The big toy crackdown part three

The boys still have not managed to keep the Lego clean. They have also not even asked about all their other toys in the garage.

It's time to do a major purge.

I was talking with a friend today and she said that she and her husband deliberately have very few toys around the house. It was a conscious decision they made and they have never regretted it. It's going to be tough to part with some toys that I think are so great, but the truth of it is, we just don't need them. Not only that, but I'm probably doing a disservice to the boys by inundating them with so much stuff. How on earth can I help them escape the snares of consumerism while they are drowning in all those toys? How can I help them develop their imaginations? How can I foster a love of learning? How can I encourage outdoor play?

I can't. This is another really good example of needing to first set down what my priorities are, and then make sure my parenting techniques match my goals. Right now my toy room contradicts what I'm trying to teach my kids. It's time for it all to go.

A list, more for my personal use, of the toys I do want to hold onto. Hopefully this will help me stick to this list and not sneak anything else in!

- Lego

- train set

- kitchen and food (for now, until one of my sister's has a little girl!)

- space set/pirate set (on rotating basis)

- little cars

- two big cars

- Little people house