Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

BoredPanda Add post form topAdd Post Search
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Mother Throws Away Her 6 and 3 Y.O. Children’s Toys To Cure Their ‘Addiction’, And Internet Claps Back
User submission
4.4K
120.8K

Mother Throws Away Her 6 and 3 Y.O. Children’s Toys To Cure Their ‘Addiction’, And Internet Claps Back

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s an undeniable fact that children love toys. It is believed that toys and games have a positive effect on children’s development, however, there are many parents who believe otherwise.

Take for instance a blogger named Ruth, who decided to a share a story explaining why she got rid of her children’s toys. In her article, she says she got ‘fed up’ of cleaning and re-arranging all the playthings that her 6 and 3-year-old children own, so she packed them all up and took them away. Ruth says that this idea was inspired by an incident she had during a family trip. During the trip, her daughter asked her to buy a toy. “While we were waiting to be seated, my oldest daughter Maggie spotted the Build-a-Dino Workshop in the gift shop and although we immediately said “no way,” from that moment on she could think of nothing else,” the mother writes in the article. She was very disappointed, that her child “fixated on the one thing she couldn’t have rather than the cool sights we were actually experiencing”.

Ruth claims that she noticed a difference in her children’s behavior 4 weeks later, when her children stopped asking her to buy things. “Had I not experienced it with my own eyes, I would’ve never believed that an addiction to stuff could be broken that quickly, ” she says. While she insists that this approach brought many positive benefits, not everybody agrees that it’s the right approach. After reading Ruth’s blog, a couple of Tumblr users were completely horrified by the situation and explained why no one should ever do this to their children. Read the comments below and tell us in the comments which side are you on! (Facebook cover image: Pixabay)

ADVERTISEMENT

More info: livingwellspendingless.com

After a blogger named Ruth shared an article “Why I took my kids’ toys away (& why they won’t get them back)” Tumblr users decided to explain why no one should ever do this to their children

Image credits: Donnie Ray Jones

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

 

 Tell us in the comments which side are you on!

121Kviews

Share on Facebook
You May Like
Popular on Bored Panda
What do you think ?
Add photo comments
POST
onemessylady avatar
Aunt Messy
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree with one of the responses - the one and only reason her kids stopped complaining is because she's trained them to know that she cannot EVER be trusted. They're bewildered right now, and scared of her, but they're going to be angry and in the end, they're going to abandon her completely. ...///... Hopefully they won't be so damaged by this abuse that they can't rebel. If anyone deserved to lose custody of her children, this person is the one.

cheryll_veloria avatar
Light
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do not give in to buying EVERY toy my kids wanted but to ban them from playing with their toys because it will stunt their growth, that is too extreme. They need their toys to supplement their imagination and learn. I let my son bring his favorite hotwheel car to school. Compared to my daughter he is an introvert and his car (his equivalent to a favorite stuffy) makes him feel comforted and is an ice breaker with his classmates as he is in Kindergarten. Besides kids are also individuals with totally different interests from their parents. I guide my kids and I do not want to break them by rigid standards. Just because they stop whining and complaining does not mean they are not nursing a heartache. I agree that their silence may mean they cannot trust their mom and her reaction/ retribution if they voice out their complaints.

Load More Replies...
dfreg avatar
John Ashley
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Typical 6 and 3 year olds aren't going to be all that interested in the cool sites and experiences that entrance adults on a family trip. Basically, what she admitted to was punishing her children for behaving like 6 and 3 year old children. How mature and adult of her.

dariab_1 avatar
Daria B
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or they would be interested, but WITH their favourite toy. Immagine how she would have enjoyed seeing her favourite dinosaur by the flowers, for example. Some kids practice empathy with their toys, and that empathy will be applied onto people too.

Load More Replies...
lfthndwv avatar
Joi Behrend
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother threw away all of my toys one day while I was at school, at around age 8 or 9, because I couldn't keep my room clean to her standards. She also cut off all my hair because she didn't like dealing with the tangles. I'm still scarred by both things. IMHO, the woman in this story is selfish and bordering on some kind of mental illness. She seems like someone who should not have had children. I do not have children because I feared becoming like my mother. And yes, I've been to therapy, but I don't think there's enough therapy in the world to heal some scars, so I felt it best to remain childless. All the money she's saving on toys should be saved for therapy bills for the kids, because believe me, they're going to need it.

nekophil avatar
Feli Furbulance
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh my god, those things are exactly what my Mom did to me too. She threw away all my favourite toys because "they were laying on the floor of my room" when I was in school at about the same age and used to cut my hair really short. I tried growing my hair out as a preteen and she cut it off against my will when I was about 12.

Load More Replies...
karinajadia avatar
Person2638
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine if your mom threw out all of your toys. Imagine if she person constantly checked on everything in your room and took your phone away "so you couldn't be addicted." Imagine if you couldn't ask for anything or help decide on anything going on because your opinion "doesn't matter." Imagine looking at other kids buying new clothes and toys and being on their phone and wanting that too, but you can't because your mom will yell at you if you ask. Anyone who says that she is doing a good thing or saying that was a step in the right direction, imagine those poor kids. I feel like crying for them, that is such a terrible and despicable thing to do.

jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So she doesn't want to clean up after the kids and she doesn't want them to ask for anything, and she doesn't want to parent them to help them manage their wants, needs or expectations. Wish we could swoop in and take ALL her stuff away, her phone, her tablet, her TV, her computer, her microwave, her car keys, her car, her books, her magazines, everything. See how she reacts. Those poor kids.

bpbperic avatar
bpbperic avatar
Night Owl
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

:( And speaking from a personal experience, yes, sad kids play too.

lamijunk_2013 avatar
Sunzilla
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, and we did it quietly. It's the noisily playing kids who are happy...

Load More Replies...
beluga2264 avatar
Natasha Forchione
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So why did she have kids if she wants to act like they do not exist?

bpbperic avatar
Night Owl
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's a really good question. Because of societal pressure? As a decoration for her life (she's very selfish) and to brag with? To have someone to torment and control? I don't know :/

Load More Replies...
janoyce avatar
JadeAngel
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My Mom threw away all of my toys when I was seven. A little different because mine said I couldn't keep my room clean enough. She wouldn't take time to help or teach me what she actually wanted so she just got rid of the problem altogether, which felt similar to this Mom's reaction to her 'unappreciative' kids. It was horrible, traumatic. Everything I loved was put out on the curb or given away to charity. I got to keep a few stuffed animals I didn't like, but she thought looked cute on my bed and some of my books. It really affected my trust for her but that was the way she was, and this was when I really started realizing it. Only concerned about her own comfort and interests. Perfectly willing to force her kid into the mold she wants them to conform to and then act like a martyr when her mother of the year trophy fails to arrive.

bantrobel avatar
La Petite Morte
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm what is laughingly called a 'first pancake' kid. My siblings are 19 and 22 years younger than me. One thing I will give my Mom is that she definitely learned from the mistakes she made with me. There was a lot of not good that went on (my stepfather was abusive, Mom buried herself in the church) which lead up to this incident, but this was the final straw. When I was 14 I spent the weekend at a friend's house. My mom took the opportunity to change everything about my room she hated. When I came home Sunday night everything that had been in my room was a charred pile of ash in the back yard. My books, my clothes, my furniture, my blankets, my toys, my surfboard... everything. She had replaced it all with white wicker furniture, purple paisley sheets/ comforter, girly clothes she loved (I was definitely a tomboy), basically I came home to a room full of stuff I hated and a pile of ashes of everything I loved. I started running away shortly after and eventually moved out and didn't speak to her for almost a decade. We eventually worked things out, after many long conversations and a lot of apologies and forgiveness on both sides. She said the main thing she learned was that kids need to have the right to say no. That constantly forcing them into situations with no control is the best way to create a kid that is angry, rebellious, and everything they are trying to prevent in the first place. She gave my siblings the ability to say no and have it respected. And she realized that clothes are just clothes, they don't automatically mean your kids is a hooligan if they like ripped jeans and flannels.

reyes_vanesa avatar
Vanessa Kings
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow that's so much worse than throwing them away or giving them to charity, to burn your stuff and replace them for the "right things"? That's evil, I wouldn't have forgiven that.

