Completely OT--DDs bedroom

[la79al]

Okay so I just spent 2 hours moving a desk into DDs bedroom and rearranging what was already in there. Let me tell you some of the things I found....a train set she just HAD to have last year for Christmas (I'm surprised it's out of the box as I have never seen it being played with), one overflowing laundry basket full of dolls and one laundry basket full of accessories (still packed the way I packed them in April), a Mr. Potato Head her father insisted she would love (she did, ONCE) and dress up clothes I'm not sure she even knows she owns. While there is a lot of and a wide variety of things in her room it seems like so much of it she thinks she wants but does not play with. I'm going to have to work with her this weekend in an attempt to move some of it out of her room. I'm stuck on what to get her for Christmas since every kid wants toys for Christmas but there are apparently very few that she will play with. I'm also extremely stuck on what to do with the toys we move out of her bedroom. The next DChild has not even been conceived yet so I don't know if it's silly to put the toys in the attic to save. Since a lot of the toys are new or nearly new, I'm reluctant to put them in the yard sale/consignment store box. AHHHH.... This is not even going into DS who has never played with toys (yet has a room full of them) and doesn't care about clothes (but obviously needs them). AHHHH...........

 

[tmt martins]

I here you we still have boxes to go though from when we turned DD's room into the TINK ROOM ( see Sig ). and now it's full again with JUNK.

 

[jennifer293]

Our DD's share a bedroom because it is sooooo huge and they actually won't sleep without each other..ANYWHO!!! I am going through the same thing with my girls. They have so much stuff. Today DD6 was looking in the JCPENNEY big book at some baby dolls and I told her that she had 6 baby dolls upstairs already and she said she did not have THAT ONE!!! For Christmas, we are getting them PVD's for their Video Nows, Games and the Art Studio for the VSmile, DVD's, books (we are constantly reading to them so we are running out of books), and clothes and new tennis shoes!!!

I am sick and tired of the playsets with 50 GAJILLION pieces and I think if anyone gets them any of that stuff I will kindly give it back or tell them it has to stay at their house...I am so tired of cleaning up all that mess!!! I like things ORGANIZED!!!


I wish for Christmas that DH would buy me a lifetime contract with a maid service..

 

[kimnkel]

Okay. <sniff> My 3 girls are all grown, and I miss them...and all their junque.

But I remember....

spending an ENTIRE day sorting out the room they shared. They had a HUGE bedroom, with lots of lovely storage space for headless dolls, puzzles missing half their pieces, books without covers, odd socks, odd mittens, one shoe pairs of shoes, half eaten PB & J sandwiches moldering away on a plate stuck in the sweaters drawer...

I also remember telling their grandparents and uncles that I was placing a moratorium on all stuffed anilmals and dolls unless they took three (3) dolls or animals home with them immediatley upon making the "outlaw" gift.

I was a fairly organized mom, too, and there were times when the mess made me a little crazy, and now sometimes I wonder what the big deal was--however, messy times 3 gets expontentially messy. When they were teenagers it was no better. Threats, tears, and privileges revoked--over laundry never put away, and the new "must have" shirt left in a heap on the bathroom floor.

Now my middle daughter is 24, and she is a mother.

I went to her home, and all of my grandson's little outfits were hanging, according to color/size/season. His tiny socks were in a drawer in the closet, labeled "socks". I think she alphabetizes his diapers, I swear. ("No, mom, Pampers go on the shelf after the Huggies!")

LOL.

Life is funny. And very sweet. Cheer up, all you moms out there--this too shall pass...

Sooner than you will ever believe.

PS: Amazingly, none of the clutter and clobber that accompanies my grandson bothers me at all...hmmm....funny about that mellowing granparent thing....just the sight of his little exersaucer in our family room makes me feel

 

[mamato2princesses]

Okay so I just spent 2 hours moving a desk into DDs bedroom and rearranging what was already in there. Let me tell you some of the things I found....a train set she just HAD to have last year for Christmas (I'm surprised it's out of the box as I have never seen it being played with), one overflowing laundry basket full of dolls and one laundry basket full of accessories (still packed the way I packed them in April), a Mr. Potato Head her father insisted she would love (she did, ONCE) and dress up clothes I'm not sure she even knows she owns. While there is a lot of and a wide variety of things in her room it seems like so much of it she thinks she wants but does not play with....AHHHH...........

HEY......When were you over my house? I must've missed you!

Lat Christmas, DD just HAD to have Amazing Amanda. Lucky for us, Santa brought it for her. Fast forward to now....We found her this past Sunday, DD says "Amanda!!! I've missed you!!!" Yeah, right! OUT OF SIGHT< OUT OF MIND!!!!!!

