Busting at the Seams with Toys…and Santa is still Coming…

We all love our children so much and are the best parents we could be for them. I didn’t think it would be THIS hard to turn down my baby boy’s cute little chunker-cheek face as he grabs a toy off the shelf and looks at me with puppy dog eyes. 🥺

At the same time…. I refuse to live in my house and let it get completely taken over with toys. Not only for the aesthetics of the house, but also because I want to make sure my little boy has toys that serve a purpose and are functional and age appropriate. As a primary teacher, I’m constantly thinking of ways to embed learning throughout our day. A lot of it is just automatic… I literally do not know how to turn it off.

But I also pay attention to which toys he gravitates towards, and which toys he does not. Kohen’s personality (right now at 15 months old), is very curious and he loves knowing how things work. He is intrigued with taking things apart and trying to put them back together. Whether that’s a lid to a Tupperware container, or the cap that screws onto his rollerball essential oil bottle, he’s gotta try it and it HAS to be done all by himself! I applaud his independence but man, does he get cranky if you try and help. Lord help me now, he is definitely my child.

It’s only September but I’m already highly anticipating the holiday season. I was NEVER like this before. I’m very ecstatic to share another Christmas with my boyfriend and our son, and getting to watch him open presents on his own will make it feel like a first-time Christmas all over again! Then reality will hit and I will have to figure out where to put all of his NEW toys…. And not just the ones Nate and I buy him, but all the ones family members buy as well.

So here’s what I’ve decided… I’m going to lay out a portion of his toys for a few days and put the others up… and see which ones he plays with the most. The others? Either donating or saving a few for the next baby, but overall trying to plan to donate (and not feel overly attached to my son’s toys that he doesn’t even care about anymore😅). Then, I’ll get the next chunk of toys and do the same.

Now it’s time to specifically plan what toys we agree on buying him for the holiday season, and what our toy limit is. I’m going to start thinking about how I will store those new toys NOW. Also, we agreed to give our family members a very specific toy list and are going to ask them which one they would like to purchase. I know that they may stray away from this list, but we have been very good at communicating our parenting style, and lifestyle for that matter, when it comes to presents. So far they have been very good about being supportive and understanding, and sticking to our wishes.

Choosing the Right Toys

I love looking up what developmental stage Kohen is in for his age to help me figure out the perfect toys for him. Here’s a link I use to look up childhood developmental stages: Click here!

I want toys that will keep him engaged, help him grow and learn, and my all-time favorite toys… ones that will grow with him! Multipurpose FUNCTIONAL toys are my jam and just make sense in my brain, and therefore in my home. I also love matching certain play items to the aesthetics of my house, so when they have to start encroaching into our living space, I can accept it a bit more as it matches my decor.

I do NOT believe that you have to give up your space for your children. Yes they are important, and yes they need space to play, but you also need to have areas that are yours and not taken over.

And here’s the thing…. You are NOT a bad mom if you just get rid of toys when they aren’t looking. Some people are cringing at that thought and possibly judging my style, but GUESS WHAT?! Your children will NEVER remember which toys you gave away. When kids think back on their childhood…. They remember quality times you spent with them. Not what you bought them. Plus, they will be over those old toys and on to the new ones in a heartbeat.

Here’s the latest toys I have on Kohen’s Christmas List:

A Little Life Lesson…

As my child (and eventually children) get older, I plan to make donating toys to kiddos who need them, a family tradition. I remember when I was in high school and our drama teacher put together this toy donation drive. Not only did we donate toys and games we didn’t need or play with anymore, but she took us to the shelter and we stood at the tables as a long line of kids got to walk through and pick out a few of the toys. I will never forget seeing their faces light up with excitement over these older used toys. When told they were allowed to grab more than one… they chose to grab one because they wanted to be able to give it to someone ELSE. That lesson was so powerful. I will never forget it.

So, I want Kohen to see and understand how lucky he is, and how valuable giving away toys he really doesn’t need, can be. It’s not about the toys. It’s about helping our children be the best most kind humans they could possibly be. Because we all know we could definitely use more people like that in the world. ❤️

xxoo,

Kali