Load More Replies...
morganmcnatt avatar
Honesty Olishia
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is insane to think that this is okay. Even kids in third world countries that are in the middle of wars create toys out of rocks, sticks, trash, etc. because playing with toys is natural behavior for kids. Kids play with toys to express themselves and also to mimic adults. This mom's kids will probably play by throwing her stuff away.

liverpoolroze avatar
Rose the Cook
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"In her article, she says she got ‘fed up’ of cleaning and re-arranging all the playthings that her 6 and 3-year-old children own" . This is the bit that stands out. What mother hasn't at some time but it takes a really lazy, selfish woman to react the way she did.

katie-trondsen avatar
KT Trondsen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those kids are going to need psychologists when they're older :/ What a terrible thing to do to your kids, take every last toy away. I STILL remember my mom saying no to me for a toy I had wanted so badly and it was in the shop beside the photographer in the window, when we were going for family photos. That photo still floats around with my angry face scowling away as a reminder. It ruined the picture, all because my mom wouldn't buy a $5 toy. I don't always say yes to my kids, but if they want something very badly i buy it. My mom actually scolds me to this day saying I give my son too much, which is more than what I got as a kid which was practically nothing. I think it's her way of justifying her terrible parenting

r3dd3v1ll avatar
r3dd3v1lL
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why doesn't she try taking away coffee/ smoking/ alcohol/ internet from an adult and see how that goes?

azfaruddinachsanuddin avatar
Azfaruddin Achsanuddin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like Neil deGrasse Tyson says, get out of their way. Let them experiment. It's how they learn. I personally think that if you really want to throw away their toys, you must be prepared to be their TOY yourself i.e. spend a lot more quality time playing games or entertaining your children.

sleepinglioness avatar
somnomania
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That s**t with "I'll go in and 'tidy' my kids' rooms while they're away teehee" where they go in and throw out anything that looks like trash is SO BAD. My childhood best friend had that happen a few times and she was always completely devastated because there was always a ton of artwork and drawings that would mysteriously vanish. Let your kids have their own belongings, and let them do what they want with those belongings. Teach cleanliness and organization through daily activities - NOT chores. Kids are messy, they're supposed to be messy, and if you don't want that then you shouldn't have kids (or pets). I was still playing with things like Tinkertoys and Toobers & Zots and my Star Wars and dinosaur figures up through age 12, and making things like saddles and reins for Beanie Babies so the action figures could ride them into battle. These two poor kids are going to be so f****d up from this, and if they recover, the relationship with their mom is probably toast.

snoozywomble avatar
snoozy womble
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I took my son to the Zoo and he wanted to play on the adventure play park they had instead. He is 3, he had no concept of how he may never see those types of animals again for quite some time. We didn't punish him for that he is 3 they have a completely different view of the world. When we left we got him a little lion, a representation of one of the few animals he did see. But he loves talking about seeing the animals now. They just take in weird stuff.

thandeit avatar
Random Panda
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grandmother used to throw away my mom's toys and stuff that she collected, which grandma thought was trash. As a result my parents never tidied the kid's room and never threw out anything found in there. Mom put in a big wooden box for toys and taught us to pick up after ourselves; we were in kindergarten when we started keeping our room clean. It's not that hard lady, how about you be a parent instead of punishing your kids for being kids?!

ada_5 avatar
Adrianna Pierzycka
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While I do agree that excessive amount of toys may cause distraction and shorten focus span (there have been some studies on that), depriving children of all of their toys is not the way to go about it. If you really think that your child would benefit from a toy declutter, it should be done with the child's consent. I remember my mum explained to me that there are children in need out there, who would be really happy to get toys of their own. And from then on we would donate a part of my toys every year around Christmas time. But ultimately it was my decision - I was choosing between the toys I wanted to give away and those that I didn't, and I felt happy to be able to help. Perhaps this would be a better way to sort this out.

miriamboersma avatar
Miriam
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

oh. my. f**king. god. WHY THE F**K DO PEOPLE LIKE THIS EXIST!!! THESE PEOPLE SHOULD TRY EXPERIENCING THIS! I CAN´T IMAGINE HOW TERRIFYING THIS MOM IS TO HER CHILDREN!! She must be like f**king GODZILLA!

jamie_mayfield avatar
Ivana
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This story reminds me of a blogger, housewife, homemaker kind of woman who was renovating her home and shoved her six kids into two bedrooms where these kids had no privacy while she used the other four rooms for her work station, craft room, sewing room, and homeschool room. I am against consumerism and wasteful spending, but people kind of forget that children need privacy, independence, and personal possessions so that they can develop into independent decision makers.

always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's a selfish, crappy patent. But space isn't necessary for growth and development as much as our present culture thinks. Only 100 years ago in my country, it was common for ten people to live in a one room house. That didn't stunt people's growth, freedom, or creativity. This sort of thing is still common in some countries. The people there are not stunted either.

Load More Replies...
funkymattrocks avatar
stellermatt
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I recently went on holiday with the mrs and the kids, we took their tablets as we knew there was a plane journey and a few long car trips so wanted them to be entertained, thing was as soon as we got there we had so much fun as a family, swimming, meals, walks, playing games all as a family that by the time came for the plane journey home we had to remind them that they still had the tablets and could've asked for them whenever, but were too busy having fun to consider it. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that we had the choice instead of choosing what they would do, we got lucky coz they chose the holiday not the tablet.

buste-xx avatar
Susan Gamble
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get my kids to tidy up at the end of the day. Their rooms aren't perfect but its tidy enough that they wont play when they're supposed to be sleeping. Big toys on the shelves, cars in the toy box, crafts in the craft drawer etc. And every few months the kids go through their toys and choose some things they would like to donate to others less fortunate. When i take the kids out they get $5 to spend each which usually goes to buying a new car/doll/collectible. Or they can save it to buy something better next time. (On a heart-warming note, my son had been saving for some awesome LEGO thing but when he found out we were short on money he offered his &50 to help out. I told him he earned it and we would find another way. He told my mum and she offered to help. He got his LEGO.)

lyndaannegutierrez avatar
Lynda Momalo
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think her husband should, one day when she's out, throw away (or at least box up and pretend to throw away) all HER cherished possessions and say that they were preventing her from concentrating on the things that mattered.

emory_ce avatar
Carol Emory
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I predict a few things. There is going to be some serious therapy needed for these kids. The way this mom handled the situation by throwing out all of their toys means that they will never trust her with intimate parts of their lives because mommy is so heartless. The kids will grow up to be hoarders because they will not want to let go of anything they manage to get. They will be OCD from years of being forced to keep their rooms cleaner than a hospital instead of getting messy like normal kids. Her kids are going to be picked on in school because they won't know how to play with toys or will be afraid to play with toys. They will fall behind academically. And they will have a hard time connecting with others because toys are more about social interaction than entertainment. Oh..and I predict a divorce soon for her.

