Playrooms- is there a solution?

amother

↑ OP

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 3:59 pm

It seems the solution is that I do need to police them.
We have a warm welcome chill house that attracts lots of kids to play. I love the energy but I don't love the insane mess.
I don't feel like we have tons of toys, I'm overall pretty minimalist and throw toys out all the time. All my toys are in clear closed labeled bins with pictures. I think the issue is lots of different age kids not necessarily playing all together. The 4 year olds are playing dress up and with the toy kitchen but the older ones are doing building and mentchies, and others are playing a game....you get the picture?
I have already moved the tiny pieces buckets, puzzles, games and crafts out of there.

↑ mummiedearest

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 5:50 pm

amother Eggshell wrote:

We have a small apartment and very little room for toys. We purge our toys regularly, as we know more gifts are coming. We don't throw out good things but we do give them away to friends the shul thrift shop or whatever, and reframe it as sharing our bounty with others. Our philosophy is that you don't have to keep something forever just because it was a gift. You can use it for a while and then it's ok to pass it along for someone else to enjoy. Keeping an entire warehouse full of toys from your granny won't make her any more beloved than cherishing just a handful of favorite items.

I don't see it as giving things away to make my life easier. I see it as chinuch and making the children's lives easier. No matter how big an estate you may live on, eventually you run out of space and have to cut back. The earlier children learn to be selective about the possessions they keep, the easier it will be for them to make such decisions as adults.

I agree with you philosophically, trust me. There is a culture on one side of the family that gift-giving happens at every visit. Bh, we see that side often. Pair that with kids who are extremely sentimental, and your philosophy doesn’t play out. I’ve learned to accept it rather than fight it, and the kids have let go of the smaller gifts as they’ve matured. I’ve figured out what works for me. It’s ok.

amother

Foxglove

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 6:24 pm

The best thing I did was to install locks.
I am not strict about the 1 toy rule, because my kids love playing with multiple toys at a time
The locks are.so helpful when lots of kids come over. It doesn't get overwhelming for me or them.

amother

Emerald

Thu, Apr 04 2024, 10:33 pm

I have one closet in the playroom that's locked at all times. If one thing comes out of the closet then something else goes back in.

You need a lock with a key that the kids can't pick. Hiding things and putting them high up won't help because if your kids' friends are like my kids' friends, they climb and get into everything. Locks really work though.