How Often do you throw out “stuff”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand this but I’m a minimalist and yes have kept with that lifestyle with kids. Your kid should not be getting a gift every other day, that’s weird. If something arrives for mine and it’s something I think we’d keep (we get some from a certain grandparent that I don’t), I have a box in my closet it goes until the next birthday/holiday. And every single time they get new toys (only on birthday or holidays), we get rid of old ones - either donation/trash or another bin in the garage if they’re still nice and could be played with later. Number one is not accumulating stuff and it sounds like you have a problem with that. Also, if you’re having more babies, get an organizing system for clothes. Obviously throw anything out that is old/“play” or you’re over, and put the rest in vacuum sealed bags based on age. Anything temporary -especially large baby toys- I borrow or buy used so I can get rid of it asap after we’re done. It’s really not that hard, but definitely goes against the “normal” American way of having a toy room filled to the ceiling with pieces of toys no one knows what goes to what and hasn’t been played with in months. That would give me a panic attack.

So people send your kids gifts and you don’t let the kids know about it? What do you say to the gifter? I would not dream of doing that to my parents or in-laws. It brings them so much joy to send the kids things. Of course sometimes “I’m not sure” what happened to those gifts once the kids have played with them for a little while.

We live in the city and certainly do not have a playroom, or room to rotate toys or store a ton of toys to be played with later. But it takes time to organize and with 2 working parents and little kids, time is also in short supply.

DP. We also give gifts away that we haven’t opened. The joy in giving is that the grandparents like to shop and pick things out and send them. They don’t live near us and won’t know what we have given away. We choose to pass many things on to less fortunate families - unopened, so their children get the joy of a brand new toy- and it also helps me because I spend less time cleaning the house and more time enjoying my kids. Also, there’s plenty of literature starting that kids don’t play as deeply and creatively if they have too many toys. They flit from thing to thing. And I have observed this in my own kids. So we think it’s best to pass the stuff on, too.

Same. I hate that we have to do this, but it seems more wasteful than opening and my kids never playing with it. If it's a really fun toy that we already have, I will regift it to another kid's birthday party.

Amazon makes it easy to return gifts that you don't want.

My issue is that I have 3 kids. It's like a continual stream of clothes going up to the attic and clothes coming down. But I was glad that I saved baby toys, high chair, first tricyles. It's less work for me to just pull it out of the attic than to sell it on FB and then rebuy it off FB. Currently it's a bit hard because I have favorite toys from my 6 year old to my 6 month old... Can't wait for baby stuff to disspear forever.

Regarding paper stuff that my kids make. I have a folder and save like 5 things a year that they drew, then I toss the rest with glee.

It is less wasteful for sure! If you open it, some places can’t accept it for donation. I also always think of my spouse telling me how much she was embarrassed growing up bc she was always wearing second-hand clothing and wondering if the kids at school recognized their old stuff (small town). That story makes me want to donate new toys, new with tags clothes, etc, bc we have so much and I want the kids receiving the items to feel pride and dignity in having something new. What the grandparents don’t know can’t harm them!

[Anonymous]

The Stuff really piled up while my 2nd was a toddler because people have him things but we had hand me does from the older sibling too. Now that he has grown out of baby toys and things we donate on Buy Nothing.

Torn, stained clothes go to textile recycling.
Broken toys have batteries removed and then trash - batteries are recycled.
Puzzles and games with missing pieces are offered up on Buy Nothing for families missing different pieces - then trashed if no takers.
My kids have a basket where they keep all their Happy Meal toys and party favors. When it is full, I ask them to pick a few to toss in the trash.

If your kids are still little, the best way to minimize clutter is to nudge family to gift toys that build on each h other - wooden trains, duplo/Lego, Magnatiles, marble run. We have many sets of a few things and it makes it easy to keep toys organized in bins and tubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand this but I’m a minimalist and yes have kept with that lifestyle with kids. Your kid should not be getting a gift every other day, that’s weird. If something arrives for mine and it’s something I think we’d keep (we get some from a certain grandparent that I don’t), I have a box in my closet it goes until the next birthday/holiday. And every single time they get new toys (only on birthday or holidays), we get rid of old ones - either donation/trash or another bin in the garage if they’re still nice and could be played with later. Number one is not accumulating stuff and it sounds like you have a problem with that. Also, if you’re having more babies, get an organizing system for clothes. Obviously throw anything out that is old/“play” or you’re over, and put the rest in vacuum sealed bags based on age. Anything temporary -especially large baby toys- I borrow or buy used so I can get rid of it asap after we’re done. It’s really not that hard, but definitely goes against the “normal” American way of having a toy room filled to the ceiling with pieces of toys no one knows what goes to what and hasn’t been played with in months. That would give me a panic attack.

I feel like I would loathe you IRL haha.

- not OP

+1. PP sounds repellent and I doubt she/he has any close friends or family!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand this but I’m a minimalist and yes have kept with that lifestyle with kids. Your kid should not be getting a gift every other day, that’s weird. If something arrives for mine and it’s something I think we’d keep (we get some from a certain grandparent that I don’t), I have a box in my closet it goes until the next birthday/holiday. And every single time they get new toys (only on birthday or holidays), we get rid of old ones - either donation/trash or another bin in the garage if they’re still nice and could be played with later. Number one is not accumulating stuff and it sounds like you have a problem with that. Also, if you’re having more babies, get an organizing system for clothes. Obviously throw anything out that is old/“play” or you’re over, and put the rest in vacuum sealed bags based on age. Anything temporary -especially large baby toys- I borrow or buy used so I can get rid of it asap after we’re done. It’s really not that hard, but definitely goes against the “normal” American way of having a toy room filled to the ceiling with pieces of toys no one knows what goes to what and hasn’t been played with in months. That would give me a panic attack.

I feel like I would loathe you IRL haha.

- not OP

+1. PP sounds repellent and I doubt she/he has any close friends or family!

She sounds sensible. You sound like a hoarder.