the bottomless pit

my biggest rival in my quest for order is, without a doubt, toys.  piles and piles of toys.
for years i have struggled with this beast. and it continues to defeat me. personally, i find the whole situation a bit maddening. i've read the magazine articles and organizing books, watched the programs on HGTV and TLC, talked to friends and family, had pep talks with the kids. all to no avail.

here's the situation: i have three children. all girls. ages 9, 7 and 4. and they share a modest sized room. and they like it messy.
i have actually overheard conversations between my daughters' about liking it messy. from my 7 year old in particular. 

so, i'm the mom and i'm in charge, so i'm told... how do i regain control without getting rid of all their stuff?  my biggest beef with kids' stuff has got to be all the pieces and parts. bits and bobs. especially girl stuff.

one part of the problem that makes it difficult for me on a personal level, most all of their belongings were gifts from extended family and loved ones. 
i have discreetly requested a number of times that any future gifts be things like school supplies, fun & funky socks, sleepwear & slippers, bathroom stuff- basically, things that can be fun & practical. 

1 Comments | Post Feedback

Well I have to say you are right about being frugal and collecting stuff while raising children. Know how I avoided being a packrat with my children. I kept our living quarters small meaning I purposely down sized from a four bedroom home to a two bedroom home with the small bedroom for us. One bedroom shared, the biggest one every body assuming to be the master bedroom, by all my children which meant one closet full of 7 days of clothing for each child period. Toys were a precious extravegant. Each child has a shelf on their headboard. All they can fit into that headboard is what their toys are for their prospective ages. I didnt allow them to stuff them full either. All toys outgrown got given away to friends younger siblings at church or school according to ages. My children enjoy the great outdoors too, so they didn't accumulate a lot of toys to begin with to get rid of in Spring cleaning. Try this approach and you will soon be clutter free. Your family may grip, but in the end they will love you for it.
Tanya

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