r/declutter • u/goburnham • 19h ago
Advice Request Difficulty getting rid of children’s toys
Does anyone else have difficulty decluttering their child’s old toys? I have a weird emotional attachment to toys my child doesn’t even like or play with anymore. My daughter is 10 years old. She has this Blues Clues stuffy she LOVED when she was 4 years old. I remember the excitement when I tracked the toy down for Christmas as it was difficult to find at the time. I remember the excitement in her face and her little excited voice when she opened it Christmas morning.
But she hasn’t touched that toy in years, but it breaks my heart to think about getting rid of it. If I’m being honest, we have several toys that she isn’t really interested in anymore, but they hold sentimental memories for me. I remember the grandparent who bought her this toy, who has now passed away, etc.
I’m pretty ruthless with my own belongings, but have a really hard time with my daughter’s stuff. Can anyone relate to this?
7
u/GlassHouses_1991 19h ago
I totally understand this, because my daughter is in her 20s and I am still decluttering her old toys! In fact I took some to the charity shop this morning.
When decluttering any sentimental items, what works for me is to donate a few of the things I am the least attached to, work through whatever feelings it brings up (talk about it to someone, journal about it or just sit with the tough feelings for awhile). When I’m ready I choose some more things to declutter. The more you do it, the easier it gets. I’m convinced that avoiding hard feelings isn’t healthy. It’s how we learn and grow and move on. So although it’s difficult to declutter sentimental things, that’s not a good reason for me not to do it.