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Hey friends,
If you've been feeling overwhelmed with "STUFF", I totally get it, I used to be you, and sometimes still am. One thing that has helped me as a mom is decluttering, and the biggest decluttering project for me was my kids toys. They had a TON and it was becoming too much to maintain, so I got rid of the majority and noticed something big...my kids actually played better with less toys, and I had some more sanity! So today I'm sharing the method I used to declutter most of my kids toys in less than an hour!
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0:00
You may not know it yet, but after this
0:01
video, you're probably going to ditch
0:03
99% of your kids toys. If you feel like
0:06
you're constantly picking up toys all
0:08
day long, only for the mess to come back
0:10
5 minutes later, this video is going to
0:12
help you because I'm going to share the
0:14
exact 30inut method that helped me get
0:18
rid of almost all of my kids toys
0:20
without feeling guilty and without
0:22
becoming a minimalist overnight and
0:25
without making my kids miserable. And
0:27
the best most interesting part of this
0:29
is that my kids actually started playing
0:33
better. More imagination, more focus,
0:36
less whining, and less chaos. So, if you
0:38
are overwhelmed by toys, stay with me
0:41
because this video might be the biggest
0:44
home reset you do all year. Hello and
0:47
welcome back to my channel. If you're
0:48
new here, my name is Heaven and I am a
0:51
Christian homemaker and homeschool mom
0:52
who loves simple living, decluttering,
0:55
and creating a peaceful home that really
0:57
feels like a resting place. And today
0:59
we're talking about toys. Because if you
1:01
are a mom, then you already know toy
1:04
clutter is not just messy, it's also
1:08
mentally exhausting. It takes over our
1:10
living room, our kids room, and it takes
1:13
over our sanity. And I want to share
1:15
with you a method that is realistic. Not
1:17
a spend three days organizing toy bins
1:20
type of video, but a simple 30inut
1:23
method that you can do today. Even with
1:26
kids in the house, even if you're tired,
1:28
even if you're overwhelmed, and I
1:29
promise you, if you do this one time,
1:32
your whole home will feel lighter
1:35
instantly. So, grab a donation bag, a
1:38
trash bag, a laundry basket, or put this
1:41
on while you clean with me, and let's
1:43
declutter some toys together. If you're
1:45
not decluttering right now, go ahead and
1:46
save this video for later because I
1:48
promise you, you're going to want to
1:50
come back to it. Here's why too many
1:52
toys makes kid worse. Let's start with
1:56
something that most moms do not realize,
1:59
and that is that more toys does not mean
2:01
more play. More toys actually creates
2:04
less play. And I learned this through
2:07
trial and error. I used to think that
2:09
the best thing I could do as a mom was
2:11
give my kid options. More toys, more
2:14
fun, right? But what I noticed was the
2:17
opposite. The more toys they had, the
2:20
more chaotic our home felt. And the more
2:24
bored they somehow seemed to appear. The
2:27
more toys we had, the more my kids
2:29
dumped everywhere and then walked away.
2:31
And eventually I started noticing that
2:33
they were not actually playing. They
2:35
were just searching. They were just
2:37
digging through piles, pulling things
2:39
out, getting over stimulated, and then
2:41
complaining that they were bored. And
2:43
research backs this up. Studies have
2:46
shown that when children have fewer toys
2:49
available, they play longer, they play
2:52
more creatively, and they focus better.
2:54
And as moms, we actually see this in
2:57
real life because kids do not need more
3:00
stuff. They need more space, more
3:03
imagination. They need less distraction.
3:06
So, let's talk about why toys can
3:09
actually become a problem for moms.
