I firmly believe that the more you give to others, the more you will receive in return. My boys are not selfish kids. When we go to toy stores, you don’t hear, “Daddy, get me that toy!” or “Mommy, I want that!” followed by tantrums. I don’t get that reaction and I so glad for that. I teach my kids not to be materialistic. When they receive toys that they are not into, I tell them to reconsider giving them to someone else or selling them so that the money could go to their savings. I always let them know that toys are not needs in this household and that there are more important things than toys and gadgets.
Anyway, from time to time, we check our stuff and get rid of things we don’t need, use or play with anymore. We either give them to relatives, kids in the provinces or the local streetkids. In the beginning, when the boys were younger, it was so hard parting them with old toys. I would ask them, “Can we give/throw this away?” and I would get all sorts of reasons from “but we’re playing with that yet” to plain “no”. I make it a point to talk to them about their stuff because even if I can easily throw their stuff away, I want them to know that I respect their things, and that they should know how to respect others’ stuff as well. So, I always consult with them about the stuff to be given/thrown away and a bargaining usually ensues. Before, 2 out of 10 things usually end up in the “away” pile but now, 5 out of 10 things are picked. Am so proud of their maturity. We’ve already given away books, clothes, toys, kitchen stuff and it does help in the decluttering of the house. We’re trying to follow the plus 1, minus 1 rule, that is, if you buy a new something, you have to get rid of the old something so that house won’t be a mess. We’ll see how that one goes. 😉
For now, here’s the pile of stuff we’re giving away soon: