How much stuff?!

[lrning2b]

How much is too much for kids to own?
For the last few months I feel like I'm drowning. There is just so much stuff in my house.
All my babes have so much stuff. DH and I have too much. Too many good toys, too many useful things, too many fantastic books, too many clothes, too many movies, too many cds.... the list goes on. I just feel like we've become so materialistic. I nearly dropped over dead when DD asked for her own tv and dvd player for her room. I couldn't help myself with the loud NO!
I try to reason with myself in that I have almost 7 children and I've been accumulating good things for almost 15 years. I have given away mountains of things too, but there is so much left! I could easily just go through their rooms and throw so much, but it is not mine to give away any more. They are such sentimental souls that everything has a meaning or purpose. And nearly everything is used at one time or another.
I don't even know what I am really asking so I don't reaaly know what an answer would be. Is it just my pregnancy? Is the world changing too fast for me? Am I entering a new phase in my life? Is this generation so different?
I just don't know!

[BLUE]

i am glad you posted that.

i feel like we have so much stuff too, i was glad to be over the baby stage but then with our "surprise" due september i'm back to having baby stuff again. plus homeschooling stuff increasing for the older ones.

so much to care for, sort, put back, clean, etc.......

[emd]

I have this problem too. I'm a hoarder by nature, so is my husband, and now we're raising our own little hoarders.

Something that helps limit my hoarding is available space. Make a rule that everything must be put away in its proper place, and don't allow excessive space for storage. For example, I only have 30 wooden coat hangers, so I can only keep 30 items in the wardrobe. I need to do another cull - the kids toy storage is overflowing after the last birthday party, which means there must be toys in there that are no longer played with.

I'm currently selling outgrown or not-used kids clothes to fund buying the next size up - an easy way to reduce stuff. Replacing second-hand with brand new (even WAHM-made) can effectively halve your stuff while making the stuff you have more useful or better fitting.

[Dorasmum]

Oh wow I've been battling this for months now, every christmas and birthday the girls get given at least a dozen separate toys from relatives and all have multiple little pieces which i try and keep together but they inevitably end up all jumbled together. So now we have 5 large wicker baskets full of "stuff" that they play with, I try and keep only two out at a time but it still seems like our whole house is swimming in bits and pieces. And then there's all the stuff that comes in like junkmail, newspapers, empty boxes, I'm forever putting stuff in the bin but always have clutter lying around. Too many clothes too, I don't have enough drawers or cupboard space for any of us so it's hard to put away clean clothes because the drawers are jammed all the time...aaaarrrrgghgh.

But, for the last week I have started packing for the move in a month and am going through everything, being really brutal, throwing away as much as I can and filling up the car with stuff for the op shop.

I hate it, yes like you mentioned it's the sentimental side of it...'aunty joan gave that to me when i was 10, i can't throw it away..' etc. I'm finding being able to just say no, it's gone is liberating. Give it away.

And this year I'm going to ask rellies to contribute towards a new cubby house in the back yard instead of new toys.

The key to tidiness is "a place for everything and everything in it's place.." Does it work? I"ve never managed to do it but I'd like to try!!

Sounds like it's getting to you more at the moment. Could be Bub trying to get you to make some space ready for it..

Em

[emd]

I don't fall for the sentimentality of gift giving anymore. Yes, it's very nice and it was a gift from someone we love... but if it's not getting used because it's excess to requirements or not quite right, I'm sure Grandma or Aunty Betty would rather it were sold to pay for something that will actually get used.

[Dorasmum]

I let go of this hideous 40cm long doll with a huge head, frilly pink dress, curly blonde hair, kind of like little bo peep. A great aunt gave it to me when I was about 8 or 9 and I always hated dolls so that's why I call it hideous. I think I hung onto it because I always felt guilty that I didn't like it and she thought she was giving me the doll of my dreams. I finally gave it to an op shop last year in perfect condition except with the elastic in the bonnet given out because of age. Never played with it so it never got dirty. I hope some little girl took home the doll of her dreams instead.

Em

[Jakaluma]

I'm a trying to reform hoarder. Helps if you move a lot That said, I'd walk out the house tomorrow and not look back (apart from photos - maybe I'll just take my back up harddrive!) Things are just that - things.

Something we do is put things in a box in the shed - anything you don't use much, and think you may be able to give away. Then, if you need it, you go and get it. Otherwise, you take the box down to the opp shop and walk away. Easy. Has helped us not be drowned in toys.

I find it bizarre how we really don't buy much (I do not enjoy shopping and tend to avoid them even for essential) - how does it build up so quickly?

[emd]

Looking around my lounge room today, most of what's on the floor was actually rubbish. So I have just thrown out newspapers, empty plastic drink bottles, and various other bits that the kids drag in from the kitchen or car to play with.

If only the grandparents could see that how excited they get over bubble wrap and cardboard boxes, instead of expensive plastic toys that require batteries.

[Dorasmum]

Oh toys with batteries.....heeelllppp!! We have so many recharchable batteries lying around the place. Thankfully Grandpa just sent us this newfangled recharger with 3 packets of batteries for it. (yep another gadget to add to the clutter) but since they gave us most of the toys that need them, it's only fair.
There are some toys though that I pray they will go flat so I can superglue the battery compartment down and never ressurect it.

I'm even guilty of letting or encouraging rough play with some toys hoping they'll break so I'll "have to" throw them out..

Em

[jezza]

Originally Posted by lrning2b

I don't even know what I am really asking so I don't reaaly know what an answer would be. Is it just my pregnancy? Is the world changing too fast for me? Am I entering a new phase in my life? Is this generation so different?
I just don't know!

I feel like clutter and too much stuff in the house makes me ask all these existential questions too. I dream of some idyllic existence where we only have what we need and are content with that. And I do think that the pace of change in the world is accelerating so rapidly that many (if not most) people and having difficulties keeping up with things.

I don't have any brilliant suggestions. I try to keep those overwhelmed feelings at bay by working on decluttering a little at a time. Ideally I'd do a bit each day, but realistically it's probably a couple of days a week. My kids are also at the stage where I can't just arbitrarily throw their things out, so it can involve a lot of discussion and negotiation.

I hope you find some way to feel more peaceful amidst it all.

J