beebilicious avatar
Brooke Weber
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so wrong on so many levels. Toys are how kids learn; play is vital to a child's development mentally, socially, emotionally, and motor-skill-wise. Even pretend play is supported and fueled by toys! They are not "addictions," they are windows to the world.

lynxwithaharpoon avatar
Nostalgic Hyena
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Omfg.. someone said it. When I was about 11 or so my parents would constantly suggest that I should give away some of my toys just because I had "too many". Toys are supposed to help inspire creativity and stuff like that - even I'll admit that I still like playing with toys and collecting them today and it often helps me with the stories I write.

emory_ce avatar
Carol Emory
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I saw the picture of that empty room and thought "Hmm..just like in the mental institutions." I pictured those poor children sitting in that empty room, glazed looks on their faces, rocking back and forth and mumbling to themselves. Of course their compliant. They're probably wondering what else she'll take away if they don't behave...food, water..the right to see sunlight?

markusmccloud avatar
Markus McCloud
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While my mom did quite a bit of decluttering with my toys, she NEVER did it to this extent. I can understand donating some of the extra toys, but ALL of them!? For god's sake, let the kids be kids.

crouching_penn_hidden_telleryahoo_com avatar
Crouching_Penn_Hidden_Teller@yahoo.com
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what a horrible mother. I hope her kids don't start playing with random garbage they find in the street.

cammieharpole avatar
Xiaolaohu
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love moms that declutter, because then I buy their toys with a thousand pieces at the thrift store. I can't afford to buy them all new, buy them used and it doesn't matter if the kids don't really like the play with the once, etc. just last night we trashed the house building a Rube Goldberg machine using blocks, dominoes, cars, marbles and cardboard tubes from aluminum foil and toilet paper.

skywatcheraj avatar
Rukmania
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me be more brave and I tried and failed to make friends. Catty and I went on many fun adventures and made me MORE creative and lively then ever. Stuffed animals to a lonely child can make a big change. A toy may just be a small bag of fluff and fabric to you but to a child especially a lonely one it can be a source of comfort, fun, happiness and love.

donutlsf avatar
A Dyke From The Dreamworld
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Teddy was my savior. He was my heart, soul and all that was great. That silly bear was pure stuffed with greatness and was the sticky glue that kept me together. He was the only thing that kept me sane. To this day, he still rests on my bed and I can't sleep without him.

Load More Replies...
ldarroch avatar
Lynne Darroch
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a happy medium between living in a home filled with crappy plastic toy bits and destroyed barbies and 100 stuffies, and turning your home into prison. Books, art supplies, toys that encourage building and roll play are great. The mother did not give her children the gift of self-discipline achieved by teaching emotional moderation and delayed gratification, but punished them by stripping them of the power to control their environment and their own feelings. Good luck when they hit puberty.

sethworthen avatar
Seth Worthen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am a minimalist. I do not allow much clutter anywhere in my house. I have minimal artwork on the walls. I have just enough kitchen utensils to cook what i need. I have just enough clothes in my closet for work and personal interests. I have a few different shoes, one for each type of occasion. Wanna know what part of my house is messy and not minimalist? MY SONS! He has probably 10 or 12 different Mickey Mouse plush toys alone plus multitudes of other toys that i teach him to put into a basket when he's done playing. Because he has no idea what minimalism is, and wouldn't until probably upwards or 10 years old or so. If he then chooses to live as i live, then so be it. But until then, he can have as much toys as his little 2 year old heart could desire! This is just awful.

alusairalustriel avatar
Alusair Alustriel
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't find anything wrong or damaging to the kid if he has toys. My step daugther went through a ton of them and I bought them knowing that in a week they will be in a box. But to some she came back a few times during the years. I always found it a success if a toy could give her a few smiles - be it a souvenir from a trip or a toy she bought herslef (yes, she has her own grandma-gave-me funds) or toy she received. How otherwise would we stimulate kids to develop imagination? I also had a few toys I loved and I am happy my parents were normal. Kids are kids - they are meant to play, especially up to the age of around 10 when they start to think differently. Taking away toys would be like taking away part of their childhood. I find that inhumane.

shaynameidela avatar
Dorothy Parker
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is terrifying. These children will either become mass murderers or hoarders, or both. My brother bought me the Eloise books. We went home with them, and my mother was furious that he spent his money on me, and made him take them back. I really never got over that. I finally got them as an adult, and have over compensated with our child, buying her far too much. As for her husband, he should be ashamed of himself.

always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I found the actual articles and read them. The one here is absolute bull, someone with their own problems and an ax to grind. For instance, here's the other half of a "quote" cited above: " I hate toys that have a billion pieces, but that seems more or less unavoidable, so instead we rotate toys out on a regular basis. For instance my girls have a box of Littlest Pet Shop figurines that they love, as well as a big bin of Barbie dolls. If the Littlest Pet Shop stuff comes down from the attic, then the Barbie dolls go back up. Right now the only toys they have down are their American Girl dolls, a few doll outfits, and the food & dishes for their play kitchen." Go to the article and judge for yourself. Just search the title.

erinhicks avatar
neverbeenbored
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Based on your comment I searched for the original article and read it too. It is way different than this post makes it out to be. They do have toys, they are just rotated so not all of their toys are in their room at the same time.

Load More Replies...
soulrider13 avatar
Heather W
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My daughter was 4 when her father (my ex) threw bunch of her toys away for not picking them up when she was visiting him. The next day I took her to daycare and she full out punched another child for taking a doll away from her. She was afraid to respond to him so she took it out on someone her own size.

adeanne avatar
Amanda Smith
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Playing is how kids learn and the only things her kids are actually learning are that they can't count on their own mother for support when they have something in their life that isn't mother approved, and that they are to follow orders or completely rebel..

shaynameidela avatar
Dorothy Parker
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She may have gone too far in reading about minimalism and Marie Kondo, and misunderstood the messages there. This is just cruel.

skywatcheraj avatar
Rukmania
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Growing up my parents never bought me every single toy I've ever wanted and honestly I'm glad. It taught me that everything I wanted wouldn't just be handed to me. Instead I would do a certain amount of math problems for money and then I would get to pay for the toy myself. I'd be so proud to walk into Walmart and proudly pick a doll or stuffed animal of the shelf and hand it to the cashier. However my sister and I did get a certain light pink hello kitty stuffed animal. Her name is Catty and I loved her. My sister and I played with, cuddled with, talked to and all around loved catty! Catty helped me as a person grow, I was a shy girl and didn't have any friends. I would image catty with me at school her bright, bubbly, ice cream loviloving nature made

lindsaytsai avatar
Lyndsey
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No offense, but that's different. You still got the toy. You learned that want = hard work = reward. The system the woman suggested is: want = nothing/punishment. Eventually, it won't be a want for toys. It'll be a want to go to a summer camp. Want for what seem to be toys, but are things needed to develop a hobby (art supplies for art or a soccer ball for soccer). However, they'll repress these wants. And when it's time for college apps, when it's time to introduce themselves to other people, and they're asked, what's your hobby, interest, major, they'll have no clue. In your case, you got to work for your interest, thus developing it further.