3:12
Let's be honest, the toy clutter is not
3:15
just about the kids. Toy clutter becomes
3:17
a problem because moms are the ones
3:20
managing it. We're the ones stepping on
3:23
the Legos. We are the ones tripping over
3:26
the baby dolls. We also are the ones
3:28
having to babysit those dolls
3:30
occasionally. We're the ones picking up
3:32
the tiny pieces. And it feels like it's
3:34
just never ending. And here's why it
3:37
feels so heavy. Because toys are
3:40
emotional clutter and we feel guilty
3:43
getting rid of them and we think someone
3:45
bought that, someone gifted that to us.
3:48
Meat used to love that. They might play
3:50
with that someday. A future child might
3:53
need it. It costs money. But clutter is
3:57
not just stuff. Clutter is delayed
4:00
decisions. And toy clutter is one of the
4:03
biggest sources of daily stress and
4:05
motherhood. So if your home feels
4:07
chaotic, toys are usually the first
4:10
place to start. There actually is
4:13
probably a child in the world who needs
4:17
that toy and might actually enjoy that
4:19
toy more than your child and more than
4:22
you enjoy stepping on the Legos. So,
4:24
here's what changed everything for me.
4:26
This is the mindset shift that makes
4:28
decluttering toys easy. I stopped
4:31
asking, "Will my child be sad if I get
4:34
rid of this?" And instead, I started
4:37
asking myself, does this toy actually
4:39
serve our family right now? Because
4:42
we're not caught to keep everything for
4:45
our entire lives. Instead, we are caught
4:47
to steward what we have well. And if the
4:51
toys are overwhelming your home, then
4:53
they are no longer a blessing. Instead,
4:55
they are becoming a burden. And God did
4:58
not design your home to feel like a
4:59
storage unit. He designed your home to
5:02
feel like peace. Corinthians chapter
5:04
14:33 says that for God is not the
5:07
author of confusion but of peace. And I
5:09
want you to remember this and keep it in
5:12
your hearts as you declutter because
5:13
clutter creates confusion but a
5:15
simplified home will create peace. So
5:19
now let's talk about the 30inut method.
5:21
It's realistic and it is fast and it
5:24
gets the job done. You can call it the
5:26
30 minute method or the 30-inut toy
5:28
purge. Call it whatever you want to call
5:30
it. Okay? But I want you to set a timer.
5:34
Not because you have to rush, but
5:36
because the timer is going to keep you
5:38
from overthinking it. Because as moms,
5:40
we just naturally overthink everything.
5:43
We get emotional. We get sentimental. We
5:46
second guess ourselves. And then nothing
5:48
actually gets done or we just take
5:50
forever and then we're tired. So set a
5:53
timer for 30 minutes. Grab three bags,
5:56
baskets, or bins. One for trash, one for
5:58
donate, and one for keep. That's it.
6:00
Simple trash, donate, keep, and then
6:04
let's keep going. For the first one to
6:07
five minutes, we are going to remove all
6:10
the obvious trash. So, go ahead and set
6:14
a timer for 5 minutes when you do this.
6:16
It's going to be a fun challenge that is
6:18
going to give you so much output and
6:21
relief. The first 5 minutes is just easy
6:24
wins. Walk around with that trash bag
6:26
and grab broken toys. Toys that have
6:29
missing pieces, ripped up books, dried
6:32
out markers, Happy Meal toys, random
6:35
plastic junk, toys that your kids don't
6:38
even notice, won't even miss. And I know
6:40
that some moms are still going to
6:42
struggle with this part because they're
6:43
going to think, "Maybe I can fix this.
6:46
Maybe there's a no, no, maybe." If it is
6:50
broken and you haven't fixed it in
6:51
months, it's probably not going to get
6:54
fixed. So, I recommend you just throw it
6:56
away. And this is how you build
6:58
momentum. And I promise you, it's going
7:01
to feel relieving. You're going to feel
7:03
lighter immediately. So, for step two,
7:07
this is going to take you another 5 to
7:09
10 minutes. So, go ahead and reset your
7:12
timer for another 5 minutes. Okay, this
7:14
is minutes 5 through 10. And we're going
7:16
to remove the noise toys. And I don't
7:20
actually mean like toys that make noise,
7:22
but we're going to remove the toys that
7:23
create chaos. And this is a big one. The
7:25
ones that overstimulate your kids. The
7:28
ones that makes a mess instantly. And
7:30
the toys that always end in your
7:32
children whining or fighting. Toys with
7:36
45 tiny pieces, unless it's built that
7:38
way, like you know, building toys,
7:40
Legos, nesting blocks, things like that.
