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With Christmas fast approaching you may be wondering where you are going to keep all the new stuff the kids get for Christmas. Or maybe the coming new year has made you resolve to get your house in order and keep it that way. Who knew kids had so much stuff? Or that they outgrow it so fast? Are you ready to clean up the clutter but have no idea where to start? If you're wondering how to save a few mementos of your child's first years and what to do with the rest, here are a few tips. Toys: Keep anything that is a special favorite of your child, and anything that you think is a classic toy. For example, my mother still has my marble chaser, a toy I spent countless hours playing with. Every time I see it I remember happy childhood days. She also kept several wooden puzzles that my kids now play with. If you've checked the price tags on wooden puzzles lately, you know how happy we were to inherit ours! Books and Videos: Again, keep the classics and any particular favorites of your child. Also, keep any books your child receives as a gift that contain an inscription from the giver. If your child has an uncommon name which shows up as a character in a book, keep it. My children are enjoying the same Richard Scarry books that I did. I'll be saving videos that were television specials when I was a kid, from A Charlie Brown Christmas to Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Clothing: Do not keep anything stained, worn out, or otherwise ruined. Outfits worn home from the hospital or for services such as baptism or christening should definitely be kept. Also, keep any outfits with special meaning or stories behind them. For example, my friend was born in Germany when her father was stationed there with the military. Her mother bought her a classic German outfit to wear. Many years later, the granddaughter was able to wear the outfit, and mother and daughter were both glad they had kept it. Big Ticket Items: For all the money you may have spent on items such as your child's crib and stroller, you may want to save them forever! Just remember that when they are taken out of storage for the next generation they may no longer be practical. Even the most popular crib and stroller may not meet the safety guidelines of the year 2025, just as those made in 1970 may not meet the safety guidelines of today.
The copyright of the article Clean Up the Clutter in Parenting Preschoolers is owned by . Permission to republish Clean Up the Clutter in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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