Haven’t been able to close the lid on your child’s toy box in years? Do her toys of hers just spill over the edges and create a playroom floor littered with landmines? Then it may be time to unplug, empty the toy box a bit, and rotate his toys. Having access to too many toys at once creates a world of confusion and frustration for your little one. Limiting the number of toys your child plays with at any one time will teach him valuable limits, help him learn to make decisions, keep him focused, and ultimately decrease tantrums.

However, if you just can’t part with your child’s surplus toys, then it’s imperative that you rotate them frequently. Toy rotation is as simple as “pack and stack.” Pack half of your child’s toys into a few boxes and stack them out of sight of your little one, either in the garage or in your closet. Every season, switch things up by swapping some of the toys! Not only is this cost-effective, but it makes the child feel like they just got a bunch of new toys!

Many parents feel that their child will get bored with too few toys. Actually it is exactly the opposite. If there are dozens of toys scattered throughout your house, this sends a mixed message to your little one. “Which game?” There will be too much variety, toys will be thrown around the room, and the child will be overwhelmed playing with all the toys for a short period of time.

A child needs to develop a sense of choice, boundaries, and limits. This skill is first taught with their toys! If he places two or three toys in front of your child, this gives him the freedom to fully examine each toy and make the decision for himself as to which one he prefers. By giving him only this small number of toys to choose from, he begins to develop the concept of limits and boundaries. He can still play with his toys, just these three at the moment.

And yes, it is very important to teach your young child how to make their own decisions. He is fully capable, but only with limited options. Imagine taking your hungry four year old to a restaurant. Never ask him what he wants because the overwhelming menu will only confuse him! However he feels that you have taught him how to make decisions using his toys, you can give him a simple choice, hamburger or hot dog. He can think of each food and decide which one he would like to eat. The same idea goes for playing with his toys.

Removing some of your child’s toys from his toy box so he can close the lid will ultimately make him feel better, and of course it will make him feel better. After all, this is why he chose such a unique and creative toy box for his son in the first place, to store his toys!