7:42
Get rid of the slime kits, the loud
7:45
electronic toys, the cheap plastic toys,
7:48
and toys that gets dumped everywhere but
7:50
never actually get played with. And now
7:52
listen, I know I know what you're
7:53
thinking. And I'm not saying that toys
7:55
cannot be fun, but as moms, we have to
7:58
ask, does this toy create peace in our
8:01
home? Does it have a good purpose? Or
8:04
does it just create noise and busyiness?
8:07
Because some toys are not worth the
8:08
mess. And I had to learn this the hard
8:10
way. There were toys that I kept because
8:12
they were fun, but every single time my
8:14
kids touched them, they was just chaos.
8:16
And I finally realized if a toy causes
8:18
stress every time, it needs to go. Put
8:21
it in the donate pile. You are not going
8:24
to regret this. So, step number three is
8:26
to remove the duplicate. You can reset
8:28
your timer again for another five
8:30
minutes. Okay? Because now we're going
8:31
to be getting to the halfway mark of
8:32
this 30 minute method. And this is
8:34
important. This is the easiest
8:36
decluttering tip that makes a massive
8:38
difference. Most homes have duplicates
8:40
of everything. Eight stuffed animals
8:42
that look the same, 12 toy cars, four
8:45
baby dolls, three bins of blocks, seven
8:47
puzzles, and moms keep them all because
8:50
we think, well, they might want options.
8:52
But duplicates creates clutter. Kids do
8:56
not need 12 toy cars. They need three,
9:00
but they actually love. So, pick the
9:03
best and donate the rest. And if you
9:05
have multiple versions of the exact same
9:08
toy, keep the higher quality one and the
9:12
one that gets played with the most, the
9:13
one that's going to last the longest.
9:16
Step number four is to remove the toys
9:17
that your kids just do not play with. So
9:20
set this for another 5 minute timer,
9:22
minutes 15 through 20. And now just
9:25
focus on toys that your kids do not play
9:28
with. This step is very simple, but it
9:31
requires some honesty. You have to
9:33
actually ask yourself, when was the last
9:35
time my child actually played with this
9:38
item? Not touched it, not dumped it, not
9:42
moved it around, but actually sat down
9:46
and played with it and for longer than
9:48
60 seconds. And if you cannot remember,
9:51
it's clutter. And I used to keep toys
9:53
because I thought my kids should like
9:56
them. Kids don't play with toys because
9:58
they are educational. They play with
9:59
toys because they're interesting.
10:01
Forcing a toy to stay in your home out
10:03
of guilt does not help anyone. So,
10:06
donate it or let another child have it.
10:08
If your child loves that educational
10:10
toy, then that's great. But if they
10:13
don't love it and they're just not going
10:15
to play with it, either put it with the
10:17
homeschool things and use it for school
10:19
lessons or donate it to someone who
10:22
actually needs it. Step number five is
10:24
to remove the toys that makes cleaning
10:26
harder. We're making progress here. We
10:28
are in the long stretch. This is the
10:30
last 10 minutes, okay? So, set another
10:32
five minutes so that you can now focus
10:34
on those toys that actually make
10:37
cleaning harder. These are toys like
10:39
huge doll houses with 1,000 accessories.
10:43
Play kitchens with food everywhere,
10:46
giant bins of random pieces or what do
10:49
they call them? Figurines or craft sets
10:52
with missing parts, toys with tiny beads
10:54
or pieces that get scattered. And I even
10:57
removed my kid's huge bin of Legos and
11:00
just basically downsized him to a small
11:02
bin of Legos and put all the rest away
11:04
in the garage.
