Play

I have done a few rounds of purging in my house. The biggest was our garage sale in May. Since then I have taken a few Jeeploads to the D.A.V. and it just keeps getting better and easier in so many different ways that even though I have been reading books/blogs and watching YouTube channels and listening to podcasts on decluttering. I knew what to expect, they told me how good it would be...but guys, I am serious. This is good.

So. G O O D.

This past weekend, I spent most of my Saturday and Sunday continuing the purge process. It was way easier to look at items with fresh eyes and say "nope, don't need it...don't even know why I have it." I got through both kids' rooms and let go of countless odds and ends-type toys that had no real purpose here. A trillion stuffed animals, most of which he only touched when he pulled them out of their bin and threw them across the room in an attempt to "play." Some of the things I would stare at and feel a little guilty because I remember who bought it for him and what occasion it was for. But I needed to be realistic. He didn't play with them...and those stuffed toys are just housing dust. I kept a handful that he plays with/carries/sleeps with. But the rest went. I got rid of large toys that had very little play value. They took up more space than what they were worth. Part of me still feels a little guilty about some of it, just because I know the people who bought them worked hard for their money that they spent on his birthday or on Christmas. But he honestly wasn't playing with pretty much any of it. And I needed a change. And I am so glad I did it.

Charlotte's room was easier. She's younger...but has also just plain grown out of the majority of toys she had. Lots of rattles, etc. They had served their purpose, although I realize now how few of them ever made it to her hands. We had our favorites, the rest pretty much sat there for a year now.

Okay, let me tell you why this is so good. Because this is the best part. Not only do I feel better as a "stay at home mom" because my house is generally WAY cleaner... but my kids feel better. After my weekend purge, I noticed the difference immediately on Monday morning. They have been playing together so much better than they EVER have. Usually one or both would constantly be at my feet, looking for entertainment. Not anymore. Right now, they are playing on the living room floor while I pound this blog post out, I have timed it, it's been 40 minutes of quiet play so far. And it's been like this daily all week. They have gone into their rooms, unprompted...and just played.

I know that just sounds crazy. You wouldn't think kids would play better with fewer toys. I would have always thought the more toys, the more options to play, the better. Completely opposite from the truth. They are having fun together. They aren't throwing toys for fun. They sit and play. They pretend together. And they do it for longer periods than they ever have before. And this is huge for me because I work from home full-time, so these quiet times are perfect for me to try to hammer out some hours at work. It's been honestly amazing.

Another great result has been how much less I have to do after they play. They played alone in Jack's room for a few hours yesterday, but I had minimal cleanup. I had to put some play food back in the kitchen, pick up some musical instruments...but it took me less than five minutes. Same with the rest of my house. I had to load a half load of dishes, pickup a handful of things in the living room, and boom, I was done. Less than 10 minutes, total. And my house was clean. I woke up to a clean home. I usually would have an actual mountain of toys to clean up in Jack's room alone, which would take me at least a half hour. But last night, I had so much free time that we sat in Jack's room and had a family sing-a-long/dance party...because I wasn't stressed about getting the house to look even moderately picked up.

Guys, it's so good. I can't even explain it to you. I'm trying so hard...but I'm falling short. I can't put all of these good feelings into words. I can't tell you how relieved I feel. I know it probably still sounds crazy, and maybe it is crazy...but it's the best decision I have made in a LONG time.