 

[FloridaTeacher]

One word - charity. Okay more than one - children's hospitals, churches, homeless shelters and battered women's shelters. Not necessarily in any order. There are, I'm sure, many many many others I've not mentioned. Share the wealth!!!

You may even get your children in the spirit of giving. This always brings out the philanthropist in mine. I usually even have to go back later (once they are asleep) and edit out a few things to the trash. Remember if it truly doesn't look NEW, trash it. God Bless.


8 Days and 18 hours til we're back at Fort Wilderness and WDW!

 

[emma'smom]

Are you kidding...we sneak the unused toys out when she isn't home. She hasn't noticed they are gone yet. Literally....laundry baskets and toychests filled with stuffed animals (mostly gifts) that she hasn't touched once.

She begged me for an American Girl when we met friends at the American Girl Cafe for lunch. We bought it when she promised she would play with it. Every so often I point it out, lying naked in the playroom, and she makes a big pretend fuss out of playing with it for a few minutes. How' s that for a four year old?

DD4's preschool has an annual rummage sale and families can drop off rummage items all year long and they are stored in "room 9" where the rummage sale coordinators organize and prepare everything. It's to the point where many of teh school families can't take their children to the school rummage sale for fear they will suddenly remember the stuffed dolphin that was once buried at the bottom of the toy bin!

P.S. DH does this with my junk from the basement too. Every so often I see him sneaking out with large boxes filled with unknowns. I've learned not to ask what is iin the boxes. If I haven't missed it yet, I probably won't miss it. But if I look it the boxes, I'll want to keep things "just in case". I can't go to the rummage sale either. I swear I saw my papasan chair there last year....leftover from dorm room days. I might need it again some time, really...I might. Then what would I do if i didn't have it? =)http://www.disboards.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=14742153#

 

[GotFids]

Oh This is too funny! Just today I was doing the same thing in my DD's room. I think out of all the stuff in there and the ONE thing that gets used regularly is her American Girl Doll...she LOVES her. So when she goes through the AG catalog, and starts with the..."oh, look at the bed, she (Kirsten her doll) NEEDS the bed mommy" and all the other things her doll needs...(another doll for a friend is the latest) I'm now responding with, "when you start packing up all the stuff in your room that you no longer play with, then you can get a few things for you birthday. Otherwise it's clothes and such for birthdays and Christmas gifts.Now my ds (16) is a different story...going through his room is too frightening to contemplate...I find the grossest stuff in there..dirty boxers...crusted covered dishes..you name it, it's in there. We joke here that if something is missing...it's lost in his room.

 

[lovesmurfs]

OMG! I cleaned DD7's room all day Friday!

Her problem, like yours seems to be, was too much stuff -- she couldn't keep it clean. I'd had hand-me-down books from brother (DS12) and all sorts of other "stuff". I completely gutted it, got rid of the clothes that not only didn't fit her, but that she wouldn't wear, and de-Dora-ized the whole room (Blues Clues is gone, too). She's thanked me every day this week.

All shipped on Monday a.m. to my dear brother and his daughter in North Carolina. She's only 4 and it'll be like Christmas for her.

The stuff I kept (her build-a-bear stuff and her My Twinn doll stuff) I put in a 3 drawer rolling caddy that was gathering dust in the basement -- brought it to her room and she loves it. She actually played with her stuff AND put it away when she was done, all week long!!!!!

And DS12? Eww. I knew boys had cooties when I was growing up, but never REALLY knew. Now I do, and they're all housed in their nightstand drawers.

 

[sameyeyam]

Just say NO to all the toys & junk. The next time you are at the store and see something you think the kids would love - put it back.

My kids used to have toys everywhere, then I quit buying so much. They are still just as happy and I'm much happier and richer!

 

[momamy]

this is a great time of year to sell toys on ebay!

Amy

 

[badblackpug]

I work in an inner city hospital with a large pediatrics department. We LOVE donations of new or (to use an EBay term) very gently used toys. Please, all who are cleaning out rooms, consider your local childrens hospital or pediatrics floor.

 

[KirstenB]

I'm another one who gets rid of unused toys (donate them to Goodwill) when dd1 is at school. Yes she has a baby sister, but you know what? Grandparents buy for the baby too. Neither of the girls bedrooms is very big, and we don't have a separate "playroom". I do allow a certain amount of toys in the family room, but we adults have to use that room too.

Dd1 has a few favorite toys that I'd NEVER get rid of, but the rest is fair game. She's 8 and has never ever asked "where is my _______ toy?" Clutter really bugs me, can you tell?