Jlogged

Today, we are conducting the operation toy sweep in my children’s room. Three piles: 1.) keep 2.) throw away 3.) give away.  This is a yearly tradition.  We strip down to the bare bones of what my kids, love, play with, and wear.  Everything else goes.  My mom always thought getting rid of my kid’s toys was “mean,” so I started sending the boxes of excess to her house.  She understands now.

It took me an hour just to sort through the mounds of stuff my kids came home with after this years Christmas parties at school.  I have encouraged family members who are purchasing gifts for my children to give them consumables like chuck-e-cheese tokens, gift certificates to pump-it-up, or clothes.  They have a surplus of junk already. This is eggshell territory because one must not rob a person of the blessing of giving, and one can sound very high and mighty (without meaning too) by asking for certain items to not be gifted to her children.  I struggle with this issue, and often feel like a Scrooge.  How does one ask in a nice way for the world at large to stop giving her children land fill fodder?

*Edit*  The boys and I just hauled a box of nice toys to the curb and put a hand written (in crayola) sign that says Free Toys to a good home…Merry Christmas!

photo credit: mfrascella

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