Downsizing

I have a split personality when it comes to my children's toys. 50% of the time I complain about how many toys my 3 yr old has and how I barely had any toys growing up and would never have known. We did have toys...but it was a minimal amount compared to how many kids have these days. We were much more "outside" kids. We collected snails, made wagons out of cardboard boxes, played Little House on the Prairie type of games. I *might* have a photo of myself in a coonskin cap.

But, then when I comes to downsizing and cleaning out my daughters toy box, I have such a hard time donating and selling stuff. If I've seen her play with an item more than 2 times, I can't seem to get rid of it. Plus, she has a steel trap of a memory and I just know the minute I get rid of something, she'll be asking me where it is.

Today I was taking a few strollers I no longer need (it took me a while to part with those too) to the baby resale and I saw a play kitchen that isn't in use. It was given to us a few years ago, and at one time my daughter played with it a ton. But, the last few houses we've lived in haven't had room for it--so it was outside or in storage. I don't forsee a place for it in the near future. So, I went with my whim and sold it. I know she is going to be upset when she realizes it. But it just made so much more sense to downsize now... and at some point when we have room for a larger play item, we'll get her another one. Used of course.

I still have so many toys that need to be downsized. There's the Little Tykes Noah's Ark that of course she played with for the first time in 6 months today. It's on the list of things that need to go. But not just yet I guess.