11:06
And listen, I'm not saying you can't
11:08
have these toys. But you do have to
11:10
choose them wisely because if a toy
11:13
makes your home feel like chaos, it's
11:15
definitely going to steal your peace.
11:17
And I don't want you to feel like you're
11:19
cleaning your home all day long,
11:21
especially if you don't enjoy cleaning.
11:24
So, if you have toys that constantly
11:26
explode all over your house, either
11:29
donate them or store them away and only
11:32
bring them out occasionally because not
11:34
every toy needs to be available every
11:38
day. Step number six, this is our last
11:40
fiveinut stretch. We are going to focus
11:43
on keeping only the core toys. This is
11:48
where the magic happens. Your goal is
11:50
not to keep toys that look cute. Your
11:52
goal is to keep toys that actually
11:55
create real play because the goal here
11:58
is that we want our kids to actually
12:01
play. So these are what I call the core
12:04
toys. These toys are open-ended. They
12:08
are imaginative.
12:10
They are simple. They're reusable.
12:14
They're timeless. They're good quality
12:17
like wooden. And some examples of the
12:21
core toys that my children have and have
12:24
had for years now are blocks.
12:30
Legos are also imaginative, open-ended,
12:33
and reusable if you can actually manage
12:36
them.
12:37
Dolls that does not have 200
12:40
accessories.
12:42
Toy animals, train sets, play kitchen
12:47
basics, like keep it simple. art
12:50
supplies in a controlled way, books, and
12:55
a few good puzzles, as well as like
12:58
dress up clothes, like dress up outfits
13:00
for open-ended imaginative play. And
13:04
these toys are powerful because they
13:06
make your kids play longer, and they
13:09
also help your kids to play together.
13:11
They are not going to overwhelm them.
13:14
They're not going to fight over them.
13:16
They encourage creativity. They
13:18
encourage storytelling and kids
13:20
naturally thrive with that. Kids are
13:23
naturally creative. They naturally enjoy
13:26
pretend play and storytelling. So those
13:28
are the toys that you want to focus on
13:31
trying to keep. These are your core
13:33
toys. So now I want to talk about why
13:35
kids play better with less toys. These
13:38
are the things that I noticed after I
13:41
decluttered majority of my kids toys.
13:44
And my god, he had so many toys. But I
13:50
know that as moms, we need proof. So,
13:51
I'm going to share what happened in my
13:53
home after decluttering the toys. The
13:55
first thing I noticed was that my kids
13:58
stopped dumping everything out, which
14:01
means less mess, right? Because there
14:03
wasn't an overwhelming mountain of
14:06
options. They actually picked a toy and
14:10
stayed with it and it became favorites
14:13
and loved things, things that mean so
14:17
much more to them than a pile of too
14:19
many choices. And the second thing that
14:21
I noticed was that they started being
14:24
more creative. Because when kids have
14:27
fewer toys, they start inventing play.
14:30
They start pretending. They start
14:32
building. They start making their own
14:34
stories. I remember when we first moved
14:37
here into our vacation apartment, we
14:39
didn't really have many toys here for my
14:41
son and he took out some paper and he
14:44
drew toys and cut them out and he has a
14:48
box of paper toys. I remember a long
14:51
time ago my mother used to say back in
14:53
the day they had paper dolls. Well, my
14:55
son made his own paper dolls or paper
14:58
toys. And I thought that that was very
15:01
very interesting. The third thing that I
15:04
noticed is that when the toys that you
15:06
have are organized and simplified, kids
15:08
can find what they want easier. They're
15:10
not going to get frustrated. They're not
15:11
going to get over stimulated, and they
15:14
don't feel like they're in chaos. And
15:16
this is real because when the
15:18
environment is calmer, your kids will
15:20
also become calmer. So, now I want to
15:23
share the biggest mom hack that changed
15:28
everything, and that is toy rotation.
