How does kids’ stuff pile up so quickly!
My kids have way too much stuff!
I’ve been trying my hardest to get rid of as much of it as I can. For one, we live in a very small space, but mainly because the more stuff they have, the less they appreciate it. Also they seem overwhelmed as to what to play with when too much is out. I rotate what toys we have downstairs, where we play, which helps a lot!
My favorite way to get rid of stuff is to sell it at second hand stores.
There are a couple around my neighborhood that give you credit in the store for dropping off your clean, like-new items. There’s also garage sales or Flea markets.
This weekend, I’m selling a bunch of baby stuff we no longer need at a huge consignment sale.
If you hadn’t heard of Kids Closet Connection, it’s a great way to get rid of all your gently used kid and baby items quickly and make some cash. As well as find great deals on the next size kids clothes or bigger kid toys. Kids Closet is a consignment sale event with locations all over the country. You can even become a franchise owner and start sales in your area. I just drop off my stuff to be sold, don’t even have to work the sale, and get 70% of the proceeds! Of course I’ll be stopping in to find deals at the sale itself, which is like walking into a huge closet! Thankfully it’s much more organized than mine. They also now have online selling at Online Kids Closet.
I’ve been trying to find ways of giving with my son.
I want him to learn to be a generous person and know there are people in need and that he can help them. We donate old toys and clothes often. Last week we went to the dollar store and bought bubbles, coloring books, and crayons, to send with a local missionary trip to kids in Haiti. We looked at photos online of kids there and what he really wanted to send them was water and food and build them houses! I had to explain that there are people helping them with those things and this is what we can send for now!
We also bought toothbrushes for homeless people for Project Homeless Connect at the Santa Cruz Civic partnered with TLC.org/homeless. All this is great, but I would really love for him to actually be able to give in person as opposed to mailing and dropping things off.
Anyone have any ideas on where would be good to volunteer with a 4 year old as well as have my baby with me? Or should I wait till she’s older?
Update: I found a few more giving ideas with preschoolers:
Create care bags for the homeless: socks, water bottles, personal care items, granola bars, etc. in a large ziplock bag. Keep them in your car and hand them out whenever you see a homeless person. Or ask your local homeless shelter what they need and bring it there together with your child.
Some soup kitchens and family homeless shelters will allow you to serve food. If they won’t let your kids serve, often they can color or play with other kids on the grounds nearby. It a great way for your child to see that there are kids with much less, but they are just kids like them who want good food and to play and have fun.
Our family homeless shelter loves for people to organize fun events for the kids staying there. Craft or story times, holiday activities, anything. We like to go near Easter and bring stickers, color sheets, and teach a simple craft.
We have gone with different groups to sing at nursing homes and sit and talk a while with the elderly residents. Most of them light up when they see the young children. We also made cards with our church and went along to pass them out. It was great fun to see their smiles and for my kids to be in on the giving. Mailing them is good, too, but it makes such an impact to hand deliver.
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