Menu Plan & Taking All the Toys Away

Here are the meals I've planned for this week:

Chicken Noodle Soup - Mennonite Style - & Biscuits

Asian Salmon, Rice, & Mixed Veggies

Copy-cat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets, Fries, Veggies & Dip

Creamy Mushrooms over Rice with Mixed Veggies

Breakfast for Dinner

Coconut Curried Lentils & Rice, Mixed Veggies

Crockpot BBQ Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Veggies

Yes, I did take away all my kids toys. Toys, books, puzzles, and stuffies...they are put away. I cleared off the bookshelves, crafty/puzzle closet, toy boxes, everything. I have been at war with the toys in this house for far too long. One day, I had just "had it." It's a bit of a story that includes crayon on walls, unexpected hair cuts, and toys everywhere. I have noticed my kids are pretty obsessed with "stuff". I realize it's more of a heart issue than anything, and taking everything away isn't going to "fix" it, per say. It doesn't solve the root of the problem, I know.

This decision was mostly for my own sanity. As I joked to my husband, I had two options. 1) Hop on a plane to Bermuda or 2) Put every single toy, book, game, puzzle, movie away. Being the responsible and mature adult that I am (Ha!), I chose option 2.

For the past 4 days, things around here have gone so much better. Our kids loved going outside to play, making up their own games, making blanket forts, giving each other rides in the laundry basket, and tons of make-believe-games with their few (as in 4 or 5) toys I have let them have for now. In fact, the change has been so fantastic that I'm thinking about selling 75 percent of the toys once we get back to earning the toys back. Sure, some won't agree with our decision, but it has been the right decision for our family for now. Inspirational reading regarding this topic includes Why I Took My Kids' Toys Away  and Why Fewer Toys Will Benefit Your Kids.

I pass no judgement on to other families who love toys and have many. Every family is different. This is just the right direction for ours. My husband is completely on board with this. Our goal is not zero toys. The goal is fewer toys. Actually, no. The goal is eventually addressing the heart issues that go along with our consumer-driven, entitled, keeping-up-with-the-Jones society.