I just tripped over your toys… again! For the hundredth time, please put your toys away. If I step on another Lego, I’m throwing them out!
But here’s the thing, those sentences remind us of something important: a child is lucky enough to have toys. So many, in fact, that they’re scattered across the house like tiny plastic landmines.
“How about this sentence: There are boys and girls who don’t have many or any toys. With Santa coming, let’s make room for what he’ll bring.”
Getting kids to reduce their toys is no easy task. Adults love our “stuff” and kids love theirs, even the toys they haven’t touched in months. Asking a child to declutter alone? That’s like sending me into Marshalls and telling me not to browse and just stick to the list (aka: cruel and unrealistic). But here’s the good news: kids genuinely want to help others.
With the rising cost of living, many families are struggling, and the holidays can feel especially heavy. This Christmas, let’s rally our kids to support Christmas in the North Shore by bringing holiday magic to every child, no matter their family’s financial situation. Your kids’ generosity can brighten someone’s holiday and bring joy to a family in need.
I was working with a client recently when her son, let’s call him Adam, came home excited to help. His mom saw an opportunity for him to go through his toy box and shelves, so she gathered toys from around the house and piled them onto his bed.
Instant sensory overload. Adam was thrilled to see his “old friends” again, but staring at a mountain of memories wasn’t exactly helping him part with anything.
Fast forward: I redirected his mom with a task of her own, and Adam and I got to work. We started with his 25 trucks. I lined them up, removed anything that wasn’t a truck, and asked him to pick his top five.
He lit up as he explained why he loved each one of the five. When he got stuck deciding on the rest, I reminded him they were his toys, he could keep whatever he wanted. I also mentioned, “Santa is coming, and wouldn’t it be nice to have room for new toys?” and explained that the toys he donated would go to kids who didn’t have many.
That did it. His face lit up, not at the promise of new toys, but at the thought of helping other kids. He happily said goodbye to the rest. We repeated the process with other categories, and each time he picked his favorites and cheerfully let the others go.
His mom was thrilled to see the clutter disappear. Adam was proud, revisiting old favorites before sending them off to new homes. His ability to let go will make another child happy and another parent relieved. Kids want to help, and if a little nudge from Santa encourages generosity, great. Giving feels amazing at any age.
Adam donated so many toys that we ended up donating his toy chest too. Regardless of whether your family celebrates Christmas, this season is always a good time to have kids go through their toys and clothes. When I drop off kids’ items at charity centers, the workers always light up, they need toys and kids’ clothes more than ever during the holidays.
So, if your little cherub likes to leave booby traps around the house, save yourself a trip to the ER this season and consider rallying the kids, clearing the clutter, and spreading a little holiday magic.
Corrin Bomberger is the owner of Simple Organizing Solutions LLC (simpleorganizingsolutions.net/). She lives in Newburyport.