15:31
because you do not have to keep all the
15:34
toys out at once. Toy rotation is simply
15:37
storing some toys away and rotating them
15:40
weekly or monthly. And what happens is
15:44
your kids act like they got brand new
15:46
toys again. They get excited. They play
15:48
longer. And your house stays cleaner.
15:52
And that is magic because fewer toys out
15:55
equals fewer toys to clean. And your
15:58
kids will also learn how to clean up
16:01
their toys, put them in the correct
16:02
space, and that's a win. A toy rotation
16:05
prevents you from buying new toys
16:07
constantly because kids don't actually
16:09
need new toys. What they're looking for
16:11
is newness in their environment, and a
16:14
toy rotation will give you that. So,
16:16
let's do a quick check-in. If you are
16:17
enjoying this video so far and you want
16:19
a simple plan to declutter your whole
16:21
home step by step, make sure you join my
16:23
newsletter down below because I have a
16:25
free resource for you. It is my 30-day
16:28
heart and home decluttering guide that
16:29
is realistic, simple, and made for moms
16:32
and homemakers who would like peace
16:34
without the overwhelm. I'll leave the
16:36
link down below in the description box.
16:37
And also comment down below toy reset if
16:40
you are decluttering right alongside
16:42
with me or saving this for a future
16:45
decluttering session. So, let's talk
16:47
about what to do if you feel guilty
16:48
getting rid of toys. Because sometimes
16:51
as moms, we feel guilty for everything.
16:55
But here is what I want you to remember.
16:57
Your child does not need more toys. Your
17:00
child needs you. They need your
17:02
presence. They need your peace. And if
17:05
your home is cluttered and you're
17:07
stressed all the time, that is taking
17:09
away from your children and what they
17:10
need. So if decluttering toys helps you
17:12
become a more calm mom, then it's worth
17:15
it because the goal is not to keep
17:16
everything. The goal is to create a home
17:18
where your family thrives. And
17:20
decluttering is one of the greatest
17:21
gifts that you can give your children
17:23
because it teaches them contentment. It
17:25
teaches them gratitude and it teaches
17:27
them stewardship of things that they
17:30
have. Now, if you're wondering how many
17:32
toys should you keep, I like to keep
17:35
enough toys that everything will fit
17:37
into a toy shelf, a few baskets, or one
17:41
bin per category. And if toys don't fit
17:43
into your storage, then you just have
17:45
too many. Because if the toys are
17:47
overflowing the space, then they're
17:50
going to also overflow your piece. But a
17:52
simplified toy system should be very
17:55
easy for you and easy for your kids to
17:58
clean up, too. And if your kids can't
18:00
clean it up, then it's probably too
18:03
much. Even my one-year-old daughter can
18:05
put away her toys. Let's talk about the
18:07
five minute pickup rule that is actually
18:10
lifech changing. And this rule is going
18:12
to transform your home. Every day, once
18:15
a day, do a fiveinut toy pickup. Set a
18:18
timer, put on some music, sing the
18:21
cleanup song, make it fun. And the
18:23
reason that this works is because
18:25
clutter becomes overwhelming when we let
18:27
it sit and pile up. But a little clean
18:29
up every day is going to prevent the
18:31
chaos and it also encourages cleaning
18:34
from your children. It teaches them
18:36
responsibility without the stress
18:38
because kids can actually handle five
18:41
minutes, but a huge cleanup is going to
18:43
feel impossible. Now, I'm going to be
18:45
talking about some of the toys that I
18:46
will never buy again. And this is just
18:48
trial and error. I used to fall for all
18:52
the cute stuff. I used to buy things
18:53
because they looked fun, they looked
18:55
cute, they looked educational,
18:58
and they looked like a good idea. But
19:01
then it became clutter. And here are the
19:03
toys that I personally avoid. Now,
19:06
slime, kinetic sand, unless you know how
19:10
to keep it contained, toys with a
19:12
million pieces, cheap plastic toy sets,
19:16
toys that don't fit into our storage,
19:18
random holiday toys, and anything that
19:21
my child only plays with for 2 minutes
19:23
or less. And the biggest lesson that I
19:25
learned is that the best toys are the
19:28
simplest ones, the ones that don't need
19:30
batteries and the ones that can be used
19:33
100 different ways. So, let's talk about
19:36
how to actually declutter toys without
19:38
your kids having a meltdown. And this is
19:40
a big fear for moms. So, here's what I
19:43
recommend. The first option is to
19:46
declutter when they are asleep. So,
19:48
during nap time or bedtime or early in
19:51
the morning. This is what I normally do
19:54
most of the time. And then the second
19:55
option is to declutter in categories. So
19:58
don't dump everything at once, but
20:01
instead maybe do stuffed animals today,
20:04
cars tomorrow, puzzles next week, so it
20:07
doesn't feel immediately overwhelming.
