Little girls and tiny toys! What to do...

Well, thanks for stopping by!  I have no idea who you are but I am happy you are here!  Since I am new to blogging, I must share that it is a rather strange experience to now know who is passing by my little space here on the Internet.  I can see how blogging would absolutely NOT be suitable to certain personalities.  I am one who is a "sharer".  Share, share, share!  Can't share enough!  So, a much more private person would absolutely HATE the idea of blogging.  So share away, I will....

Do you have a little girl who receives tinier and tinier toys with each birthday milestone?  Out of desperation to get everything put away, do you just shove everything in a bin or in the corner like I often do?  Well, maybe this idea will help you out in some way or spark your creative juices and spur you on to another organizing idea.  In this case, it is for my 5 year old, Carmen.  Last week, I jumped on a good deal on a shoe organizer from a homeschooling friend.  From the first moment I saw the picture, I had no intention of putting shoes in it.  I thought, "Aha! a perfect organizer for her little toys that will store neatly under the bed."  She loves it.  

It serves as a parking garage for little vehicles, too.  In the little compartments, you will find her dollhouse furniture, castle furniture, fairies, little fairy and doll clothes (this was her brother's idea, he was so into the organizing that he started taking all the fairy clothes off and putting them in another compartment!), fairy castle furniture, ballerinas, and Strawberry Shortcake Market furniture and food.  By the way, those food items for the Itty Bitty Market certainly live up their name... they are ITTY BITTY!  You practically need a magnifying glass to see them.

Here is a picture of the shoe organizer neatly stored under the bed with all her tiny toys in it. 

Here is a picture of Carmen so proud to have all of her things organized.  I think her face says it all (but I am her mom, you may see something totally different looking at this picture!  Like that ugly sheet and bare box spring in the background...yuck!).

Here a few tips to keep in mind when organizing with your children:

• Always involve your child in the decision making process, BUT keep your boundaries.  Don't give in to every idea if it is not practical or how you want it to look.
• Use cute words, like "parking garage" for the little cars, and "home for the fairies," or "Strawberry Shortcake is going night-night," when putting toys in their compartments.  In other words, keep it fun for them, not just a clean up task that has to be done.
• Compliment your child and explain that the toys are so nice, now everything has a space and it will be easier to play with.  Always emphasize respect for belongings and pride in taking care of material things.  

Now in case I haven't given you enough tips, here is a little interview of Carmen, herself, explaining why it is important to organize your toys...

Happy New Year and Happy Organizing to you!