be holding on to our books.
@@elemaster3428 Preach! That's my exact experience. I'm working with my local library to learn more about the resources available to parents and homeschool educators to get specific books quickly. Hoping I can share down the road because I think those of us in smaller networks need extra support in this area.
I am a mom of a 3.5 year old and a 22 momth old. I am so glad I stumbled accross this video. It is so freeing!!! Just last night and today I put away so many toys! I could never decide what to put away and what to keep before. This made it so easy! I can't wait to see the difference it will make! Already the lack of clutter is just so nice!! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful, methodical, informative and enabling video. I really appreciated it. Throughout i was thinking about needing to declutter my "stuff", so was so pleased that you linked another video to cover this. I look forward to watchiny it as soon as i can.
Thanks again
Im already an extreme minimalist but you made me decide to declutter 5 more things.
Thank you for this video! I have been declutterring toys recently and donating them, but there is still so much! Toys have over run our home and it causes so much stress. By showing how to take the emotion out of the process, it will really help me to take away more. Between my daughters emotional attachments, mine and my husbands it can be hard. My husband was actually taking things out of the donation box as we were loading the car. I had him listen to your video as well. He is now prepared and agrees to letting more things go. With Christmas around the corner we have even notified our relatives that she has too much and have asked for science kits and crafting items and clothes instead of toys. My 4 year old really wants to be a scientist and is very into discovery and experiments. So we really want her to explore. Thanks again!
I’ve started to go towards minimalism since watching one of your videos. This one is both helpful and refreshing. Thank you ❤
This video was so beautifully done!! After reading Simplicity Parenting, we decluttered 90% of our kids toys (which we felt was previously minimal)… and it was life changing for our family! Thank you for this video, I hope it reaches more families who need it!! ❤️
I love that you had a great experience with it too!
I found this video fascinating. Almost all the findings about children having too many toys, apply to me. I'm a single senior citizen who has bought too many gadgets over the years, without using most of them.
I intend to try the proposed experiment on myself. Not sure how that will work, but let's see!
Love that idea!
Hi! Do you have the list of questions you asked in determining which toys to keep? Great video and so so true. Thank you
This is absolutely amazing. I've been thinking this for ages that less is more and also want to declutter. What's even better is my husband sent me the video and now we are both on the same page we can implement this together. I am also inclined to stretch this further applying it to my own items and clothes - in this consumerism world we live in, we all simply have too much stuff that distracts from life. Personally, we spend far too much time tidying toys, hunting for lost toys and also storing things we don't use or need. This is AMAZING!
I'm so glad I came across this video! I just started my own experiment because I noticed my kids don't seem to use their toys much. We all function better with less!
We have ALL the lovevery toys. I studied child development and tried to keep it very minimal. We have the same issue with rotations and the toy closet my kids constantly want to pull from. I’m struggling to minimize because it was such an investment and because we are having another on the way. Thank you for this video. I can give this a try!
Yep I started out trying to do minimalist too and still struggled. Lol😊
Yess....I'm low key attached to the lovevery toys...they are nice and they weren't cheap
You can try reselling! I’ve seen a lot on eBay and you can get a good amount back because some parents either don’t want the entire box or lost and item, or just can’t afford it. I’m also a Lovevery mom and that’s what I plan to do. It’s been worth it so far imo 😊
This is such a great idea! My son plays so much better when I take him to parts of the house where there are no toys. Your videos are awesome, please keep making them ❤
Thank you! I will! :)
I love this ❤ I naturally did this with my boys they create in their own way. With the minimum toys. There toys are the same, my 3 year old is a pro at independent play now because of it, I'm still helping the very busy two year old.
I’ve started slow recently by putting some toys away. Just one bag at the time. NONE was remembered or asked for. Bag after bag after bag. I was shocked, to be honest. I think your method is great - quick and eye opening.
I love a slow approach like yours too! Allows you time to learn and gain confidence!
Wow! Thank you so much! I considered myself a very conscious consumer but was also hyped by loveverys play kits (found it through The Confused Mom) .... but this video really opened my eyes. Our baby is only 11 months old now but I'm sure I can still make changes and see improvement :)
Thank you so much!
Okay, I didn’t even reach half of the video but I had to stop and say THANK YOU! I’ve read many educational books , bought many similar toys (often times the same) as you have. The rotation of toys drove me crazy and my kid’s reaction was the same as yours. The importance of your videos relies on helping how to do this change when before l thought I was doing the right thing for my kids. In the past I had noticed that after declutterring the kids always played better.
"Like them, I am just an idiot with a camera." I don't know you, but I really appreciated this comment as it made me laugh and relax! Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It was a calm experience for me because of the lovely music, and the slow image transitions, without any hype. I also appreciated you taking the time to type out the bullet points for the journal. I love the idea of taking a few months to review the progress before making a decision, and sort of savouring the time to observe and engage with the process. I'm showing my other half this video as he's mentioned he thinks we have too many toys, and I think I'll enjoy running this experiment in the run-up to Christmas (when grandparents do their thing...!).
Also, wonderful tip about starting with ourselves first! Heading over to that video now. :)
@@ChristineTorrance-t3e I'm so glad somebody appreciated that joke! LOL. Good luck with trying out this approach! I've gotten some great feedback from others who've already tried a similar approach, which is encouraging that it's working for folks!
