How to Declutter Your Kid’s Stuff: What to Keep or Toss
How to Declutter Your Kid’s Stuff: What to Keep or Toss
When you have kids, it is SO easy to get overwhelmed with the influx of toys, baby contraptions, and tiny clothing coming into your home. Between holidays. birthdays, grandparents that haven’t seen him in a while, and ‘just because’ occasions, it seems like my toddler gets new toys every few weeks. It often feels like I just bought him new clothes and they’re already getting too small.
Controlling the amount of kid stuff in your home can seem like too big of a task, causing frustration and unneeded stress. If you want to declutter your kid’s stuff without getting overwhelmed, read on. I’m here to help you navigate the decluttering process. If you want tips for getting your toddler to clean up, check out this post. Before we get started, let’s discuss decluttering.
What is Clutter?
Clutter can be many things. Namely, it is anything that causes messy, overwhelming areas in your home. Here are some examples:
- School paperwork piled up on the kitchen counter
- Toys overflowing out of the playroom
- Untold amounts of bubble bath and water toys under the bathroom sink
- Sheets stuffed into a linen closet that are seldom used
- Boxes of stuff you’ve been meaning to go through but never got around to (Note that this does not include things like holiday decor or seasonal items)
What is Too Much?
That is totally dependent on you. Are you comfortable owning two bedding sets per bed and no more? Do you prefer your counters and other flat surfaces to be empty or would you like a little more decoration? Are you comfortable with the amount of toys your child routinely plays with? Is your child routinely wearing all of the clothing in their closet?
For me, visual clutter can be stressful, so I want toys to have a home, preferably in a cabinet or closet so I don’t have to look at it all the time. You may prefer to have a few on display or only enough to fit in one specific toy shelf. Figure out where the line is for you and it will be easier to let go of the clutter.
When is a Good Time to Declutter?
Right now! I joke, but really, any time is a good time as long as you have the headspace to do so. I would not recommend decluttering during super busy times (holidays, traveling, etc…) or super stressful times (major surgery, beginning of the school year, etc…) below are my three favorite times to declutter.
New Year
I like to go through the house throughout the year. After the holidays, I want to get rid of everything! Which makes it a good time to decide which decorations can go in the donate bin. So at the beginning of January, I do just that. Plus, your kiddos probably just got a bunch more toys, so you can eliminate some of the old ones as well. I’ve seen others suggest getting rid of toys before the holidays, but by doing it after, you are aware of everything they’ve received. By making a point to declutter your kid’s stuff at the same time as your holiday gear, you can kill two bird’s with one stone!
Spring Cleaning
Spring is also a great time to weed out some of those toys. I start to get the itch to declutter my kid’s stuff as soon as the weather warms. This is when we bring out the outdoor toys, and you can spot the toys your child has outgrown prior to getting it dirty again. You can check out my yearly cleaning schedule for reminders on what to do with outdoor toys here.
This is a great time to put those baby items that are no longer used in a yard sale or list them online to sell. People love to look for gently used baby gear on places like facebook marketplace or a local consignment shop. Make some money while you declutter if you can!
Fall Exodus
The third time of the year I like to declutter my kid’s stuff is in August. Preferably before school starts. My kiddo is not in school yet, but I’ve found it’s a great time to drop off donations.
Once school starts, your child is going to be bringing a lot of stuff home. It might not all be toys, but some of it will be. Between birthday parties and school events, kids wind up with a lot of stuff. By being proactive before school starts, you can lessen the clutter in your home.
By decluttering clothing in the fall, you can be sure your child will have what they need when the cooler weather comes.
How to Declutter Toys
Below, I talk about my favorite tips for decluttering your child’s toys. You can also check out my post on decluttering the rest of your home for more inspiration.
Clean First
Are there broken toys laying around? Toys you’ve been meaning to fix or messy projects like play doh stuck in the crevices of a playhouse? Take any unfixable toys to the trash immediately. If you want to fix something, now is the time to do it. If it isn’t getting fixed, it needs to get out of your home.
That means if there are dolls stuck to artwork because your kiddo decided to paint with it’s hair, wash or cut it. If it is unsalvagable, into the trash it goes. If crayon is melted into the wheels of a toy truck, clean it or toss it.
