728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Guiding Baby's Development › Playroom Panic

Playroom Panic

Solutions for Toy Overload

By Shannon McKelden

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

There is a post-holiday syndrome that frequently hits households with children – toy overload. You know, when your child's bedroom or playroom looks like the aftermath of a toy store explosion?

Whether parents go overboard or well-meaning relatives think Johnny and Suzie need everything on their wish list to be truly fulfilled, it's common that, come January, families are faced with a glut of toys overflowing their homes. So what do you do about it?

Too Much Going On
For starters, more toys means more clutter. On top of that, too much of any kind of stimulation can create sensory overload, says Dr. Vicki Panaccione, better known as the "Parenting Professor" and founder of the Better Parenting Institute. "Toddlers can only take in so much information at one time," she says.

Besides making her house look junky, Stephanie Nakhleh of Santa Fe, N.M., noticed that too many toys make her kids whiny and bored. In her 25 years as a child-clinical psychologist, Dr. Panaccione has seen this often. "Too much stimulation, too many choices can actually result in acting out or withdrawal behaviors," Dr. Panaccione says. "Their little nervous systems have a hard time processing and dealing with so much information coming at them at one time."

Dr. Panaccione also believes too many toys takes away the "specialness" from individual items. Toddlers will naturally go from toy to toy, exploring their options. "Too many toys can spoil the enthusiasm and decrease the chance that toddlers will fully explore [any one] toy, using creativity, imagination and observational skills," she says.

Dr. Carol E. Kessler, coordinator of the Early Childhood Education Programs at Cabrini College in Radnor, Pa., agrees that an overload of stuff isn't a good thing for some youngsters. "They will throw the toys, break them intentionally or use them aggressively (disrespecting property and other persons)," Dr. Kessler says. "[They can] be overwhelmed with clean up and certainly not be appreciative of their parent's generosity."


Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.