High Time to Give Your Toys Away!

After the holidays, your house is probably groaning with your children's recent haul of new toys. Looking around your house right
now, I wonder if you can spot some items that your kids have pushed to the wayside well before holiday season? If you can, you're in good company. Most families have so many more toys than they need. It's high time you gave some of them away.

TOP 5 REASONS TO KEEP FEWER TOYS

1. You need less than you have
   In our society, we often become preoccupied with things we think we should have - instead of focusing on the things we already possess. When it comes down to the wire, do you really need more things? I wonder if you wrote down all of the "things" you bought in a month, if you would regret some of the purchases? The sooner you can live with less, the sooner you can promote these values to your kids at a young age.
2. Decreases mess
   When you have a lot of toys around the house, they tend to make a huge mess! While we all try to adhere to the rule of kids packing up toys after playing with them, sometimes we run out of time and by the weekend the house is a disaster. Kids with too many toys often don't take proper care of their belongings and lose interest in broken things. If you keep discovering your children's toys spread all around the house, maybe they need fewer toys?
3. Promote generosity, not materialism
   Why don't you gather up your extra toys and donate them to children less fortunate? Instead of teaching your kids to hoard items, there are so many reasons to show them how to be generous. There are probably a number of perfectly good toys that your children have outgrown that you can give away to a charity near you. You have the opportunity to teach your children some valuable life lessons surrounding their favorite possessions - toys!
4. Boost creativity
   If you buy your child every toy that they want, you are not allowing them the opportunity to be creative. When you buy a Barbie swimming pool, your child may never learn how to make-do with a bowl. With a Buzz Lightyear outfit, your child
   may not have the opportunity to paint cereal boxes and string them to their bodies as jet-packs! If you buy your child a new bike for no reason, they won't discover the creative process of negotiating ways to earn money for themselves. All of these creative lessons bring about life skills that develop children into smart, functional adults.
5. Start the year fresh
   Starting the year with an organized home environment can do wonders for your family. While most people don't commit to New Years resolutions, this is something that you can do once at the start of every year and repeat it a few months later if you like.

Are you up for the challenge?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vanessa L. Kahlon, MA
Founder & Executive Director, Kahlon Family Services, LLC
Behaviour and Early Intervention Services,
Yoga Education for Autism, Spectrum (YEAS),
415-971-8214