Have you taken a visit to Toys R Us recently??? I have to confess that I made my second visit probably in the last twenty years this past month. I left with my head spinning.
I was so overwhelmed by the volume of “stuff.” I couldn’t even imagine how my children felt—they were literally spinning (in circles!) as they tried to comprehend all the toys that existed in this one, giant building!
I have lamented to my husband for many years that I am constantly overwhelmed by the toys in my house (which I’m now realizing—ashamedly so--is its own mini Toys R Us). I love our house, but there are really two rooms downstairs for living in outside the kitchen and both are covered in toys. I’m either tripping over toys, breaking up a fight over toys, or cleaning up toys (and yes, I enforce having my children help clean up!).
Based on my own study of Scripture and my own burden of making idols out of “stuff,” as well as an article Brian sent me recently that claims having too many toys can actually create higher levels of stress in moms, I decided I’d had enough. Over the past several months, I’ve been “cleaning” out the toys. It started on a small scale, but the other day I had finally had enough.
While my little ones were at school I took five loads (yes, LOADS) of toys to the basement. When they returned home, not a word was spoken about the missing toys until after naps when Cammy went behind the couch and noticed a missing basket: “Where did that go? And the stuff in it?” was all he said. I gave a simple answer that I had just taken the basket away and he moved on with whatever he was doing.
They didn’t even miss five LOADS of toys!!!
For all of you out there condemning me for stunting my children’s growth—don’t worry. There are still plenty of toys left to play with. But I tried to focus on ones that encourage imagination and play: their kitchen and work bench where they pretend to have a restaurant or create wonderful “wooden” projects. Building blocks and magnatiles for creating an infinite number of structures and creations. I left the plethora of books and puzzles, as well as their musical instruments where they sing praises to their Father in heaven! They have a coloring table where they play for hours, and I left plenty more I haven’t even mentioned here. They still have PLENTY of “stuff.” I am certain after listing that for you, it’s still too much.
I intend to continue to purge the play room and liberate myself and my children from the confines of too many things.
The process truly has been freeing.
I heard a story a few years back about a grandma who allowed her children to really play when they came to her house. She didn’t worry too much about the breakables and the precious things—“It’s just stuff,” she told them.
That story has stuck with me, and while it’s been a slow process in my own life—and the toys are just one example of my liberation, I know I must continue to pray that the Lord will allow me not to become too wrapped up in the things of this world—of having more than my neighbor, of keeping up with the Jones’s.
What a challenge.
But for now—what a relief!