Today’s Parenting Tip:

Decide:   You can teach your child what is “enough.”

Practice:    Make today a clean up day for toys.  Decide how much space is enough for toys (a certain shelf or cupboard, a certain area in a room, a toy box, etc.).

You may want to limit toy space in several spaces in your house: a bedroom, family room, garage, etc.  This could apply to both the shared play space and the personal space from the 8-7-13 Daily Parenting Tip.

Once the amount of space has been identified, let your child help get it set up doing things like washing, decorating and labeling the areas.  Help the child select toys for each space.  Explain only what will fit in these spaces is allowed.  Decide whether the rest will be donated or stored away for a while.

NOTE: How much you need to be involved in deciding which category things belong in depends on your child’s ability to let go of things and understand what the categories mean.

Let us know which tips you like the best or any others you think of that you want to pass along to others.

Today’s Decide and Practice daily parenting tip was inspired by our featured picture book, KATIE AND THE PUPPY NEXT DOOR.  Read the book to a child in your life each day as a reminder of what you are deciding and practicing that day.

Come back each day for another good parenting decision and how to practice it. (Each day’s activity will also be posted on Daily Parenting Tips page for easy access.)

Read the whole story at Kids and Sharing pt 2.