Anonymous wrote:Aww, OP, this is sweet. Hold onto that glimpse of childhood before they are 100% surly teens!

Anonymous wrote:What harm is this causing you and how much space is this really taking up that it is that serious for you to remove an item that your children play together with? Sounds controlling

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I’d leave it if they still use it.

On the other hand, I have a 13 year old and it’s just hard to imagine him playing with a toy kitchen, he cooks meals in our real kitchen. Do your kids know how to cook? Maybe involve them in the real kitchen and they will loose interest in the toy kitchen naturally?

OP here. It's one of the few times that my kids play together. They play cafe and bring my husband and I stuff. My 13 yr old can cook basic stuff and does for his sister on occasion. My 10 yr old can cook with m e but I don't want her cooking with DS. That's been going on for awhile.

I"m happy to keep it for another year. I really can't imagine her playing with it in two years. Her friends already outmature her so maybe this too will fall away naturally soon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh, is this my future?

I have unsuccessfully tried to remove it by suggesting replacing it with with something more age appropriate, but mine will then reject whatever I want to replace it with. For instance I said if we got rid of the toy kitchen, we'd have space to get a high quality keyboard. My kids love music and have asked for a piano so I thought this would be an easy trade. Nope, they have since told me they no longer want a piano.

My DD asked for a wardrobe for her room (it doesn't have a closet so she just has a dresser). I said that's a great idea, but then we'll need to move the dresser to another room (not going to get rid of the dresser, which is really nice) -- perhaps we could put it where the play kitchen is and use it to store linens? Nope, now DD doesn't want a wardrobe anymore.

These didn't work for me but maybe you'd have more luck. Is there anything they'd really enjoy that could replace the kitchen? A foosball table? Somewhere to store/display legos?

Why do kids get so attached to play kitchens, more so than other toys?

You sound kind of mean.

Let the kids be kids. Maybe you should throw away your dresser that nobody wants or your “beautiful decor” instead of focusing on trashing the things that are important to your children.

I'm not going to get rid of a perfectly functional dresser that could be used for decades in favor of a plastic play kitchen that my kids will 100% stop playing with at some point. My kids are old enough to cook actual food in an actual kitchen, they are just struggling with letting go of a toy they really don't use much at all anymore.

But fine, I'm mean. Sometimes being a parent means letting people call you mean simply for speaking reason.

They have not 100% stopped playing with it yet, because they're still wanting to be kids for a little big longer. They aren't struggling to let go of it, you are trying to force them prematurely to let go of it.

Yes, it takes up space to have both the kids' stuff and the teens' stuff. This period won't last long.

--Empty nester

Anonymous wrote:I think I’d leave it if they still use it.

On the other hand, I have a 13 year old and it’s just hard to imagine him playing with a toy kitchen, he cooks meals in our real kitchen. Do your kids know how to cook? Maybe involve them in the real kitchen and they will loose interest in the toy kitchen naturally?

Anonymous wrote:I would rather my kids hang on to the play kitchen than ask for more screen time. Think about your priorities, OP. Is decluttering worth it?

Anonymous wrote:I think I’d leave it if they still use it.

On the other hand, I have a 13 year old and it’s just hard to imagine him playing with a toy kitchen, he cooks meals in our real kitchen. Do your kids know how to cook? Maybe involve them in the real kitchen and they will loose interest in the toy kitchen naturally?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh, is this my future?

I have unsuccessfully tried to remove it by suggesting replacing it with with something more age appropriate, but mine will then reject whatever I want to replace it with. For instance I said if we got rid of the toy kitchen, we'd have space to get a high quality keyboard. My kids love music and have asked for a piano so I thought this would be an easy trade. Nope, they have since told me they no longer want a piano.

My DD asked for a wardrobe for her room (it doesn't have a closet so she just has a dresser). I said that's a great idea, but then we'll need to move the dresser to another room (not going to get rid of the dresser, which is really nice) -- perhaps we could put it where the play kitchen is and use it to store linens? Nope, now DD doesn't want a wardrobe anymore.

These didn't work for me but maybe you'd have more luck. Is there anything they'd really enjoy that could replace the kitchen? A foosball table? Somewhere to store/display legos?

Why do kids get so attached to play kitchens, more so than other toys?

You sound kind of mean.

Let the kids be kids. Maybe you should throw away your dresser that nobody wants or your “beautiful decor” instead of focusing on trashing the things that are important to your children.

I'm not going to get rid of a perfectly functional dresser that could be used for decades in favor of a plastic play kitchen that my kids will 100% stop playing with at some point. My kids are old enough to cook actual food in an actual kitchen, they are just struggling with letting go of a toy they really don't use much at all anymore.

But fine, I'm mean. Sometimes being a parent means letting people call you mean simply for speaking reason.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh, is this my future?

I have unsuccessfully tried to remove it by suggesting replacing it with with something more age appropriate, but mine will then reject whatever I want to replace it with. For instance I said if we got rid of the toy kitchen, we'd have space to get a high quality keyboard. My kids love music and have asked for a piano so I thought this would be an easy trade. Nope, they have since told me they no longer want a piano.

My DD asked for a wardrobe for her room (it doesn't have a closet so she just has a dresser). I said that's a great idea, but then we'll need to move the dresser to another room (not going to get rid of the dresser, which is really nice) -- perhaps we could put it where the play kitchen is and use it to store linens? Nope, now DD doesn't want a wardrobe anymore.

These didn't work for me but maybe you'd have more luck. Is there anything they'd really enjoy that could replace the kitchen? A foosball table? Somewhere to store/display legos?

Why do kids get so attached to play kitchens, more so than other toys?

You sound kind of mean.

Let the kids be kids. Maybe you should throw away your dresser that nobody wants or your “beautiful decor” instead of focusing on trashing the things that are important to your children.

I'm not going to get rid of a perfectly functional dresser that could be used for decades in favor of a plastic play kitchen that my kids will 100% stop playing with at some point. My kids are old enough to cook actual food in an actual kitchen, they are just struggling with letting go of a toy they really don't use much at all anymore.

But fine, I'm mean. Sometimes being a parent means letting people call you mean simply for speaking reason.

They have not 100% stopped playing with it yet, because they're still wanting to be kids for a little big longer. They aren't struggling to let go of it, you are trying to force them prematurely to let go of it.

Yes, it takes up space to have both the kids' stuff and the teens' stuff. This period won't last long.

--Empty nester