Load More Replies...
emmanuelmcpherson avatar
RockyDude47
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey, I’m only thirteen, but listen. I feel horrible for your kids. This just teaches them that nothing they own is safe. That if they do anything wrong that their mother is going to take away something they find a comfort. They won’t ask for anything because they’ll feel like you’ll just take away what they already have. “I finally gave up and took it all away. I wasn’t angry, just fed up. I calmly began packing up not just a toy or two, but every single thing. All their dress-up clothes, baby dolls, Polly Pockets, & stuffed animals, all their Barbies, building blocks, and toy trains, right down to the the furniture from their dollhouse and play food from their kitchen. I even took the pretty Pottery Barn Kids comforter from their bed.” Do you literally have any idea how evil this sounds? At all? I don’t care how ‘fed up’ you are. You are the parent. The adult. Your children’s feelings- surprise- matter more than yours when your kids are only around three and six.

emmanuelmcpherson avatar
RockyDude47
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

Load More Replies...
saramettlen avatar
Sara Mettlen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My ex husband likes to get rid of or sell my kids anything. My oldest is 13 and affraid to ask or get anything because " dad will just sell it".

donutlsf avatar
A Dyke From The Dreamworld
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

B***h, kids are getting addicted to porn and racist memes these days. You should be f*****g thankful that your kids are into toys. This is a good way to get your kids to despise you and start to lie, cheat, and sneak behind your back. The damage has already been done. Now all you can do is pray they don't dump you in the s****y nursing home when you're older :)

bethsimpson_1 avatar
Beth
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is disgusting!! I can't even begin to imagine how those poor kids feel!! The only comfort I can take is that they have each other. Being an only child, I had no one to play with so I took to playing with my toys for hours and hours. I had so many Barbies, Bratz and stuffed toys that my dad's basement is full of old toys. The best part is that he knows how much my toys meant to me and he has insisted on keeping them for my future children. This is kind of love and support a child needs from their parents. To show that it's ok to play with toys for however long you need to. Even when I moved in with my boyfriend (husband now) I still have a stuffed animal that I sleep with every night. My husband doesn't criticize me on being childish he just accepts that I am 26 and still sleep with a stuff Tramp that he personally bought me from the Disney store. I hope these kids meet someone who will help them heal from the trauma that this insane woman has put them through.

w_5 avatar
W. 5
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A case of "Mommy dearest". Children are emotionally attached to their toys. The stupid mother hurt them and gave them some issues-- may I hope this mother is a fake?

deaftedandme avatar
El Aenor
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She punished them for her own bad behavior. They were 3 and 6 and she went out and had her little shopping sprees. She bought the toys, she gave them the toys, then whined because they had too many toys.

kanna172014 avatar
Kiki
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If my parents had thrown MY toys away, they'd better hope they never have to move in with me when they're old because there's an excellent chance their treasured things would have ended up in the garbage in retaliation.

lincholn6echo avatar
lincholn6echo
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Damn... I honestly want to physically harm this person that dares to call herself a mother... I hope she loses custody..

benicia_99 avatar
Azure Adams
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be honest, I hope this "no toys" b******t bites that "mother" in the butt super hard. Not kids becoming drugged murderers but something super severe.

hendralim avatar
Hendra Lim
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

poor kids, probably their mother never think what would happen if her own childhood were like that. heck, even i know that if you don't have toys at all most kids won't be interested in you or that you will be "Borrowing" toys from your friend until your friend will tell you "why don't you buy your own toys, don't mess with mine" or something

mr_re-in-act-ment avatar
Mr. Re-in-act-ment
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had an obsession with thomas the train as a toddler. Is it an ADDICTION that I played with my train tracks? (plus these kids are 3 yrs old and 6 yrs old, they need something to play with)

wellsea7 avatar
We'llSee
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Instead of throwing away all of the toys this Mom messed up. I agree with most here, this was unnecessary and quiet mean. When my children were little, I would notice from time to time, they would get "bored" with their toys or there were just too many laying around all the time, I would rotate toys, while cleaning I would pack away a certain amount of toys for a few weeks or so and rotate them out, when young , they thought they had new toys constantly lol... but to take them all, is to far, when you have kids your house is probably going to be messy and thats ok, trust me, they grow way to fast to let THIS be THE issue..

shaynameidela avatar
Dorothy Parker
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This happened several years ago. The mother in question has a well known blog and because of this uproar, is more popular than ever.

indicasmama avatar
Debi Phillips
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know a family that has bought bikes, trampoline, skates & scooters, has them in a shed that their kids walk past several times a day that they never play on or with. All they get to do is look at them. The parents never let them play outside ever. All summer long they hear kids playing outside but they have to stay inside. Now you'd think this is child abuse right. Nope. Child services has never done anything about it. Makes me sick for the kids. The mother says its cause the oldest is autistic. I say it cuz she's just lazy & would have to come out to supervise. Either way, it's cruel & unusual punishment to me.

suegreene avatar
Sue Clasen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe I wasn't the best mother, but my children were brought up without TV until they were 11, 9, and 7 and we moved to another country and lived in a flat, their toys were mostly Legos, and trucks, and outside toys, I refused to buy them guns or swords, but didn't mind that they made them, and in this I think we made the right decision, they became very creative, you can't imagine how much came out from their imagination, cities, swords, table games like monopoly, but having Vikings as main actors, they investigated, created a map of Europe, the ports and rivers where they attacked, created the money, defenses, Fascinating what they can do with their time if it's raining or snowing and cant go out. Today as grown ups are so resourceful, and all three think is because of that, after that, TV, didn't fill their life it was part of it as many other things. Maybe that mother went too far, but I understand her, today I find so many obnoxious childs, and parents that don't put limits.....

circular-motion avatar
Mer
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Children are permanently traumatized when a parent breaks trust with them and they will rightfully never trust her again. I hope those poor kids find an adult they actually can trust...and I hope that "mother" eventually realizes that her children will be the ones choosing her rest home.

chicadee4587 avatar
Stacy
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My daughter is 11 and no longer plays with her toys but told me she she isn't ready to part with them. So, I will hold on to them. They will stay in the bins under het bed, until she is ready. I have things I can't part with yet, why can't she? Kids are people, they have feelings, expressions, wants, and needs. I don't even agree with the statement about going to the park not being their choice. We have season passes to the local theme park. Some weekends, she'll ask if we can go, I say sure, we spend the whole time riding what she wants.

marloes-hermens avatar
The Dutches
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"... she says she got 'fed up' of cleaning and re-arranging all the playthings that her 6 and 3-year-old children own, so she packed them all up and took them away." Hmmmmm ... what if she is fed up cleaning and rearranging ... their clothes? ... the bathroom? ... the kitchen cabinet? ... the house? Stupid, selfish woman. Poor children. This is an unsafe situation for them and psychological abuse.

carmenmclellan avatar
Carmen McLellan
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She just told them to clean up, left them to tidy up, without supervision, and expected them to be, what, sitting quietly with their hands in their laps, and all their toys put away? A three and a six year old, even should they obey and remove those toys from the floor, are going to move right into another activity, more toys, more "untidiness". I read the article. At 3 and 6, the chances of getting your children to pick up after themselves without your direct supervision are pretty low. She seems awfully smug about how easily her children adapted to HER obsession with their stuff. Now that they have to plead for the toys in the attic, which may only be exchanged for the toys they currently have in their room, of course they are super careful, and play all day with what they have. They don't have the ownership of these toys, they have to rely on maybe being able to "borrow" a few for a while, and if they ask too often, or enjoy them too much, they won't even have that.

sncriana avatar
Oral Craven
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She's punishing her children for something she's done. Those kids didn't buy those toys, SHE did. When she says they have no shortage of things to do, chores came to mind immediately.

lunanoir69 avatar
lunanoir69
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This woman obviously knows nothing about child development. She should be reported to Child Protective Services for abuse and neglect.

iapetosdertitan avatar
Iapetos
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, been there. I love my mum, but we had many fights when I was a kid. She would take away my books in order to get my obedience by giving some of them back if I "behaved". I think people do this out of frustration and helplessness. When I noticed she wanted to do this to my little sister, too, I talked her out of it.

