Too many games

Yesterday my daughter told me she had too many games. She voluntarily gave up one game which I could try to sell through Craigslist. I tried, once, to talk her out of it. It was practically a brand new game. I just bought it for our trip to England earlier this spring. She has played with it about two times. I loved it. You collected socks from the sock monster and could win clothes pins. (It's a game called Lucky Sock Dip from HABA-great toys!) I then decided I should not talk her out of it. I am trying to convince her to get rid of some of her toys. It's kind of a slippery complicated Mommy made slope. I have bought her more than she needs and more than she has asked for. It's easy to do. Shop at garage sales and thrift stores and you can acquire a lot of neat stuff for not a lot of money. It no way justifies getting STUFF-simple because it is inexpensive doesn't mean you should buy it. It doesn't always end up being quite the bargain you thought once you have to find a place for it and clean it and deal with it once it's become old and boring.

I was very proud of her for giving up a toy. She has loads more I wish she would give up, but perhaps that will come with time. I have been watching and listening to my daughter a lot lately. She is more like me than I think. She gets overwhelmed with her stuff. Especially when it is time to clean up her stuff. I just don't think she has the concept or the words to fully express this feeling she is having. I am trying to help her just as I am trying to help myself. I was explaining today how we should give up at least one item for each "new" one we bring into the house.

I am wondering now why I haven't listened more to these words myself. I clear out loads of my books and trade them into our local bookstore only to discover I can order wonderful children's books (for myself, the budding children's writer) from Amazon.co.uk. They are great and aren't ones released yet in the U.S. So now I have undone all that uncluttering I just did these past few months. Hmmmm....

So how do we help ourselves and our children to lessen the burden of stuff and the overwhelming feelings that stuff gives us? I wish for a magic wand. I wish for a clutter free mentor to come show me the errors of my ways and take the extra stuff away. One huge relief came to me yesterday after my daughter's voluntary releasing of her game: I can, without any guilt, tell the grandparents and relatives to not spend money on stuff this year. We can upgrade my daughter's play kitchen to a beautiful wooden one like she'll play with in her Waldorf Preschool. They can help contribute to her "new" bunk bed which will replace her crib/toddler bed. One thing in, one thing out. Nothing to overwhelm any of us and we'll all get what we need, not just what we want and will possibly regret later.

Now to declutter those bookshelves...magic wand work your magic.