Know Thy Child
When planning storage, don't forget to consider your child's
personality. Some children enjoy stuffing toys into cubbies;
others aren't naturally meticulous. Pegs can hold up anything from buckets to drawstring bags to
doll strollers, but if you know your child is going to swing the
bucket at his baby sister's head or use it to pour water all
over the living-room rug, choose a softer or more securely
moored container for his toys.
Letting the Toys Go
Weeding out old toys may seem the obvious, easy first step to a
great toy-storage system — to anyone who hasn't ever actually lived
with a child. The rest of us know all too well that getting rid of
toys (even just a few of them, even occasionally) can require the
timing and cunning of a jewel thief. If a small child happens to
catch you in the act, whatever he sees in the to-go pile could
instantly become his favorite plaything.
Many parents decide to wait until children are away (or at least
asleep) before selecting even the most ignored toy for a quick
exit in an old shopping bag. But Samuel Jinich, Ph.D., a
clinical psychologist in San Francisco, disagrees with a blanket
policy of sneaking toys out and recommends suiting your method
to the character and age of each child.
"I wouldn't make things disappear — boom!" he says. With his own
four-year-old daughter, Jinich takes a gradual approach. He
first puts a toy she has outgrown in the garage, in a visible
place where she may see it and play with it. "Then eventually
it's gone," he says. With older children, he suggests having
them decide what to keep, using this idea: "If you want a new
doll, we have to give one away." Done with thoughtfulness, the
weeding-out process can be a positive step all around. And if
you don't have a pregnant sister-in-law, you can always donate
usable old toys to a day-care center or church.
Letting Go, Yourself
Each day some toys will turn up out of place, no matter how
organized you are, but with a storage system that combines
playfulness and practicality, you can maintain some sort of
order and still enjoy your household. "Life is more important
than whether everything is picked up and exactly perfect," says
Stephanie Denton — and she's a professional organizer. After all,
someday your home will be empty of Playskool and Mattel, and
when that day arrives, you might think, as you gaze around your
immaculate living room, that the ordered life is not all it's
cracked up to be.