wil_vanderheijden avatar
Wil Vanderheijden
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Being cruel to your child makes you a terrific parent? Yeah, dream on. It will only make you a lonely senior citizen because your children are going to be cruel to you when they've finally escaped you.

marieke avatar
Marieke Buytene
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Throwing all your children's stuff away is how you make hoarders and raising girls to be only nice and quiet is how you create easy victims.

zyobiwankekobi avatar
ObiWan Kekobi
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Tumblr users decided to explain" Dont let Tumblr users explain ANYTHING period!

amie_b4 avatar
Amie
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

https://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2013/09/13/raising-kids/

loula-nord avatar
Loula
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it's funny that this is somehow "viral" or relevant. The original article is from 2013...

gpg79 avatar
Gigi
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

God. I thought I was a horrible parent. My heart aches for those children.

iggnir avatar
bob
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And that, I think, is the big difference between you and this mother. I'm pretty sure that she thinks that she is a fantastic mother. Her world will probably crumble when her children stop coming home over the week end. ;)

Load More Replies...
norsepaw avatar
Sivi
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now I really want to ask mom how I was as a child and toy. I mean I remember playing with my MLP having war with the barbies(never really liked barbie :p). But now I wonder how I was like when I found toys in shops. Other the one time when I almost ran out of the toy store to show dad the pony I was going to get while he stood outside waiting. I still have much of my toys, I treasure my original 14 MLP, I have since grown the collection with ponies I never got a hold of as a kid(such as the american ponies only) or really wished for. IMG_201809...b77a87.jpg IMG_20180915_095049-5bc6eaeb77a87.jpg

bantrobel avatar
La Petite Morte
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am both a pack rat and a neat freak. I have a lot of stuff, but by all that's holy it's neatly arranged, dusted and clean. I am also step mom to 4 kids between 7 and 16. Needless to say it's been a learning experience for *me*. When they were living with their mom they had no chores or responsibilities, they dropped socks, plates, garbage, toys, whatever wherever they wanted and were used to someone else picking up. The few times they were given chores they ignored it until their Mom gave up and grandma became a personal maid again. When they came to live with us that stopped being the case immediately. All 4 were assigned chores that were age appropriate and within abilities. And they fought me, oh lord did they fight me. Excuses ranged from 'I forgot' to 'that's not my toy I didn't put it there' to outright lying that they had done the chore because they weren't used to anyone who would actually get up off the couch and walk into the next room to check. There was about a year of me teaching them how to sweep, do dishes, vacuum, mop, fold clothes (they genuinely didn't know how to do any of this), me waking them up at midnight to finish or actually do the chores they said they'd completed before they went to bed, etc. Now, doing their chores earns them computer/ video games time, and they still try to get away with half assed or nonexistent jobs, but it's more in line with what I'd expect from their respective ages as opposed to lazy entitled kids who never had any responsibilities. For my part, I've had to learn that kids will be kids and a certain amount of mess and chaos is normal and not something to get mad about. Importantly, I let them know that they could say no, that they could negotiate, that they could voice complaints and they would be heard. They don't get out of doing chores at all, but they can switch with a sibling if the assigned chore is something they absolutely hate. They can do chores in the morning before school instead of right after school. I let them know that they had a voice and a say in their lives, that it wasn't just my way or the highway. And they taught me that having a messy house for a few hours won't kill anyone.

holliemarie1995 avatar
Hollie Newton
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All I got in my head reading this article is what about Christmas?! What then

samanthathompson avatar
Samantha Thompson
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love stuffed animals, even when I was a baby I loved them. I had so many, like hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of them. And you know how many my parents bought me? Not 0, but not any more than 10. All the ones I got I either a.) bought with my own money while I was with my grandma or uncle (my parents wouldn't let me spend my own money, God knows why) or b.) other members of my family got them for me. My room was always a mess, because I preferred to stay in room rather than be downstairs with my family. My parents would CONSTANTLY yell at me to clean my room, which I understand, as it was a mess, but I wish I could show you their room. It was HORRIBLY messy, like the carpet was barley visible. And some of you might be thinking "they were busy parents with jobs, they didn't have time to clean their rooms!" but my dad worked 10 A.M.-2 P.M, and my mom didn't work at all. With me going to school at around 6:00 - 2:30 and my brother going at about 9:00-4:00, that's 6 hours.

pavlinag avatar
Pavlina G
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's crazy. 3 and 6. Wow. I'm all for getting rid of like half the toys, goodness knows my kids had and still have WAY TOO MUCH SHITE! but all! Harsh.

lynxwithaharpoon avatar
Nostalgic Hyena
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Uhh.. making your kids give away any of their toys is wrong. Even if it's not all of them.

Load More Replies...
abchiaramonte avatar
A. B. Gilman
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here's a comment on the article: "At one point I did the same as the author and took away most of his toys. He did not even miss them and will rarely even play anymore as his interests are changing to computer games and devices." So do you want your kid to become addicted to technology? Really?

galieburr07 avatar
Riliane
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree with the side that says "You shouldn't have took your kids toys away". Since I am still a child, and have been threatened by my moms friend to have all of my toys taken away because I "never play with them" as he puts it, know how it feels. This probably has nothing to do with the article, but my mom's friend once asked me what I was into, or what I wanted for Christmas, and I answered with "I want Harry Potter stuff." what's the response I get? "No. That stuff is for boys. Pick something that is for girls." like am I not allowed to like things that boys like? Yeah...Atleast my mom understands me.

reichert_linda avatar
Linda Davis
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My daughter & son were her kids ages. I would have never thrown their toys away, but I did gather them all up MANY times and put them away. I wouldn't have paid for a build a dinosaur either... I know how expensive those build a bears are, I can't imagine the cost of a build a dinosaur! Kids have NO CONCEPT of cost of toys. That's why I'd NEVER throw their toys away! But just because they want something doesn't mean they'll get it either! I'm not saying I agree with what this woman did, she has more issues than we know, everyone is demonizing her without knowing all the facts. Hopefully she'll get help!

tararankin avatar
Tara Rankin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My father did this to me when I was a kid he did it as a way to stop my nan and grandma from giving me toys due to me have to many but he didn't realise till I was seven and both had died that I had little to remember them which has made life difficult I have had no memories of them since the age of nine and the emotional abuse has never truly left waiting till I finish school to move to a friends house.

wwsp8 avatar
Whitney Speight-Carlin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just told my son this story, and asked his opinion. My 11 year old is smarter than this crazy b***h. He said, "She took away all of their creativity."

boris_8 avatar
Tao
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is so old story... come on... https://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2012/09/14/took-kids-toys-away/

sheena_leversedge avatar
Sheena Leversedge Wood
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have just turned 38. I still buy toy dinosaurs fairly regularly. yes, I could try and pass them off as "collectable replicas" but they are toys. I have the Blue action figure in my handbag ALL THE TIME. I HAVE A 1ft tall rubber dinosaur I did a repaint job on, and she has her own Instagram. sometimes I fetch her just to have a cuddle, even as a married nearly 40 year old with pets. it's not sad, I just find her lovely, and enjoy touching and looking at her. on my coffee table right now are a few fossils (sauropod bones, and a very small raptor tooth) and a Papo Spinosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. from time to time, I pick them up, open and close their articulated jaws and position them as if they're interacting. I have various cuddly toys I will sometimes fetch to the sofa with me because they feel nice to cuddle. lots of my toys, ornaments, decorative representations of living things, have names, and an associated personality. I would be upset if someone took my dinosaurs.

sheena_leversedge avatar
Sheena Leversedge Wood
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

so doing that to a child seems brutal to me. their toys are their friends. part of their world, share in their adventures. at nearly 40, I'd probably cry if someone took my dinos. this woman took her childrens companions away.

