Happiness Isn't Measured In Toys

How many toys does your kid need?

Nick says one of the things he loved most about his missions trip to Ethiopia years ago was that the kids had nothing and made up games with sticks and rocks and tires and trash but they were the happiest looking kids he’d ever seen, smiling huge and laughing like crazy.

Clearly happiness isn’t measured in the amount of toys a kid owns.

What’s been interesting is that Ivy hasn’t always played well on her own. She wants to help me cook, help me clean, help me do laundry, and read books, all while I hold her.

I remembered taking a course in college about kids and how they do better when life’s calm and organized. So I googled a bit to wrap my head around it all again and came across a lot that confirmed that less is more.

So, I put away some of Ivy’s things, leaving out only two baby dolls, a mermaid, a dollhouse, about 12 books, some musical instruments and flash cards.

Do you know what?

Now, with less to choose from, Ivy goes in her room and plays well on her own!

She’s only asked for one doll that I had put away and I brought it back out for her. Otherwise she seems way more content with less.

If you’re kid is having a hard time playing independently, try these things:

👧 avoid any screentime
👧 box up some toys and leave a few options in each category: dolls, education, music, cars, books, etc (you can rotate toys from boxes)
👧 display everything on shelves and bookcases instead of use baskets 
👧let your kid be bored
👧schedule independent play into the day where your kid has to stay in bedroom for a certain amount of time 

Does your kid have more toys than they need?