20:09
And then the third option is to create a
20:12
maybe bin. So like if you're not sure of
20:15
whether or not to keep a toy, put it in
20:18
a bin and then store it away. But if
20:20
your kids don't ask for it in the next
20:22
30 days, then just donate it. And I
20:25
promise that most of the time they won't
20:27
even notice. And if they do notice and a
20:30
lot of time has gone by, chances are
20:32
they've probably outgrown that toy. Now,
20:35
here is why this is going to transform
20:37
your home. Decluttering toys is one of
20:40
the fastest ways to change the entire
20:42
atmosphere of your home because toys are
20:45
visual clutter. And when toys are
20:48
everywhere, your home feels loud even
20:51
when it is quiet. But when toys are
20:54
simplified, your home feels peaceful.
20:57
It's breathable again. It feels clean
21:01
faster. And you feel like you can
21:02
actually enjoy being in your space
21:04
again. And that is what I want for you.
21:07
Not just a cleaner house, but an actual
21:11
calmer life. I can't tell you how many
21:15
moms I see on Facebook, on my timeline,
21:18
or in Facebook groups, and they're
21:20
saying that they're just overwhelmed and
21:22
they're tired and it's just too much for
21:24
them. So, part of what I do on this
21:25
channel is share some actual solutions
21:28
to those common problems that moms and
21:31
homemakers have. So, I want you to hear
21:34
me. You are not failing because your
21:36
house is messy. You're not lazy. You're
21:38
not behind, but you do have too much
21:40
stuff. And that is something that you
21:42
can actually fix. And not in a stressful
21:44
way, not in an overwhelming way, but in
21:46
a simple realistic 30 minute reset. And
21:51
once you start removing clutter, you're
21:53
going to instantly feel lighter. You are
21:57
going to feel calmer and your kids are
22:01
going to just naturally play so much
22:05
better because less clutter creates more
22:08
creativity. And peace is always worth
22:12
it, especially in terms of freeing up
22:15
some time to be able to spend more of it
22:18
with your family, your kids, your
22:20
spouse, your loved ones. So, if this
22:22
video encouraged you today, don't forget
22:24
to hit the like button and subscribe if
22:27
you're new here because I post videos
22:29
every single week on decluttering,
22:33
biblical homemaking, motherhood, and
22:35
building a peaceful home that we
22:38
actually enjoy living in. But before you
22:40
go, comment down below, less toys, more
22:44
peace. If you are still here with me,
22:46
you've made it to the end of the video
22:48
club and you are planning on doing this
22:50
toy reset because I would love to cheer
22:52
you on along the way. But that's going
22:54
to be all for today's video. I hope that
22:56
you enjoyed it and I'm going to see you
22:58
in the next one. Happy homemaking.