Load More Replies...
saileach avatar
Nancy Massi
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was growing up, I owned nothing I had. Not my clothes, toys, books, nothing. Even gifts given to me by friends or relatives--none of it was mine. Once I brought the item into my house, it became the property of my parents who could take it from me whenever they wished. Letters were withheld from me. I swore I would never, ever, treat any child I had that way.

susann_campbell_7 avatar
Susann Campbell
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This will make them want to have children that will have every toy they want because their cruel mother took their toys away and I will bet that they won't be visiting Grandma at all. They will play with these toys with their children and the toys will be every where. I know, I really know, I'm a hoarder of toys.

linda_stirija avatar
Linda
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, as over the past 3 years me and my husband still hadn't agreed on amount of toys our kid should have. I wish to purchase less, but better thought trough. While he's buying her 1-3 items per shopping trip (spontanious shopping in my opinion). As I am the one cleanning that up I really wish my kid had less toys. But I would NEVER take them away without her consent (How would I feel when suddeny all MY stuff was taken away!?). There are other ways to de-clutter - Like we recently gave away 10 toys for baby cousin. It's not much, but ir was HER CHOICE which toys she gave up and we will repeat this time to time. It also teaches to let go, skills of valuation and doesn't breake her sense of ownership. She does play WITH toys - creates small towns, invites us and her stuffed friends to wach her theatrical plays. We as parents are responsible for her playing skills - to balance indoor toy play and outdoor exploration. To teach play with plastic legos and with sticks and stones in mud.

darklumiya avatar
DarkLumiya
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't want kids cos i know i won't be a good mother and have no time, patience , money , wisdom or desire to be responsible. I falsely trust that those people who do have kids are at least willing to try and be decent parents. then you come across c**p like this and want to remove those kids from the horrible parent

au-coin-de-la-page avatar
Linouchka 99
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know, I'm kind of inbetween the two opinions. I think these children had WAY TOO MANY toys and couldn't focus on playing with them because they were always sidetracked from one to the other. Too much of good stuff can be overwhelming and stressfull. On the other hand, I would not have thrown away the entire collection : I would have left four or five toys for each kid and stored the rest away in the attic, so they can change toys every few weeks, as if they were new and they could enjoy rediscovering them from time to time. On the opposite side, I would like to point out that you don't always need TOYS to play : without toys, you have to use your imagination to find ways for your play, and what is more precious than developing imagination in kids ? Isn't it what playing is all about, imagination ? Toys can break or become outdated, but imagination always stays within us.

acshepherd1218 avatar
Amanda Raynes
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I sometimes take my kids toys away. But when that happens it is bc they have done something truly bad and continue to be bad. But... I don't throw them away. They are put in the closet and when my kids have imroved their behavoir then I allow them to have them back. I see taking toys as punishment. I'm not sure if that kid deserved that response. But not sure we need to mom bash either. We are all trying to figure it out. If you really want to get through seek out of curiosity not judgement. And try to speak with reason not condemnation.

carmenelena avatar
Carmen Elena
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That´s a form of violence. I like seeing my child´s toys ALL over the floor? No. makes me crazy? sometimes. I wanna take them away? Sometimes. Am I gonna do it? NO. Do I love watching my girl playing with all her stuff and asking me to play with her? Absolutely. A toy is not only something to carry. When childrem feel afraid, or insecure, or tired, bored, angry or whatever, they need their doll, bear, pillow, etc to cuddle and feel better. I am not the kind of person who buys everything she wants, but I have no right to take away what she owns. It´s disrespectful.

suzi63 avatar
Suzi Gauthier
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like my aunt, who luckily. had no kids, but was so OCD that after she read a book on simplifying your life, became obsessed with getting rid of things. She took my uncle's coffee pot out of the kitchen & had him make coffee with a filter & cup of water because she didn't want it cluttering up the kitchen. She threw out old photos & keepsakes, some of which she gave to me & my sisters. The funniest thing is that she would always collect items that people threw out on her walks, and she wouldn't stop that, she would still collect it, then try to get other people to take it. I never saw someone who could take "simplify your life" advice & actually make it more complicated.

amie_b4 avatar
Amie
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everyone needs to read the original article and the ones that follow. It's been blown out of proportion big time!

thedavids06 avatar
Brivid
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is shameful that BP would allow such a one sided article. All they have done is post responses to the woman and a few sentences from her original blog post. But people are quick to hate.

Load More Replies...
ugrosclaude avatar
Ula
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How about not buying your kid hundreds of toys in the first place? I grew up with one Barbie and a teddy bear, treasured it.

tutty_tita avatar
Amanda Ferraz
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I really want to upvote this thread to get it featured, but it made me so sad... Had never wished for those facebook reactions before...

tutty_tita avatar
Amanda Ferraz
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where are child services? (Might have gotten the name wrong, as I'm Brazilian) Gosh, this woman is a lonster and her husband is a great excuse of a good for nothing

kkittywidget avatar
Karen Klinck
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most Child Protection Service workers are so overworked that it's all they can do to deal with physical abuse. My friend worked for them for 18 years, and their standard was food, clothing and shelter. This could be stale marshmallows and flat pop, near rags and a pile of dirty laundry on the kitchen floor... Remember, every case filed has to go before a judge for a decision, and the judges are programmed to be prejudiced in the mother's favor. It's a broken system, but barring actual physical abuse, that--female--wouldn't lose custody. Unfortunately. Most CPS workers would agree that she needed to lose custody until she had major parenting classes and proved she could actually handle her children, but you'd have a hard time convincing a judge. He'd give her a lecture and close the case. And it's much harder to open a case the second time.

Load More Replies...
nicoleherron avatar
Nicole Herron
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good for mom! She knows she's the parent and she's in control! I wish the rest of the American parents would take control instead of letting kids take it from them!

always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I see it. It's not about materialism, it's about anonymity. But we are too materialistic, as a rule. We need to keep that in focus as well.

cocora-embra avatar
Coco
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

After all this scandal about children loosing their toys, imagine what it must to be being a child in Syria, for example, who not only lost his toys but also saw a ton of atrocities in the way... Ah, but western children will be scarred for life if they loose their toys. Gee...

thandeit avatar
Random Panda
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just because someone else has it worse than them it doesn't mean their pain doesn't matter. It costs you nothing to have some f*****g empathy.

Load More Replies...
huckleberrycatfish avatar
Joe Clark
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a child, we were too poor to afford toys. All we got to play with was a cardboard box. And then we had to share it with the neighbor kids.

always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was very poor too. I remember playing with an old jar with my sister for hours. But the years we had nothing were some of the best because I was so close with my family. Living in a tiny space ment more trips to the playground, for example. But, because that jar was special, it want thrown away right away. Sure, it disappeared, but only after I would no longer miss it.

Load More Replies...
yzsab avatar
Panda
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She deserves to burn in the deepest darkest pit of hell without anything not even her phone because she is the most disgusting selfish ugliest person in the universe I'm guessing that's she's Donald trumps side chick

necromanced avatar
Keuthonymos
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I'm sorry, have any of you seen this womans kids in the aftermath? Did any of you see what they were doing at the time? Is Tumblr really your prime source of reference? Stop jumping on the lefty snowflake bandwagon just because some girl posts her version of what she'd do despite not having kids herself. If you want to feel better about yourselves, go donate to a charity or something

huckleberrycatfish avatar
Joe Clark
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

There is no evidence that this actually happened.

kwill04 avatar
Kiahna
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

..... I was going to comment with a witty comeback, but I don't really think it's worth it. At least you're not as bad as that woman.

