I’m convinced that tidying up can be learned and that a tidy interior will help us to be happier. So, today, I’m offering offering an article to help you cope with the torrent of toys that’s about to descend on our rooftops…

The holidays are approaching, and with them the flood of new toys offered by your caring entourage to your dear little ones.
Here’s the article, hope you’ll like it!:

SORTING OUT
The easy rule: one toy in, one toy out. (This also works for parents with all the other objects in the house.) This way, you avoid cluttering up the house. What to do? Let your child choose a toy he or she no longer plays with, and donate it to an association, school or daycare, so that other children can enjoy it. My children finally understood and now do “one out, one in” (clever…). My eldest, who is 5, quickly realized that if he could sell a finished DS game quickly, he could get a good price for it and buy a newer one to continue the pleasure of discovery.

Get rid of anything that’s outdated and donate it to a charity. If there are any toys he’s still fond of and hesitates about, offer to place them in a large crate. Put it in the attic with a label: “Olivia’s toys: to be decided on…” and write on it a date 6 months later. Children usually forget most of the toys in the box. This will make it easier for you to get rid of them. Don’t ask them for their opinion on everything – you know your children, you can see what they value. You’re the one who decides, so don’t waste your energy.

Throw away broken toys. You really can’t keep them; they’re unnecessarily cumbersome. Getting them repaired is rarely an option. Get rid of the gadgets he only looked at half a day after receiving them, sort through the pile of drawings and keep only the 10 most beautiful. If your child likes it, offer to take a photo of it. Let’s get it out there! You can’t pile up too many toys – it’s detrimental to your child’s development and demoralizes you by literally devouring your space and his. And so much the worse if it was your late grandmother who gave him that revolving mobile above his bed. She wouldn’t be happy to know that her gift was cluttering up her granddaughter’s bedroom or your attic. Lighten up!

If you want to simplify your life, channel the generosity of those around you. Put a stop to the “who’s going to bring the youngest the biggest present or the largest number” race. Offer to take them on a trip together (theme park, cinema, temporary exhibition…). When it comes to birthdays, be forward-thinking and ask everyone to contribute to a nice gift. To give you an idea, this year, my eldest received a new bike and my youngest 2 season tickets for his new hobby, horse-riding. And they’re delighted!

INSTALL A REAL STORAGE SYSTEM
Once the toys have been sorted, it’s time to organize them. Before you rush off to the store, remember the 3-step rule. When it comes to putting toys away, a child won’t find it difficult to make more than 3 gestures. I open the drawer, I put the toy in, I close the drawer. So forget the boxes with lids in the cupboards… If it’s too complicated, you’ll never manage to keep things tidy.

A STORAGE SYSTEM SHOULD BE SIMPLE AND WITHIN YOUR CHILD’S REACH.

Sit in the middle of his room and try to look at it through his eyes.
Storage should be within reach. You can opt for baskets, plastic buckets, plastic bins with lids, customized cardboard boxes… you decide on your own preferences. However, choose a system that – for obvious reasons of hygiene – will be easy to clean and move around the room.

Group toys by category: Teddy bears, cars, dolls, building sets, books, board games, drawing materials, masquerade costume, animals, cooking… Label them! For easy storage, use labels with photos or drawings, or words when they’re older.

Create modules for nomadic children: By nomadic children, I mean those who, despite having their own room or playroom, systematically come to the living-room table to draw… it’s normal for them to want to be close to you if their room is on the 2nd floor… mark out a space for them (a basket, a suitcase, a corner in a cupboard…), while making it clear that this is the family space and that everything must be put back in its place before dinner, for example.

HELP THEM GET INTO THE HABIT OF TIDYING UP
Admittedly, “tidy up your room” doesn’t work (unless you’ve tried the not-so-glorious, albeit effective, threat of the garbage can bag). It’s tempting to tidy up by yourself (it’s quicker), but educating means leading your offspring, little by little, towards autonomy and responsibility. And that’s your job as a parent. Children play all the time. That’s their job. They like to please their parents, they like to feel responsible, but they don’t like to be bored.

TIDYING UP IS ANNOYING. SO HE MIGHT AS WELL DO IT WHILE HE’S PLAYING.

Here are a few tips to motivate your children to tidy up:

Let them know a little in advance that it’s going to be time to tidy up. A child immersed in his or her imagination takes it easy…
Be precise in the words you use: it’s better to say “Pick up all the toys on the table” or “Put all the comforters back in their homes” than “Tidy up your room! The word “tidy up” is clear to us adults: it’s the action of putting everything back in its place. It’s far too vague for a child (even a teenager!). So choose action verbs: place, remove, put away, etc.
If he’s reluctant and says it’s going to take hours, offer to time himself. He’ll see that it only takes 4 minutes to clear the entire floor in his room. What’s more, you can turn it into a challenge: “Yesterday it took us 4 minutes 12 seconds… shall we try to do less than 4 minutes?”

Tidy up with him, show him how. It’s a moment to spend with him. Congratulate him! Point out how nice it is to have all this space tidy up.
Set an example: if you don’t tidy up your own things (in your bedroom, living room, study, kitchen or bathroom), how can you expect your child to keep things tidy?
Suggest that they put all their toys “to sleep” in their respective houses or storage bins.
Suggest a motivating activity after tidying up: “When you’re done, I’ll read you a story” or “We’ll go to the playground.”
Don’t dream, it won’t happen in a day. If you accompany him without doing everything for him, he’ll get better and better at it. The important thing is to realize with him that he has evolved: “Remember, before, you used to grumble about tidying up, and that took a long time. Now, waaawww! You’ve put your toys away so quickly!

Make tidying up a daily habit. Don’t wait until you’re fed up with the mess, as this generates anger that you’ll probably bitterly regret afterwards.