With just over two months to go until Christmas as parents we can start to feel a little bit overwhelmed. The house can already resemble a toy shop and you need to figure out where the new things will go after Christmas. While it might seem like there’s loads of time left to get everything done it will soon go quickly and Christmas will be here before we know it. Here are some ideas of what to do for a big Christmas clear out.
Involve the children
While it might seem easier to try and clear things out while the children are at school or asleep it could be something that comes back to bite you. Ask the children what they don’t play with any more, ask them what they might have grown out of and ask them what they might not want any more.
You can then have a conversation about what to do with these toys and maybe give the children a few different options.
Donate to a charity shop
While a lot of charity shops won’t take some items like soft toys (due to there being so many of them) there are so many other things that they will take. This could be anything from old toys, Christmas decorations you don’t use any more or even those unopened toiletries that you haven’t gotten round to using from last Christmas. The good thing too is that there are loads of charity shops around so you’ll be able to find somewhere to drop off your things.
Sell on Facebook
If you want to get rid of things quickly then you might want to try selling on a local Facebook site. You can list anything from pre-loved clothes to old toys and it’s usually quite easy to get rid of things like that. However, don’t expect to make loads of money as people tend to want to pay as little as possible on Facebook. The good news though is that you could at least make a little bit of money before Christmas!
Contact a women’s shelter
An alternative to a charity shop is to contact a women’s shelter. A lot of people staying somewhere like this might have young children with them who are likely to not get any or many gifts this year. If you end up with a nice pile of toys that are in good condition they would be appreciated as a donation. Be sure to contact a few in advance and see whether or not they are taking on donations first or if they are only accepting certain items.
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