I needed this today! This was the exact logical approach I needed. Thank you! 🎉🎉
This is the first video of yours I’ve seen, I’m so happy UA-cam recommended it 😊 I’ve watched several now lol
We have 3 kids and have been embracing minimalism for many years but still declutterring content is my favorite haha
This was such a beautiful video, so well done and I loved the way you incorporated research and posed questions. I went through all my kids toys again (they were getting out of hand) and put most of them in the basement.
Also, side note. Our kids share a room too. It’s been interesting to me as a mom how much I have to go through things again and adjust systems as our family changes. I have decided it’s fun now and I love the satisfaction of having something truly work for our family instead of trying to change us to fit the system.
Thanks for your videos, love your channel, it’s great!
Such great wisdom! Don't make yourself fit the system. Make the system fit you and your stage of life!
Love this idea and the fact that you included research to back everything up. After watching, I slimmed down and my kids noticed nothing. Would love a video or response on what you do about holidays/birthdays and how you handle family members giving gifts to your kids.
I love how you narrated this video. Educational and at the same time soothing to listen to. Thank you!
I just wanna say Thank You. You did such a great job researching and a lot of mothers can benefit from this. So truly Thank You for sharing this with us.
Wow this is the video I didn’t know I needed.. we have every lovevery toy and it stresses me out and overwhelms me! And the guilt over my non existent toy rotation 😮💨 time to overhaul the toys my kids have, when I just have out basic wood toys and plates out they play so much better!
I have my kids involved in the process and talk with them about it. When i was four years old, my mom got rid of my fisher price cash register, and it made me really sad all the way into my teen years.
Those were the best! I still remember playing with one every time I visited my grandma. I can see why you were upset. It’s definitely a good idea to pay attention to what our kids play with before decluttering and keep it stashed away for a time just in case.
Yea my mom got rid of big stuffed bear named Big Bear when I was 4. I was bitter about it forever 😅
I played with only my hands and a couple of little trinkets (usually hairbands and very small containers) when i was little because everytime my parents bought a toy, it would be destroyed within hours after entering the house. It was always my brother's fault too. I was quite sad when they stopped buying me toys altogether. Honestly i don't really care now because they were just some cheap fragile Chinese toys.
You already bought the same vintage one right?? We found it, kids love it and it’ll make you feel some closure!!
This is the best video I've come across so far on children and excess toys. 🙏 one note on the car bin: wipes can get moldy in the car! I used to keep mine in my car too but I soon realized this, just wanted to share! Thank you for this awesome video! 🎉
Trying this!! I have noticed my 19month old daughter would rather play with the laundry basket, her own socks, and other random household items!! Definitely gonna be getting rid of some of her toys.
I also have the lovevery boxes. Bought them second hand and keep them in the attic for kid nr2. I don't really rotate toys, but books.
I felt guilty not rotating past favorites in from time to time, this helps a lot. Thank you!
I'd be interested which art supplies you keep. We have a roll of paper, 6 crayons and I'm gifting a pair of learning scissors for christmas. Also getting some markers soonish. Everyone seems to have a huge collection of art supply.
I am also a subscriber of Lovevery for my 16 months old twins and I am already overwhelmed by all the toys we have....thank you for this video.
Glad to see your new video!
Yes, there is so much pressure of maintaining and rotating toys, especially holding onto old ones even if they grow out of them. Why did we make this an unnecessary burden.
But even with less toys, I personally struggle with seeing a mess and if it’s not being used I’m constantly telling my kids to put it away. I think this is my problem, I don’t know how to ignore it and move on with my day.
However, I have found a small but impactful way of being present while my kids are playing; I sit on the floor instead of on the couch, I feel free and it’s kind of fun to be at their level.
I love this!! I've been finding that singing and doing rhymes with my kids as been a wonderful way for us to connect and then they go into their independent play with a lot more ease. Getting down on their level is huge. Also, I totally get that feeling of being irked when things get messy. It's helped me to have significantly less toys because I feel confident that the kids and I can handle cleaning them up as needed.
I really love the thought and intention in this video. I have long agreed with the philosophy and I would love to reduce my kids toys further. I used to be able to keep it quite minimal, but in the last few years we have gone through the onslaught of birthday gifts in the first couple of years of school, several Christmases with overly generous relatives, and as the kids are getting older it is getting much harder to keep a lid on it. I would love more info about the 30 minute method your video is suggesting, as I went in for that - as an overloaded working mother I'd love to know how to truly reduce the overwhelm in a 30 minute (or even a one hour) method! Please give us more on that! I get so overwhelmed every time I even think about tackling this huge task.
I feel this works really well with young children but a lot less with older ones. I think at some point we have to let them desire some things (and get them, not all, but some). They go to friend's houses, they get their own money, their own tastes, it's normal they just develop tastes and desires bigger than a few blocks and toys.
I completely agree. While certain aspects this video can be helpful and beneficial for my younger 2 kiddos, it wouldn't necessarily work with or for my 9 year old. Also my kids read dozens of books a day and we definitely need a lot so that we can rotate them in and out.
We have taken two 1 month or longer family vacations with very few toys and it is absolutely the best. The kids become much more imaginative and play better together.
Thank you so much for this video. I have a 1 year old and it’s so easy to go down the shopping rabbit hole of all the things she “needs”
This video has inspired me to cancel our toy subscription, we’d had one box so far which was nice but I don’t think she needs new stuff every few months.
I had already collected all her toys to pop into storage bins earlier in the week and saw the volume she has accumulated already, so we are on a shopping ban now 😅
Thank you. This brought me peace. Looking forward to further simplifying our lives.