How to get rid of 3 year old’s toys

[Anonymous]

I need to get rid of some of DD’s toys. We live in a small apartment, and she has tons. But she is VERY attached to them. I have tried talking to her about giving the ones she’s outgrown to a baby who needs them, but there are very few she will agree to part with. I have tried getting rid of a few that she hasn’t played with in AGES while she’s out of the house, but she notices. She’s still talking about one particular toy I got rid of a year ago. If you have a child who is very attached to her toys, how do you ever get rid of things?

[Anonymous]

Tell her for every new toy that comes in one needs to go to a child who could really use it.

Pack up some toys in a bin, wait a month and if she doesn't mention it, donate it.

[Anonymous]

You don’t. At least, we didn’t. We would put some away and a few times she forgot about them.

[Anonymous]

Bag em and trash em. Cold turkey. And by trash em I mean donate or give them away ASAP.

[Anonymous]

Keep them. What’s the hurry?

[Anonymous]

I put them in a bag or box in a different closet and if they do not ask about them in 2 months, I donate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I put them in a bag or box in a different closet and if they do not ask about them in 2 months, I donate.

Pro tip: use a black trash bag - just in case. Most of the time they will forget quickly. If by chance there’s a toy she asks for that you e put away, you can take it out when she asks for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I put them in a bag or box in a different closet and if they do not ask about them in 2 months, I donate.

Pro tip: use a black trash bag - just in case. Most of the time they will forget quickly. If by chance there’s a toy she asks for that you e put away, you can take it out when she asks for it.

Yup this I’m very proud of my continued minimalism with a toddler - he has plenty of toys and as I notice ones he won’t play with I put them away for a bit and see the response. I also don’t buy new toys often and families know not to. That’s another question for you you could keep them all now but make sure no new toys come in. Also the giving it to other babies line is a mistake even if kids are not attached they understand it as someone taking something of theirs so never use that line.

[Anonymous]

What if you let her take a picture of it or something so that she could "revisit" it? I don't know if that would make it worse, but it's often suggested for adults who have trouble getting rid of stuff.

[Anonymous]

I think 3 year olds don’t have the maturity to understand you need to clean out old stuff to make space for the new. Sure, ask her if she’s ready to donate toys to other kids. She’ll probably be okay with giving away one or two toys. For the rest of the clutter you’re going to have to box it up and deal with it yourself. After you’ve boxed it,put it in a closet as nd wait a couple weeks to see if she misses anything—if not, drive straight to goodwill (or the dump.)

[Anonymous]

Firstly, you should explain to point to her that it is time to change old toys and you can get new toys. You can create more activities to help her enjoy and forget it. Or you can shoe her that her toys are broken or old. Check site https://couponforless.com/coupon-category/toys to get more ideas on children's toys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I put them in a bag or box in a different closet and if they do not ask about them in 2 months, I donate.

Pro tip: use a black trash bag - just in case. Most of the time they will forget quickly. If by chance there’s a toy she asks for that you e put away, you can take it out when she asks for it.

This is what we do, too. There's also a pretty active stoop donation culture in my neighborhood, so the concept of putting toys out "for a neighbor kid" and taking toys put out by a neighbor kid is familiar. She gets the concept and occasionally benefits from it, too!

[Anonymous]

I don't know, OP. Your kid seems really attached to those toys. I boxed up some stuff my kid hadn't played with in a long time and put it on the curb. THe stuff was gone in a day. DD asked about one of the things once and that's it.

[Anonymous]

Yes my 3 year old forgets about things pretty quickly. Sometimes will ask about a toy and I'll just say "oh that went to live somewhere else" or "that one broke so we had to throw it away".

I don't really feel the need to lie about it. Sometimes I give 3 options: keep, maybe/still deciding and donate (and trash, but I don't tell them that part). It helps if they can have a "middle" box for things they aren't sure about. Then the maybe box sits away for awhile, and we pull it out later and go through it again. They usually keep a few things, but are ready to part with the rest.

[Anonymous]

Rather than get rid of them, I suggest rotating them. Put about 1/4 away and bring them out in 1-2 months. They will seem new and exciting. That is a better strategy then buying new toys too often.