Helping your children let go

What can you say (or do) to help your children learn how to let go and minimize their toys and possessions? My goal is to make them feel accomplished, proud and helpful and NOT like they’re losing their favorite things, “in trouble” or things are being taken from them.

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Try these out:
📌 Establish a “rule”: One toy in, one toy out - have them pick the toy that will be going to a new home and talk about what another child might love about it also
📌 Talk about cleanliness and tidiness, “I noticed you really like to make sure things are put in their place when you’re cleaning up. When we have fewer things out, it’s easier to remember where something goes and your toy has a big space to rest when you’re not playing with it.”
📌 Talk about time, “It will take less time for us to clean up, and that means more time spent playing together!”
📌 Encourage them to pick their top 3-5 toys; choosing favorites often reveals what they don’t actually like and want to play with

As I mentioned the other day, OBSERVE your child to help you figure out their favorites - colors, shapes, activities, animals, objects, etc. This will make you a toy/experience choosing PRO when it comes to your kid (and hopefully will help avoid some of those “trial” items you know you shouldn’t have bought - just me??).

Because of how I (try) to parent, I want to avoid attaching my emotions to any of these statements (i.e. “Mommy will be sad if you don’t clean these up.”). I do my best to associate positivity and helpfulness with minimizing, letting go and tidying. Not only do these skills benefit young children, but they benefit a home and family as a whole - who want’s to step on a Lego as you bumble into the kitchen for a glass of water at 3:00AM? No thanks!

What are you struggling with most when it comes to helping your children let go?