March of the Toys
The following entry was written by Julie of Mothergoosemouse.
Why are there toys all over my house?
The simple answer is that I have children, and children have toys. Therefore, I have toys.
But why are they EVERYWHERE?
There is an easel in the kitchen. Ten bottles of washable Tempera paint on top of the refrigerator. A Ziploc bag of crayons and a Barbie coloring book on the table. A Megasaucer, a Magnadoodle, and forty-eleven Peek a Blocks in the family room.
Two child-sized bicycles and a large box of sidewalk chalk in the garage. A lone sand shovel abandoned on the deck.
A complete kitchen ensemble in the basement, along with a dollhouse, doll stroller, and doll shopping cart. A felt board, a Leap Pad, three bags of Mega Bloks, and a pair of red-sequinned high heels for dress-up.
Upstairs, we have bookshelves full of books, dressers full of clothes, and enough bath toys to fill the tub, leaving no room for a child to bathe.
But here’s the really sad part: In the dining room, there is a ball pit. No table, no chairs. Just a ball pit.
And here’s the really scary part: Most of this stuff used to fit into a two-bedroom condo. Which is also the reason we have no dining room furniture. Yet.
I’ll admit it; Kyle and I are enablers. We allowed this migration to occur. While the girls are both little, it’s just EASIER to have ready access to their toys, especially on the main floor where we all spend most of our time. Having spent more than three years in a tiny condo, Tacy was really quite intimidated by the size of the house for the first several months we lived here. She no longer requires an escort to go down to the basement or up to her room, but she’s still not entirely convinced that the place is safe. Meanwhile, CJ is just learning to handle the stairs, and since she shows great affection for all things potentially hazardous to her health, it’s best to keep her in sight at all times.
Don’t get me wrong; if you come to visit, you won’t be knee-deep in toys. We insist that Tacy clean up what she’s gotten out, and as soon as CJ can understand the concept, she’ll be expected to help too. If Tacy drags stuff downstairs that belongs upstairs, she’s expected to return it to its rightful place before bedtime. The house isn’t a wreck, I promise.
Just don’t expect me to move that ball pit, unless you are delivering dining room furniture.
Comments
OMG! I am glad we are not the only ones. We moved into a bigger house last year...with a playroom no less...and guess what...they don't play in the playroom! We too have toys in the living room...our dining room (which we are currently turning into a study)...our bedroom...the kitchen and on and on and on. Sometimes...I dream of just throwing them alllll out...and starting some new fangled tradition on holidays and b-days that does not involve the giving of toys!
Posted by: Jen | March 8, 2006 11:43 AM
I hear ya, sister. Although we do have furniture in our dining room, there is an exersaucer parked strategically in front of the wine rack. Since Opie no longer deigns to sit in the saucer, we try (usually in vain) to block his attempts to access the sauce.
Posted by: Mayberry | March 8, 2006 2:12 PM
Somehow Daughter's toy shopping cart has been parked in the living room, and her room has a giant and still growing pile of toys in the middle of the floor. It never seems to end...
Posted by: GroovyVic | March 8, 2006 5:36 PM
I love to find a playmobil piece inside my pantyhose at work. It adds a little "Oh, you must have a child" to my day.
Posted by: Dawn | March 8, 2006 5:41 PM
LOL we have what we call contained chaos in almost every room ... I try not to see it as much as I can
Posted by: Mama Kelly | March 8, 2006 6:51 PM
Ugh. My kids' toys are taking over, too. I keep saying I'm going to go through them and donate the ones they don't use, but that would required *thinking* and spending time doing something that just doesn't excite me.
But, oh god, the baskets of toys in the family room are stuffed to the gils and it's driving me nuts. Ahhh!
Posted by: Mary | March 9, 2006 12:52 AM
No matter how much I seem to pick up in the evening, the toys are everywhere the next morning. Actually, for us it's craft items -- markers, crayons, paper, stickers. I think they rise up and have a big party at night when we're all sleeping.
Posted by: Nancy | March 9, 2006 8:07 AM
Abandon all hope all ye who enter motherhood - LOL
As they age it does not improve, the accoutrements simply change to CD’s, Ipods, science projects, and drama club masks.
I have no hope for the future, as hobby-husband already leaves soldering iron and wire strippers scattered about so they are “handy” LOL
Posted by: Marti | March 9, 2006 10:07 AM
My kids are grown and gone but we still have no storage space because all the closets are full of. . . toys. If I don't get some grandchildren soon, I'm having a big yard sale.
Posted by: Mamacita | March 9, 2006 1:44 PM
I require my boys to clean, too. But when they don't, and the basement is REALLY messy, I take the opportunity to purge as I clean. The boys have never missed what I've taken away, either.
We move so much, have been in some tiny places, that I've had to purge. I've had them choose some toys to give to other children who "aren't as lucky as you are with all of your toys." We don't give away junk that should be thrown away, either.
Funny thing, though, when we were SHOPPING at Goodwill for books a couple years ago, the boys saw another boy buying something they had donated! That made them feel really cool. ;)
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