If you have children, I want you to give serious thought to the concept of overwhelm and how it affects your kids, specifically in the area of toys. I work with many residential clients and one of the most common problem areas in any home is the play room. Thinking back to my own childhood, I don't remember having even a third of the volume of toys that most kids seem to have today. Perhaps it was because we weren't very well off at that time and I had frugal parents. At any rate, whatever the reason, there were four kids in our house for several years, and even then, the amount of toys the four of us had would be dwarfed by a one-child family of today. 

If you, as an adult, walk into your child's bedroom or play room (or both) and are totally overwhelmed by toys, can you imagine how your poor child's little mind must feel? It's no wonder getting your kids to put their toys away is an ordeal... with literally hundreds of toys, would YOU want to do it? I know I wouldn't.

Where do all the toys come from and how can you stop them? I warn you, simplifying your child's life is not easy, however, it is well worth it, for both you and your child. And more importantly, you are teaching your children that more is NOT better, you are letting them know that mindless accumulation is NOT good, and you are teaching them how to make decisions when paring down possessions.

Here are four ways to take a stand and win the War Of The Toys:

1. Cut Your Spending. If you are in the habit of giving in to your child's begging every trip to the store, you must put an end to it. Otherwise, you are literally training your child that every time you go shopping, he receives another gift. Considering how many times you shop in a year, you're setting yourself up for a tremendous amount of toys to come into your home. Put your foot down and begin refusing to buy your child something new every shopping trip. Remember, you are the parent and you get to choose.

2. Control Gift-Buying. This can be a tough one, but if you are to win this War Of The Toys, you must be serious about it. Family and friends love to shower your kids with gifts, don't they? You, as the parent, must lay down the law, whatever you deem it to be. You might limit gifts to ONE per holiday. You could set up a share-builder stock account or a custodial bank account where loved ones can contribute to your child's college fund or financial future. Distribute a list of acceptable "experience" gifts that you and your child would welcome, such as tickets to the museum, a concert, an ice show, or a sporting event, or even a membership to the zoo that your kids can enjoy on an ongoing basis. Let your loved ones know that you are doing these things to help your child simplify his life and to teach him philosophies that will serve him well in the future. Remember, you are the parent and you get to choose.

3. Nix The Party Gifts. When did childhood birthday parties become an excuse for every kid in attendance to come home with a bag full of stuff? When I was a kid, the birthday child got a few gifts, everybody got to eat cake and ice cream and that was it. Today, each child is expected to bring a gift for the birthday child, and then each guest leaves with a so-called "goodie bag" (which is really an evil bag, if you ask me) full of a bunch of junk that their parents get to step on in bare feet for untold sleepy mornings to come. I promise you this: If you take a stand and stop this insane tradition of goodie bags, the other families in your neighborhood will love you for it! In fact, I dare you to be a REAL radical and when it's your child's birthday, insist that NO GIFTS will be accepted! Instead, hire a magician to come and do a show, have cake and ice cream, play games or do a group activity. Remember, you are the parent and you get to choose.

4. Help Your Child Pare Down. If your home is overrun with toys, the first step is to decide which strategies you'll use to stop the incoming stream of them. The second step is to begin the decluttering and paring down process. It is crucial that you involve your child in this process, so he can learn to make decisions as well as get the enjoyment of giving to others kids who are in need. You might be surprised to learn how generous your child can be when he knows that he will be sharing his no longer loved toys with kids who have none.