By getting rid of the insalvageable toys, you’re cutting down the amount of work you have to do while decluttering.
After cleaning, you are going to start decluttering. Make piles of toys to either Keep or Sell/Donate. Don’t worry about putting the toys you are keeping away just yet. You can do that after you have removed the sell/donate toys. Don’t stop to reorganize until you are fully done separating everything. The secret to declutter your kid’s stuff is to not get sidetracked.
Look for Multiples
If your child was gifted a second bubble machine or pretend kitchen, move those toys to your sell/donate pile. Go through the area multiple times over the course of a few days. What may have seemed important on the first day, may not be by the third.
This also applies to similar but technically different toys. My son has a plastic barn that opens and came with toy farm animals. He was also gifted a wooden barn with ‘coins’ to drop in that roll out. The wooden barn was intended for younger babies, and the plastic one is great for older kids for imaginative play.
He doesn’t need both, and they’re both too large to fit in a basket, so they are both ‘displayed’ all the time. So I’m keeping the barn that he can continue to play with as he gets older and tossing the baby barn.
Assess Your Child’s Usage
If your kiddo is all about that fire truck life, but never touches the dinosaurs, decide whether it is worth it to keep hanging on to them. If you are thinking of saving items for future children, keep reading to hear my solution further below!
Toss Items That Stress You Out
I have a very strict No Glitter policy in my house. After five years of working with children, I officially hate the stuff. It gets in the carpet and it never leaves. Seriously, my husband would find glitter in his hair days after I did a glitter project at work. It was at the bottom of my purse. Never again! I’m kidding, sort of, but you get my point.
If there is a kid-oriented item that stresses you out, toss it. Paint, kinetic sand, flubber-type goos, or even toys that are just too loud, too annoying, or subject to fights between your children, need to go. Sell, donate, or toss it in the bin.
How to Declutter Clothing
This area is often easiest for me because it is a pretty simple yes/no situation. You can hold onto a newborn outfit or two if you would like, but use the checklist below to decide if your kiddo’s clothing is worth keeping.
- Does it fit?
- Are there any holes or tears?
- Are there any stains?
- Does your child actually wear it?
- Is it likely a younger sibling will wear it?
If the answer is NO to any of the above questions, toss it.
Avoid Feeling Guilty
I used to feel obligated to keep items that were gifted by a loved one, and then stressed because we had too much stuff. The point of the gift is in the giving, not the keeping. Your mom didn’t buy your child a gift to hold it over their head(hopefully!). She bought it to show her love and bring your child joy. If it is no longer serving your child (or you!), do not waste time feeling guilty for giving it to someone who will cherish it.
The same rule applies for the potential of an item. If you dream of being one of those moms that does crafts with her children but the craft supplies are gathering dust in a corner, cut your losses and give the supplies to someone who will actually use them. Just because it would be nice to do something, doesn’t make it realistic for your season of life. Maybe you’ll circle back to those crafts one day, but right now, it’s just stressful clutter.
Saving for Future Children
In an effort to assuage the feelings of guilt and save money, I was attempting to keep every single item I got for my son for any future children.
But here’s the thing: what if we don’t have any more children? What if it takes seven years to get pregnant and I’ve spent all that time storing this stuff? What if it’s a girl and loved ones buy her a whole new wardrobe?
I get saving expensive items like strollers or sound machines. But a $6 onesie that may or may not have blowout stains? It’s okay to let go of that stuff. Any future children deserve their own play doh or stuffed animals. If you must keep some stuff, pare it down to one or two plastic totes worth of stuff. And get rid of the rest. It’s just taking up space. Physical and mental space in your life.
Make it a Game
See how many trash bags of toys or clothes you can get rid of. Make a goal to entirely fill the trunk of your car with kid’s stuff to donate. Bet your spouse (or children if they’re old enough) that you can get rid of more than they can. Finding a way to gamify your decluttering can ease the stress and – dare I say – make it more fun ?! You can do it!
Decluttering your kid’s stuff can be emotional, so don’t be afraid to take a step back if needed. Take your time and continuously/routinely declutter. Check out my guide for 17 quick items you can declutter in a hurry. Let me know in the comments below how you declutter your kid’s stuff!
