A redditor recommended I post this here from my monthly bumpers sub.Before I had kids and became a SAHM I was a registered early childhood educator. One of the things we did in every centre I worked was rotate toys, usually biweekly. I do it at home with my kid and it makes a huge difference in how engaged she is and how long she can play independently.It can be a bit of a challenge, though, especially if (like me) you've amassed an ungodly amount of toys thanks to well-meaning friends/family/colleagues. So here's my ultimate guide to toy rotation.I reccomend doing it on a day when someone else can be on point for kid duty so you don't have a sneak thief squirreling away the toys you're trying to sort/box up.Step One: Toss that Crap OutFirst you'll need to weed out the discards. Toys that are broken, or just annoy the shit out of you get tossed without remorse. Toys that are no longer age appropriate can be boxed up for future children if you're the type who plans ahead, or toss 'em and let future-you deal with that. You can donate anything still in good condition.Now you've got a mountain of (probably? Maybe?) functional, enjoyable toys. Well done.Step Two: SortMuch like the Sorting Hat guides the witches and wizards of the future to their proper house, so too must you guide your child's toys to their proper category. You'll need a box, laundry basket, inter-dimensional portal, or patch of floor for each of the following:Thinking Toys: shape sorters, puzzles, pounding toys, or board games for older kids, and the like.Pretending Toys: you might not have a lot of these yet if your kids are still pretty young, but this includes baby dolls, kitchen sets, dollhouses, anything that requires imagination and pretend playMoving Toys: these are the toys that get muscles moving. Push toys, pull toys, balls, or carsBuilding Toys: wooden, plush, or rubber blocks, Duplo or MegaBlox, Lego, those weird plastic bristly looking blocks, nesting cups, anything that can build a towerMusic Toys: bells, tambourines, xylophones, keyboards, drums, shakers, kazoos, recorders, whatever instruments you've got lying aroundFlashy Electric Toys: these are every baby's favourite toy (and every parent's least favoirite). If you're smart you tossed them out in step one so you never have to hear the damn lady bug letter song again. But if you're like me you also know your kid loves them so, after some internal struggle, they made them back into the Keep pile. If it's sole purpose seems to be to annoy adults, it belongs here. These are the light up music playing toys with obnoxiously high pitched voices and suspiciously short lived batteries. They're not super developmentally helpful, just entertaining, so don't worry if you don't have manyWhew. That's the hard part done.Step Three: Existential CrisisNow that you're in a room surrounded by hundreds of dollars of kids toys, take a deep breath and push back those thoughts of longing for your past life. The life where you were surrounded by hundreds of dollars of gaming consoles, shoes, designer clothes, exotic sex toys, camping gear, or other fun adult hobbies. A day will come when you will once again be surrounded by your grown-up treasures, but it is not this day. Straighten that spine, lift your head up, and blink away those nostalgic tears. You are a Parent, and you've fucking got this(This step might just be for me)Step Four: Box it UpThis part is much easier. Grab whatever vessel you'll be using to store the toys that aren't being used. A diaper box, RubberMaid tote, or TARDIS will work well.Put one or two toys from each category into each box. It's nice to have three or four sets to rotate through. If you find you're short on a category check out Facebook marketplace, kijiji, or yard sales for cheap toys you can buy to fill in the gaps. Or just don't even worry about it. We've got enough going on as parents, we don't need to worry about what developmental impact going a fortnight without a shape sorter will have on our children (spoiler: it's none)Now all that's left is to swap them out every two weeks or so!Step Five: The Self Congratulatory Reward Ho. Ly. Shit. You did it. The living room look amazing. You've earned a treat. Go for a run, eat some ice cream, spark up a doob (assuming your partner/parent/sibling/friend still has the kid), gaze longingly at your exotic sex toy collection, whatever it is that makes you happy. These next fifteen minutes are yours and yours alone. You've earned them. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2Jfu1K3
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