Help Your Kids Edit Their Stuff Before the Holidays

The holidays are a fun time of year. Giving and receiving presents can be fun, but it can also add stress and clutter. It doesn’t have to be stressful if you are mindful about giving, and do a little editing of your children’s belongings before the onslaught of receiving.

Over the next couple of weeks, edit one category of their belongings at a time. Small children may resist the process, so work with them in short spurts and let them have control over their decisions.

If you decide to donate most of their items, talk about how the recipient will feel. Let your child keep all or a portion of the proceeds if you hold a garage sale.

Books: Sell or donate books below your youngest child’s reading/interest level to hospitals, schools, your church nursery or other charity.

Electronic games: Edit games your kids haven’t touched in ages. Sell them online if you aren’t donating them.

Toys: Toss the broken toys and gather up outgrown toys. Sell at a future garage sale or donate to a shelter or other charity.

Board games and puzzles: Schools, shelters and other charities will gladly take these or create age appropriate collections of games/puzzles to sell. Throw them out if they are missing pieces.

Stuffed toys: Police stations will take clean stuffed toys. They are kept in the trunks of squad cars and given out to comfort children. Shelters and other charities will also take stuffed toys.

Start editing today!