Load More Replies...
jennylee avatar
Jenny Lee
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

We live in a culture where more is never enough, and many kids have far too many toys than they can ever play with. I don't think taking away every toy is helpful, as they do help with development. But minimizing the excess should be OK. I recently witnessed a boy who could barely even walk and talk yet having a fit at CVS because he couldn't have some new sparkly toy he wanted, which he would forget about by the time they got to the parking lot. It’s the consumer culture that is the problem. This mom's step was drastic, but it is still a step in the right direction.

bigsister9874 avatar
Leigh-Anne Guyette
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

so you know this child in CVS was a spoiled brat and not on the austic spectrum? Congratulations! Who would have thought that observation and testing were unneccessary, just glimpse a total stranger and make snap decisions, problem solved!

Load More Replies...
onemessylady avatar
Aunt Messy
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree with one of the responses - the one and only reason her kids stopped complaining is because she's trained them to know that she cannot EVER be trusted. They're bewildered right now, and scared of her, but they're going to be angry and in the end, they're going to abandon her completely. ...///... Hopefully they won't be so damaged by this abuse that they can't rebel. If anyone deserved to lose custody of her children, this person is the one.

cheryll_veloria avatar
Light
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do not give in to buying EVERY toy my kids wanted but to ban them from playing with their toys because it will stunt their growth, that is too extreme. They need their toys to supplement their imagination and learn. I let my son bring his favorite hotwheel car to school. Compared to my daughter he is an introvert and his car (his equivalent to a favorite stuffy) makes him feel comforted and is an ice breaker with his classmates as he is in Kindergarten. Besides kids are also individuals with totally different interests from their parents. I guide my kids and I do not want to break them by rigid standards. Just because they stop whining and complaining does not mean they are not nursing a heartache. I agree that their silence may mean they cannot trust their mom and her reaction/ retribution if they voice out their complaints.

Load More Replies...
dfreg avatar
John Ashley
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Typical 6 and 3 year olds aren't going to be all that interested in the cool sites and experiences that entrance adults on a family trip. Basically, what she admitted to was punishing her children for behaving like 6 and 3 year old children. How mature and adult of her.

dariab_1 avatar
Daria B
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or they would be interested, but WITH their favourite toy. Immagine how she would have enjoyed seeing her favourite dinosaur by the flowers, for example. Some kids practice empathy with their toys, and that empathy will be applied onto people too.

Load More Replies...
lfthndwv avatar
Joi Behrend
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother threw away all of my toys one day while I was at school, at around age 8 or 9, because I couldn't keep my room clean to her standards. She also cut off all my hair because she didn't like dealing with the tangles. I'm still scarred by both things. IMHO, the woman in this story is selfish and bordering on some kind of mental illness. She seems like someone who should not have had children. I do not have children because I feared becoming like my mother. And yes, I've been to therapy, but I don't think there's enough therapy in the world to heal some scars, so I felt it best to remain childless. All the money she's saving on toys should be saved for therapy bills for the kids, because believe me, they're going to need it.

nekophil avatar
Feli Furbulance
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh my god, those things are exactly what my Mom did to me too. She threw away all my favourite toys because "they were laying on the floor of my room" when I was in school at about the same age and used to cut my hair really short. I tried growing my hair out as a preteen and she cut it off against my will when I was about 12.

Load More Replies...
karinajadia avatar
Person2638
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine if your mom threw out all of your toys. Imagine if she person constantly checked on everything in your room and took your phone away "so you couldn't be addicted." Imagine if you couldn't ask for anything or help decide on anything going on because your opinion "doesn't matter." Imagine looking at other kids buying new clothes and toys and being on their phone and wanting that too, but you can't because your mom will yell at you if you ask. Anyone who says that she is doing a good thing or saying that was a step in the right direction, imagine those poor kids. I feel like crying for them, that is such a terrible and despicable thing to do.

jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So she doesn't want to clean up after the kids and she doesn't want them to ask for anything, and she doesn't want to parent them to help them manage their wants, needs or expectations. Wish we could swoop in and take ALL her stuff away, her phone, her tablet, her TV, her computer, her microwave, her car keys, her car, her books, her magazines, everything. See how she reacts. Those poor kids.

bpbperic avatar
bpbperic avatar
Night Owl
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

:( And speaking from a personal experience, yes, sad kids play too.

lamijunk_2013 avatar
Sunzilla
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, and we did it quietly. It's the noisily playing kids who are happy...

Load More Replies...
beluga2264 avatar
Natasha Forchione
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So why did she have kids if she wants to act like they do not exist?

bpbperic avatar
Night Owl
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's a really good question. Because of societal pressure? As a decoration for her life (she's very selfish) and to brag with? To have someone to torment and control? I don't know :/

Load More Replies...
janoyce avatar
JadeAngel
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My Mom threw away all of my toys when I was seven. A little different because mine said I couldn't keep my room clean enough. She wouldn't take time to help or teach me what she actually wanted so she just got rid of the problem altogether, which felt similar to this Mom's reaction to her 'unappreciative' kids. It was horrible, traumatic. Everything I loved was put out on the curb or given away to charity. I got to keep a few stuffed animals I didn't like, but she thought looked cute on my bed and some of my books. It really affected my trust for her but that was the way she was, and this was when I really started realizing it. Only concerned about her own comfort and interests. Perfectly willing to force her kid into the mold she wants them to conform to and then act like a martyr when her mother of the year trophy fails to arrive.

bantrobel avatar
La Petite Morte
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm what is laughingly called a 'first pancake' kid. My siblings are 19 and 22 years younger than me. One thing I will give my Mom is that she definitely learned from the mistakes she made with me. There was a lot of not good that went on (my stepfather was abusive, Mom buried herself in the church) which lead up to this incident, but this was the final straw. When I was 14 I spent the weekend at a friend's house. My mom took the opportunity to change everything about my room she hated. When I came home Sunday night everything that had been in my room was a charred pile of ash in the back yard. My books, my clothes, my furniture, my blankets, my toys, my surfboard... everything. She had replaced it all with white wicker furniture, purple paisley sheets/ comforter, girly clothes she loved (I was definitely a tomboy), basically I came home to a room full of stuff I hated and a pile of ashes of everything I loved. I started running away shortly after and eventually moved out and didn't speak to her for almost a decade. We eventually worked things out, after many long conversations and a lot of apologies and forgiveness on both sides. She said the main thing she learned was that kids need to have the right to say no. That constantly forcing them into situations with no control is the best way to create a kid that is angry, rebellious, and everything they are trying to prevent in the first place. She gave my siblings the ability to say no and have it respected. And she realized that clothes are just clothes, they don't automatically mean your kids is a hooligan if they like ripped jeans and flannels.

reyes_vanesa avatar
Vanessa Kings
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow that's so much worse than throwing them away or giving them to charity, to burn your stuff and replace them for the "right things"? That's evil, I wouldn't have forgiven that.

