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Toy Storage Tips

July 24th, 2008

The Summer Fun Continues:

I’ve been having so much fun with my family this summer, it’s taken me a while to get this post out. So, here are my thoughts about good Toy Storage…

If you have kids, you know the TOY DILEMMA first hand. Summer time can often be a toy fest, outside, and inside!!

The truth is that our kids need more than one toy to engage and teach them all the cool things they want to learn, as well as occupy their time. This often leads to the dilemma: too many toys for one home to handle.

A few over-toyed reactions you may have tried to tame the mess:

1) YELL! “Clean up your toys! This is the last time I’m going to tell you!”

2) THREATEN — Keep the children inside, or at home until they pick up after themselves, leaving you stuck at home inside too.

3) IGNORE the ever-accumulating mass hoping your kids will act on their own — tripping over their stuff and aggravating you for who knows how long.

4) PICK-UP for them, creating a long-term dependency you may not like.

5) CREATE a beautiful system of toy organization that makes it easy and, dare I say, fun to put away.

You can guess which option I favor…

So what’s a family to do? The need for such solutions often inspires new clients to call Natural Balance Home & Office for help. Our method to the madness is below:

A) The first step is to SORT through all the toys you have and pair down the collection. DONATE any toys with playtime still in them, but that are no longer age-appropriate. With what’s left, figure out which toys go in which rooms: Play Room, Bedrooms, Family or Great Room. And, don’t forget to put the outside toys outside.

B) Now comes the fun part: creating a storage system (I always feel like a kid shopping for stickers when I get to this phase). The keys for good toy storage units are simple and should include:

• Separate containers so different types of toys can be grouped together.

• Storage/shelving for the containers — Large stacks of containers shoved in the closet will quickly turn into mayhem. And, if the toys are in a shared living space such as the Family/Living Room or Great Room, doors on the unit are highly recommended.

C) Containers can range in size and weight but the best ones have lids and are easy for your child to handle. They can be any material you want: wood, woven grass or fabric, or plastic. (Look at Storables, The Container Store, Ikea, or Target for various options).

I’ve found that fabric soft-sided containers are the best choice for larger items such as balls, stuffed animals, etc. – but they don’t stack and take up more space, so chose wisely.

D) Remember to REUSE and RECYCLE. You can re-use shoeboxes or Tupperware for smaller, craft-like items. You can even look through antique and thrift stores for a selection of unique boxes and decorate them to fit your and your children’s tastes.

E) Now that you have a system and some tools, you have to implement it. I’ll share some of the things I’ve learned raising my 4-year old so far (but I think they apply to all ages):

• Because you want the kids to learn to clean up after themselves, make sure they know the system. A great way to do this is to have them take part in choosing its components; some of them anyway!

• Remember to set expectations. Depending on how old your child is, give them a limit of how many projects they can have out at once. If they get to four on the floor, something has to be put away.

• Make sure the system is easy. If it takes more than 5-10 minutes to clean up, your kids won’t do it.

Be patient! This project can, in some ways, be more difficult than just clearing out your clutter. It takes time for a natural habit to develop – about 2-3 weeks. You’ll need to “push” the system until it takes hold. As you’re teaching, and re-teaching, just keep you eye on the prize — relaxing in your home without a mass of toys spread at your feet!!

If you want support finding patience, here are a few resources:

Books:
Love and Limits book review: www.parentingpress.com/b_love.html/
Parenting from the Inside Out: www.powells.com/biblio/1-1585422959-0/
Parenting modality Love and Logic: www.loveandlogic.com/

Websites:
Child Development Institute, Stress Management for Parents: http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/stress.shtml/

A muti-spiritual site, specific article: 7 Quick Ways to Calm Down:
http://www.beliefnet.com/gallery/calmdown.html?source=GOOGLE&campaign=097

&medium=CPC&nopop=1&SW.mc_id=GOOSWC097&WT.srch=1&gclid=CJKz58r

YgZQCFQwxiQodi3NEWQ/

Coaches and Counselors:

Robin Dowdy, M. Ed.
Shine Through Coaching
Seattle, WA
Robin Dowdy, parent, educator, business-owner and coach, has been facilitating the growth and development of individuals for almost 10 years.
When being coached by Robin parents are heard, supported, and empowered to transform their lives. She uses insight, powerful questions, humor and compassion to connect deeply with her clients. As a result of coaching, Robin’s clients achieve power, joy, and fulfillment.

Robin Offers:
∂ Introductory Sessions
∂ 6-Week Workshops
∂ Refresher Courses
For information about upcoming workshops or to have Robin come speak to your group, please contact Robin at: (425) 941-0819, robin.dowdy@gmail.com

Kaji Martinez MA, CMHS, LMHC
Achieving Inner Balance Counseling and Coaching
Seattle, WA

Martinez provides individual, couples and family counseling. She offers various modalities and works with blended, and multicultural families. As a Child Mental Health Specialist she also provides one on one therapeutic service to children. Parent coaching and education is offered to families in her office or the comfort of their home – creating a better understanding of family dynamics in a shorter time frame. Therapeutic plans are catered to each family and individual.

Free phone consultations are available to those who may be interested in seeking services.

Contact Kaji Martinez at (206) 715-0714, www.aibcounseling.com/