I've gotten my room all tidy. And a place for everything. But I am beginning to see that is is impossible to think that my son can keep his room clean. Or should I even expect him to? After all it's his place and he can keep it the way he wants, right?
Or maybe we can have some semblance of order.
Today when he had finished playing with 'car town', it hit me. He has a nice shelf to put things on, but more things than can fit on that shelf! What has happened? Things have been slowly flowing out of the attic and nothing going back into storage. So today I reviewed my Simplicity Parenting book notes.
KJPayne says we need to remember the FOUR PILLARS OF TOO MUCH
too much stuff
too many choices
too much information
too fast
Ways to consider a toy:
Is it broken? fix it or throw it out.
Is it developmentally appropriate right now? store it if it isn't.
It is a fixed toy? in other words does it do every thing (ie. play by itself) or can a child change it , manipulate it, dream into it.
Is the toy so complex that it can only break?
Is it a very high-stimulation ? flashing lights?
Is it annoying or offensive?
Does it claim to give a developmental edge?
Were you pressured to buy this from your child or a fad?
Toy multiples? do you have several of this same thing? get rid of some!
If you give a child less and less complexity, they become more interested, and this cultivates true powers of attention.
You should only have as many toys as your child can put away in 5 minutes! All other toys should be put away in a library that is hidden!
What toys should you have?
Thing you can develop touch with.
Natural materials.
Rattles, nesting cubes, cloth dolls, silks and scarves, beeswax and clay, smooth pebbles, wooden blocks and shapes, gnarled roots and sticks, bean bags
real kitchen tools and garden tools, building things that are just like mommy and daddies
Imaginary play
creative outlets like pencils, paints, modeling clay or beeswax, playdoh, fabric, scissors, glue and a space for art
Later on whittling and knitting, beadwork, sewing woodwork and candle making.
loads of musical instruments.
This week when my children are out to play, I will take 15 minutes in each room to remember this list. I do find that the wooden doll house, the wooden stacking toys and the natural products are the ones that get played with the most. These will stay.