Ouiam El Hassani highlights the benefits of buying fewer toys for your kids.
You have most certainly read or heard somewhere about this new trend that planet earth might thank us for later: Minimalism. A concept that has been adopted by many people around the world, old and young, and it had been praised endlessly for all the serenity it brings to your life.
However, this concept feels like it has been designed for those enjoying life solo, living in their immaculate houses, with their bohemian vibes and colourful auras, and most certainly not for mothers settling for cold coffees, unwashed hair, and an audience in their bathrooms. Mothers around the world know that to have a good day we need to keep those little hands busy as much as we can, and therefore we buy TOYS! Lots of toys, so many of them that sometimes they take over every corner of your home.
Did anyone panic-buy extra toys as soon as this whole lockdown happened? It’s completely normal to assume that kids need more toys to entertain them if they’re spending all of their time at home, but is that really the case? There are actually some surprising benefits to having fewer toys, and they go far beyond not stepping on Legos every night after bedtime.
Feel like you can’t be a minimalist mother? Here are some surprising benefits of having fewer toys:
Kids play creatively
Sure, you want to provide an enriching environment for your children, but a little boredom is actually a good thing for kids. Mild boredom, a lack of constant entertainment and novelty, is what inspires creativity. Fewer toys mean kids have to get creative and use their imaginations when they play. And that creative thinking will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Gratitude comes easy
When kids constantly get new toys, they grow to expect it, and it’s understandably difficult for them to truly appreciate new toys, no matter how cool they are. A smaller number of new toys that are of high quality and really targeted to your child’s interests are much more likely to be appreciated.
Siblings learn sharing
If you have more than one child, resist the urge to buy two of everything. It’s actually a really great lesson when kids have to learn to share, in their own child-led way. When a child has to wait to use the cool ride-on toy in the backyard or negotiate using the action figures together with their sibling, they learn valuable social skills that simply don’t come up if there’s two of everything.
Toys get taken care of
When there are toys everywhere, kids hardly notice if something breaks. Even if they love the toy, they assume a new one will quickly replace the broken one. If they have fewer toys, they’ll naturally take care of what they have.
More engaged playtime
While kids may truly believe they want all the toys, the truth is most children get overwhelmed by having too much stuff around. Having a huge volume of toys can become a distraction from deep play. Kids wind up going from activity to activity without experiencing true engagement and getting lost in their own play.
A tidier playroom
Many young children actually have a very strong sense of order and get great satisfaction from putting items exactly where they belong. If there are too many toys though, enjoying that sense of order becomes really difficult for kids. They need to have a clear understanding of where each item goes and the level of mess needs to be manageable so it doesn’t seem overwhelming.
More outdoor playtime
Keeping fewer toys in the house will naturally lead to kids choosing outdoor play more frequently. They’ll spend more time searching for acorns, riding their bikes, splashing in puddles and engaging in pretend play outside—and nothing could be better for them!
More money for experiences
Buying fewer toys, of course, has the obvious benefit of saving money. This may mean you have more funds to spend on family experiences together, your child will notice your focus and will come to value experiences over things as well.
Love of reading
Having fewer toys means your child can be more likely to turn to books for entertainment, and we all know that instilling a reading culture in your child comes with a world of benefits.
