July 30, 2011
Things to do while waiting for McQueen- Our top 5
Posted by: admin : Category: Wellness & Lifestyle
We’re down to the last week of the MET’s Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, and if you’re still planning on seeing it– good luck. Already ridiculous wait times are expected to reach a reported 3 1/2 hours at some point over the weekend! With our procrastinating readers in mind we’ve decided to devise a somewhat useful [...]
July 30th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
What do I do with all these toys!?
How do I organize my 5 year old son’s room, so that it doesn’t look like a Tornado hit it?
How do I convince my 5 year old to keep his toys in his room, and away from baby?
Additional Details:
My two boys are ages 5 1/2 and 10 months.
My 5 year old has had free range of the house until now.
His room was, too small to keep any toys in it, so he has always playing in our living room.
We have given him a bigger room, and the baby got the small room.
He keeps bringing his toys into the living room. The baby is now extremely mobile, crawling, and pulling himself on furniture.
I can’t switch toys on my 5 year old. At this age he had collections, and knows every toy he has, and which ones he doesn’t have.
The ones he plays with the most are the trains, cars, army, Lego’s and transformers. Sometimes he will play with them all together, use the Lego’s to build a garage, or a transformer, Thomas has met Lightening McQueen and they are friends, and the Army men work together with the transformers to keep the earth safe from the decepticons.
His toy collections are; Thomas the train, disney cars, transformers, Lego’s, Duplo Lego’s, hot wheels cars, knex, and army men. And some odd and end toys. (which I have been trying to get rid of, or make them outside toys)
I am not willing to throw away any of his toys, like a certain friend of mine does. I don’t put out $$$ for brand name toys just to be thrown out. And if any family member was told that they’re christmas gift was tossed, they would freak.
We have told friends, and family members not to give him toys for birthday, christmas, kindergarten grad,..but they continue to do so. we have also told them to keep it on the smaller scale, and still we keep getting toys like a large truck, or large hotwheels set.
If I take all the toys away from him, he will get into things and cause trouble. The toys keep him entertained, and happy.
We have tried separating all the toys, placing picture of the type of toy that belongs in that bucket. We have tried just having a few large bins, but they just get dumped while he looks for a certain toy.
I can’t keep any board game around him, because it ends up in pieces everywhere, and I end up sweeping up the pieces with the broom.
I have even bribed him with a new toy, and he REALLY wants it. It just sits there in it’s package, while we wait for him to prove to us he can keep his room clean.
We are really tired of picking up toys, stepping on Lego’s, and taking small toys away from our baby.
(My 5 year old does have some sensory processing difficulties, but I don’t think it has anything to do with it, he cleans when he wants to)
The toy Supply will only get worse, with our other son getting older and his 1st birthday coming.
***Just a note: I had tons of toys when I was a kid. Tons, at least 6 apple Boxes full. I kept them always neat, and put away. My room was always clean, and no toys were allowed in the rest of the house.
My cousins kid has tons of toys, literaly every toy in the toy store, They do have a large house, but everything is picked up, and tidy all the time.
So I know it CAN be done!
***just for the record, we did get rid of some toys of his.
Sold his Rescue hero set for a good price. And gave away several of his old baby toys, and kids meal toys.
We are saving (packed away), the fisher price little people, mega blocks and potatoe head for my youngest son.
Any legos or game peices laying about gets swept up and thrown out.
(I couldn’t be bothered to pick them up, wash them and sort them)
***And he used to clean up his toys when he was younger. He started rebelling around 4 years old. :/
(So I have heard alot of kids do)
July 30th, 2011 at 8:40 pm
do what i did pick tell him to pick them up or you will
and when he doesnt pack them up in a box, put them on the lawn and have him help make an ad on craigslist that says
Free box of toys come get it the heck outta my yard.
It will be gone in 5 min and he will have learned his lesson
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July 30th, 2011 at 8:42 pm
I don’t throw the toys away, but I will pick them up and put them in a box, and hide them. I will give them back to her when I se she cleans up without much help. I used those rubber maid drawers, the clear ones, to orgnize her room, I put a picture of the toys that belong in each drawer on the outseide, so she knows what goes into each drawer without me having to constantally tell her.
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July 30th, 2011 at 8:44 pm
My kids have lots of toys also and I don’t throw things away or donate them until my kids are ready to part with them. My kids know toys are to be picked up. If they leave toys in the living room and I see it, I take it. I consider a toy up for my taking if it is laying on the floor and they are not in the room. They can have it back after they pay me for it. It cost .25 to get a toy back. If I pick it up a second time during the same day, it cost .50. Their bedrooms are a different story. They both have toy bins in their rooms and I don’t care what toy goes in what bin, they just all have to be in a bin at the end of the day.
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July 30th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
If the larger room could accommodate both children try putting ALL the toys in the smaller bedroom. Making that room the toy room. We did this with our two daughters when they were small. That way their bedroom and our living area stayed cleaner-toy free. When they were sent to their room for punishment there were no toys for them to play with while in time out mode. As for all the extra toys around while he sleeps remove them from the house. Donate them to a charity or hospital in your area. Explain to the family with each birthday to limit to one toy each, then have the children pick one out and give it to a less fortunate child. A child will play with a cardboard box if given the chance. Ask for canned food to be given to the local food bank in his name.
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Mother of two well adjusted caring grown daughters.
July 30th, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Your son should have learned to clean up after himself a long time ago. As soon as my son could walk, he started learning to put things away when he was done using them. He is now four years old, and cleaning up after himself is second nature.
Buy small bins to to organize his small toys – cars in one bin, blocks in another, etc. Teach him where each toy goes, and tell him that he is expected to put them away.
You say you won’t part with his toys, yet you don’t want a mess. Sorry, but that’s really the only way if you don’t want them around and your son won’t clean up after himself. If you still don’t want to give them away and your son keeps leaving them about, at least pack some of them up and put them away for awhile. Your son doesn’t need every single toy at his disposal every moment of the day. That’s spoiling him just a bit. He needs to learn that his actions have consequences, and he won’t get to play with his toys if he doesn’t take care of them.
Finally, it sounds like you’re a pack rat. If you can’t learn to part with things every now and then, you’re going to have to get used to living in a messy tornado.
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My son has a huge toy collection, but he has always been taught responsibility and respect by being expected to clean up after himself. I also help him go through his toys every year to clear out the ones he doesn’t use anymore. We sell them and use the money to buy Christmas presents for those who are less fortunate. It teaches my son charity while also organizing and making room for his new Christmas presents.
July 30th, 2011 at 8:50 pm
have a look on ebay they sell beautifully thomas the tank engine storage boxes or drawers show it to your son and ask him if he would like one to keep his best toys in if he says yes then tell him he will have to sort his toys out with you and box the ones he doesn’t play with no more then tell him you no a little boy who hasn’t got any toys at all and would really like his old ones and if he will let this little poor boy have them then you will buy him the thomas storage boxes or drawers then when he is in bed one night put his old toys on ebay wait for them to be sold then the money you make from his old toys will pay for the thomas boxes or drawers
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