There are plenty of ways to keep the madness contained with a few quick and easy strategies.



First, throw out the trash! Sift through the toy-box frequently and look for toys that are broken or are missing pieces. You'd be surprised how much you'll find. Cleanse the junky plastic things that come with a fast-food meal.

Another option is to give some toys to charity when your child outgrows them. Put duplicates and unused toys in a bag and put them in your car. Next time you go out, you can swing by the charity shop and donate your idle things to someone less fortunate.

Next, categorize the toys. There's no need to spend a fortune on an elaborate shelving system. Use an empty diaper box instead. Cover them in paper and get the kids to help draw a picture of what goes inside. You can have a farm animal box, a dinky car box, a puzzle box - it's pretty self-explanatory from there.

The third tip is to clean up as you go. There is nothing more overwhelming than trying to clean up an entire day's worth of work in one shot. Be a broken record and repeat "One thing at a time." "When you are finished playing with this game, you put it away." "When you clean up your mess, then we can have a snack."

Once again this is self-explanatory; Get the kids to help clean up. It can be quite enjoyable, and it can also be managed. Do not put the little darlings to bed and return to a living room littered with toys. Make a final clean-up part of the good old bedtime routine and later enjoy some clutter-free adult time.

Just when you start to get things under control along comes a birthday or Christmas, and in comes a new shipment of stuff. If you feel your children have enough things to play with, you can set up a trust account in your child's name. Ask for family and friends to use the account to give the gift of education. Any or all of these strategies will help to reduce the clutter-monster in your home and allow you and your kids to enjoy more play time.