Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

If so how do you deal with this?

Is it ok to drop hints to other family or friends not to give DC toys?

I would especially like ot hear from families who live in a small place and have no room for toys at all?

To be honest, I would rather receive NOTHING or clothes and books than toys but how does one subtly drop such hints?!

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

Jack received triples of almost everything - and that is after I told most of my family to just buy him 18month+ clothes. I can't imagine if I told them to buy him toys.

I don't think anyone lives in a home big enough to store all the toys these kids get!

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

YES!!!!!!!!! I cant believe all the toys DS received as gifts and alot of them are BIG items. He received a ball pit, I asked my MIL if she bought it directly from Chuck E. Cheese!

ETA: DS also received a generous amount of clothes and sneakers

Message edited 12/27/2007 8:46:38 AM.

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

Yes but it's my own fault. I'm the Santa that went crazy.

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

I have a small house and two of my children being little I did not want a lot of big stuff all over so I told my family to get clothes (next size up) and one little toy. Now santa brought all the toys and I thought I did good. However my living rm was still packed with toys, it was so bad that I tood down all my Christmas stuff last night just to make room

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

so many toys...and doubles of toys....

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

yup we got soo many toys, thank god i told my mom clothes so at least someone got him that

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

We got both toys and clothes and its driving me crazy. I have no living room The GP bought big toys-I mean exesaucer, rideons, stuffed animals and tons of learning toys that make NOISE

Message edited 12/27/2007 4:48:57 AM.

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

yes, yes, yes. My boys got tons of toys. I asked people not to go overboard and they did. They mean well and have fun giving it so I can't be mad but I am not sure where to put it all. I thought I had a big house until I had kids. I have no clue where it is all going to go. I seriously do not have enough floor space for all the big stuff that was received. And I have a 3 year old b-day in a little over a month. I mention clothes is needed but they feel they must get some kind of toy as well so he can appreciate it. Yet everyone complains they have everything it is too hard to buy, what can we get....but it is their own doing!!

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

YES! But I got her one's that she won't necessarily be using now, so they, thankfully, can get put away for use later on. However, I can't say the same for what everyone else gave her!

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

Ella got too much it is a sin. I will be sending some of Ella's stuff to Jamaica to give to some kids who needs it.

Message edited 12/27/2007 8:34:53 AM.

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

Taylor got a ton of toys...but even DH was a little guilty. We originally decided to get her 3 things for Christmas...since it was Taylor's first Christmas, I knew everyone would go overboard.
I was able to ask some relatives to get her books since her library consisted of about 5 books. However, there were quite a few people that we couldn't ask to do that. I tried to be specific on the thing that "she wanted".
It looks like Toys R Us threw up in my living room.
We put a lot of stuff away as to not overwhelm her with too many toys.
I think we are going to introduce new things when she gets tired of some of the "older stuff"

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

We actually requested that we get gift cards to TRU instead of toys and guess what we got? Toys, toys and more toys. When we got back home, we had to reorganize the entire playroom to fit all the new things. Now we have bags of stuff to sell. Guess I'll be making some posts on Craigslist

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

Yes, and I already returned stuff yesterday because he so many doubles and things that weren't age appropriate.

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

OMG YES! DD got 3 outfits and everything else was T-O-Y-S! They are Everywhere right now. They consume every room of our house except the bathroom and we even left some of it at my Dads house,

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

Yes and Im learning through this. It was her 1st Christmas. I did get a double but something I could give to my friend, her son who is on the way.

I also will not buy as much for my DD in future. Way too much stuff.

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

I eliminated that by making him a wish list on amazon, then sending it to my immediate family. Then I told my mom to send it to whoever may want to get him something.

Got no doubles and everything on the list.

I used to be soooo against those "wish lists" for the children, but now I definately see why they are good. I bought him things that weren't on the list and only put on the list things that I wasn't planning on getting him. This way when someone bought from his list, they took it right off the list. It worked out great!!!

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

I got a ton of toys too...and clothes. We are totally out of space right now, but aside from that, its just too much. I know everyone means well, but its sad how our children are given things excessively and there are people and children in the rest of the world who have nothing. I think I am going to donate many of my toys.

My sister has given up a whole room in her house so her son can play in it...its what would be the formal dining room...a huge room and he has LOADS of toys. I'm just not going to do that for my son. He will have his toys but he will not be given everything.

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

yes, I would have liked to return some, but I dont have reciepts for any of the toys and feel badly asking anyone for them.

Some toys I kept in the boxes and will pull them out in time....

And Im having a toybox made ASAP for him!

We did get a TON of clothes though too.

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

Yes he did. Alot of push and go toys but, I am going to divide those between our house and my parents. He got alot of books too. His birthday was on the 19th so he got toys and clothes! Too much for our little 2 bedroom place.

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

I am actually amazed...DD got A LOT of toys, but since she's just at the age where she didn't really have toys yet (just rattles, stuffed animals, etc), I've kind of needed toys for her. I mean, of course I don't have the room for them, but I was very surprised we didn't get more inundated with toys!! People were very generous, but I got lots of clothes (next size up) for her, so that was great too!

Re: Did DC Receive Too Many Toys???

We did totally fine --- didn't go out of control, but then we had Christmas Dinner with my family and they totally got her so much. We live in a small 2-br upstairs apartment with barely any closet space....so it literally looks like toys r us exploded in our living room. We still have her huge art easel/desk in my car because we have to get rid of our desk first inorder to fit it in the house (we don't use the desk anymore anyway)

As far as tips for keeping it under control-----we did the same last christmas. We are going to go through her old toys this weekend and take out anything that isn't age appropriate anymore ---- and that she doesn't play with anymore. Some of them will be packed up for storage for the next baby ---- some will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters (You call them and they pick up)

Also something we've tried in the past is to put some of the toys away before they are even opened ---- in closets, under the bed, wherever there is space. then when she gets bored of what she's been playing with we can rotate them, so that they aren't all out at once!

Also Emily is 2 and today we were home together, and every time she wanted to take something else out I told her that she had to help me clean up what was already out first. It was a pain in the neck but if I was there cleaning with her she did it.

Good luck and have fun playing!