Decluttering with Kids before Christmas

If the thought of even more toys in your home is stressful, have your kids make space for what they really want.

Families often don’t have room for all the toys they already have, and the idea of receiving even more toys over the holiday season can be stressful. Here are three ways to engage kids in decluttering ahead of the Christmas season.

Encourage your children to make space for what they really want. Invite your child to notice what they are not playing with, or what they might might be too old for. Help bring awareness to what they have and what they are not using. Often if this is done within the context of making space for new presents, the child is very engaged!

Awaken empathy for others. In an age appropriate way, let your child know that there are families that struggle and invite your child to see if there might be a special toy or two that they are no longer using that other children could now enjoy. This becomes a gentle way of introducing the idea of being part of a larger community and extending care to others. 

Resort to thoughtful bribery when needed. When my kids were young, I would make a game of having them fill a bag or gather a certain number of toys that they no longer played with in exchange for $5 which they could then use to buy a gift for others. I'm all about creative approaches to decluttering!