toy room organization.........

i enjoy parenting

Figure out which toys your children actually play with, and which ones are just laying around. I recommend doing this by watching them play--not by asking them or giving them an option. Trust me, once it's gone, they won't even notice. Then make your children responsible for their toys. They are not too young to be taught to pick up their own toys. For organization, look into some stackable cubes. You can find some nice cheap sets at places like Wal-Mart and Target, that are designed for children's rooms. At the very least, they are old enough to help you pick up the toys. Make a game of it, and it goes a lot faster. I know it sounds totally Mary Poppins, but it works. Another idea: by the time a child is 4 or 5 they can understand that there are poor children who can't afford toys of their own. A good way to weed out toys can be to get your child involved in donating toys to Goodwill or a church.

Well it sounds like your husband needs to keep a better eye on them when you are sleeping- Teach them young to put away things when they are done- OK maybe 2 & 3 is a bit young- I think totes are good- Perhaps you can pick up the wall shelves with the bins in it- that way it looks neater- each bin can have a different set in it- and it is easier to look at and for something- and easier clean-up. I bet it is a lot of fun having 2 boys—enjoy their childhood!

Try and put some away. Take them in turns of bringing them out. They dont have to have ALL the toys there all at the same time. Rotate the toys and they will play with them like they have never seen them before.

I liked all the suggestions to use cubbies, smaller containers, and putting toys into a rotation. Those will probably be the easiest solutions. The one other thing I have to say though is that your hubby needs to take some responsibility with this too. My s/o is the same way when he's alone with the boys (2 and 4 years old). I don't understand how it happens but it seems like every single toy box and bin gets dumped out and toys are scattered all over. When it's just me with them they only get a few things out and we spend most of the time just having fun with each other. What I keep telling s/o is that he needs to play with them a little more and pay better attention to what they are doing. They might be the ones dumping the bins but what's he doing while they do it? It's been a slow process to get him to understand that he needs to be on my side about this but we've had a few good days. Talk to your husband. Tell him that having the room destroyed every morning is bothering you. If you have to tell him that it's his responsibility to help them pick up the whole room BEFORE you'll "take over" with the kids. You also mentioned wanting to find a way for it to look nicer when it's all cleaned up. All I've come up with is to put shelving in on one wall to put everything on and then hang a curtain across that.

I liked using the cubby hole thingys and put toys that were sort of alike in the same cubby hole. The toys that has pieces I used those plastic containers I could buy at the store. I went through my kids toys and put up about half of them and then in about a month would bring them out and put up what they had been playing with. This was like Christmas every month bringing out different toys. Just a few suggestions I have found to work. It is so hard to keep the toys organized, really it is.