My kids’ bedroom is stuffed with stuffed animals. Seriously. If they were real, the RSPCA would have raided our house by now and I would have been sent to jail.
How did we get so many of them? Do they breed at night? (I have my suspicions about one bear with a particularly self-satisfied smirk.)
My kids have their favourites (good old Happy Cat), but there are dozens upon dozens of others. There are a ton of cheapie grandparent-gifted teddies, enough different breeds of dog (husky, Dalmatian, dachshund) to hold our own show, and a life-sized Scooby Doo, which I admit I bought at a garage sale in a weak moment.
They fill up valuable shelf space which I need for the rest of my kids’ crap (sorry, valued possessions).
Have you ever tried to throw away a kids’ soft toy? My kids are horrified at the idea, and looking into those big, soulful eyes – the human ones and the glassy ones – I just can’t bring myself to do it. It would be like throwing away a piece of their childhood.
Well, there is a solution. You “store” (ie, stuff) the stuffed animals inside a beanbag cover. That way, they aren’t thrown out but they are hidden away. As a bonus, your kids get somewhere new (and retro) to sit. And if you have toys that meow, squeak or say “I wuv you” when pressed, that just makes the beanbag more fun.
If, for some reason, you don’t have as many soft toys as you thought you did, you can use old clothes or spare blankets to fill up the rest of the beanbag.
Apparently, parents have been doing this for years. Crafty parents make their own stuffed animal beanbags and show them off on Pinterest. Some parents are even willing to share the patterns.
You can also order a purpose-made stuffed animal storage beanbag chair from the US.
Or for a cheaper, simplest solution is to just buy a beanbag cover from a store like Kmart ($15) or Big W ($19).
Of course, if your kids insist their toy animals can’t breathe inside a beanbag, then you’re really stuffed.
For this week’s dose of imperfect parenting advice, get This Glorious Mess in your ears…
Got any other ideas on how to keep your kids’ bedrooms tidy? PLEASE, tell us!
Parents Anonymous: Killing Off Santa
This Glorious Mess
Top Comments
Every year when it's time for a clean out, I put aside the special stuffed toys that are regularly loved and/or slept with. Then I give each kid a garbage bag, ask them how old they are and for every year of life they get to keep a stuffed toy. The rest the kids will say goodbye to, thank them for being their friends and explain they're going to a new family who don't have such lovely toys. It's very cute listening to a little kid explain to a teddy bear that they're going to a better place where they'll get played with a lot by their new family. It also gives them control over what they keep and love. I don't see the point in cluttering up our lives with items that just gather dust.