Load More Replies...
morganmcnatt avatar
Honesty Olishia
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is insane to think that this is okay. Even kids in third world countries that are in the middle of wars create toys out of rocks, sticks, trash, etc. because playing with toys is natural behavior for kids. Kids play with toys to express themselves and also to mimic adults. This mom's kids will probably play by throwing her stuff away.

liverpoolroze avatar
Rose the Cook
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"In her article, she says she got ‘fed up’ of cleaning and re-arranging all the playthings that her 6 and 3-year-old children own" . This is the bit that stands out. What mother hasn't at some time but it takes a really lazy, selfish woman to react the way she did.

katie-trondsen avatar
KT Trondsen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those kids are going to need psychologists when they're older :/ What a terrible thing to do to your kids, take every last toy away. I STILL remember my mom saying no to me for a toy I had wanted so badly and it was in the shop beside the photographer in the window, when we were going for family photos. That photo still floats around with my angry face scowling away as a reminder. It ruined the picture, all because my mom wouldn't buy a $5 toy. I don't always say yes to my kids, but if they want something very badly i buy it. My mom actually scolds me to this day saying I give my son too much, which is more than what I got as a kid which was practically nothing. I think it's her way of justifying her terrible parenting

r3dd3v1ll avatar
r3dd3v1lL
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why doesn't she try taking away coffee/ smoking/ alcohol/ internet from an adult and see how that goes?

azfaruddinachsanuddin avatar
Azfaruddin Achsanuddin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like Neil deGrasse Tyson says, get out of their way. Let them experiment. It's how they learn. I personally think that if you really want to throw away their toys, you must be prepared to be their TOY yourself i.e. spend a lot more quality time playing games or entertaining your children.

sleepinglioness avatar
somnomania
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That s**t with "I'll go in and 'tidy' my kids' rooms while they're away teehee" where they go in and throw out anything that looks like trash is SO BAD. My childhood best friend had that happen a few times and she was always completely devastated because there was always a ton of artwork and drawings that would mysteriously vanish. Let your kids have their own belongings, and let them do what they want with those belongings. Teach cleanliness and organization through daily activities - NOT chores. Kids are messy, they're supposed to be messy, and if you don't want that then you shouldn't have kids (or pets). I was still playing with things like Tinkertoys and Toobers & Zots and my Star Wars and dinosaur figures up through age 12, and making things like saddles and reins for Beanie Babies so the action figures could ride them into battle. These two poor kids are going to be so f****d up from this, and if they recover, the relationship with their mom is probably toast.

snoozywomble avatar
snoozy womble
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I took my son to the Zoo and he wanted to play on the adventure play park they had instead. He is 3, he had no concept of how he may never see those types of animals again for quite some time. We didn't punish him for that he is 3 they have a completely different view of the world. When we left we got him a little lion, a representation of one of the few animals he did see. But he loves talking about seeing the animals now. They just take in weird stuff.

thandeit avatar
Random Panda
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grandmother used to throw away my mom's toys and stuff that she collected, which grandma thought was trash. As a result my parents never tidied the kid's room and never threw out anything found in there. Mom put in a big wooden box for toys and taught us to pick up after ourselves; we were in kindergarten when we started keeping our room clean. It's not that hard lady, how about you be a parent instead of punishing your kids for being kids?!

ada_5 avatar
Adrianna Pierzycka
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While I do agree that excessive amount of toys may cause distraction and shorten focus span (there have been some studies on that), depriving children of all of their toys is not the way to go about it. If you really think that your child would benefit from a toy declutter, it should be done with the child's consent. I remember my mum explained to me that there are children in need out there, who would be really happy to get toys of their own. And from then on we would donate a part of my toys every year around Christmas time. But ultimately it was my decision - I was choosing between the toys I wanted to give away and those that I didn't, and I felt happy to be able to help. Perhaps this would be a better way to sort this out.

miriamboersma avatar
Miriam
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

oh. my. f**king. god. WHY THE F**K DO PEOPLE LIKE THIS EXIST!!! THESE PEOPLE SHOULD TRY EXPERIENCING THIS! I CAN´T IMAGINE HOW TERRIFYING THIS MOM IS TO HER CHILDREN!! She must be like f**king GODZILLA!

jamie_mayfield avatar
Ivana
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This story reminds me of a blogger, housewife, homemaker kind of woman who was renovating her home and shoved her six kids into two bedrooms where these kids had no privacy while she used the other four rooms for her work station, craft room, sewing room, and homeschool room. I am against consumerism and wasteful spending, but people kind of forget that children need privacy, independence, and personal possessions so that they can develop into independent decision makers.

always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's a selfish, crappy patent. But space isn't necessary for growth and development as much as our present culture thinks. Only 100 years ago in my country, it was common for ten people to live in a one room house. That didn't stunt people's growth, freedom, or creativity. This sort of thing is still common in some countries. The people there are not stunted either.

Load More Replies...
funkymattrocks avatar
stellermatt
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I recently went on holiday with the mrs and the kids, we took their tablets as we knew there was a plane journey and a few long car trips so wanted them to be entertained, thing was as soon as we got there we had so much fun as a family, swimming, meals, walks, playing games all as a family that by the time came for the plane journey home we had to remind them that they still had the tablets and could've asked for them whenever, but were too busy having fun to consider it. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that we had the choice instead of choosing what they would do, we got lucky coz they chose the holiday not the tablet.

buste-xx avatar
Susan Gamble
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get my kids to tidy up at the end of the day. Their rooms aren't perfect but its tidy enough that they wont play when they're supposed to be sleeping. Big toys on the shelves, cars in the toy box, crafts in the craft drawer etc. And every few months the kids go through their toys and choose some things they would like to donate to others less fortunate. When i take the kids out they get $5 to spend each which usually goes to buying a new car/doll/collectible. Or they can save it to buy something better next time. (On a heart-warming note, my son had been saving for some awesome LEGO thing but when he found out we were short on money he offered his &50 to help out. I told him he earned it and we would find another way. He told my mum and she offered to help. He got his LEGO.)

lyndaannegutierrez avatar
Lynda Momalo
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think her husband should, one day when she's out, throw away (or at least box up and pretend to throw away) all HER cherished possessions and say that they were preventing her from concentrating on the things that mattered.

emory_ce avatar
Carol Emory
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I predict a few things. There is going to be some serious therapy needed for these kids. The way this mom handled the situation by throwing out all of their toys means that they will never trust her with intimate parts of their lives because mommy is so heartless. The kids will grow up to be hoarders because they will not want to let go of anything they manage to get. They will be OCD from years of being forced to keep their rooms cleaner than a hospital instead of getting messy like normal kids. Her kids are going to be picked on in school because they won't know how to play with toys or will be afraid to play with toys. They will fall behind academically. And they will have a hard time connecting with others because toys are more about social interaction than entertainment. Oh..and I predict a divorce soon for her.

beebilicious avatar
Brooke Weber
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so wrong on so many levels. Toys are how kids learn; play is vital to a child's development mentally, socially, emotionally, and motor-skill-wise. Even pretend play is supported and fueled by toys! They are not "addictions," they are windows to the world.

lynxwithaharpoon avatar
Nostalgic Hyena
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Omfg.. someone said it. When I was about 11 or so my parents would constantly suggest that I should give away some of my toys just because I had "too many". Toys are supposed to help inspire creativity and stuff like that - even I'll admit that I still like playing with toys and collecting them today and it often helps me with the stories I write.

emory_ce avatar
Carol Emory
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I saw the picture of that empty room and thought "Hmm..just like in the mental institutions." I pictured those poor children sitting in that empty room, glazed looks on their faces, rocking back and forth and mumbling to themselves. Of course their compliant. They're probably wondering what else she'll take away if they don't behave...food, water..the right to see sunlight?

markusmccloud avatar
Markus McCloud
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While my mom did quite a bit of decluttering with my toys, she NEVER did it to this extent. I can understand donating some of the extra toys, but ALL of them!? For god's sake, let the kids be kids.

crouching_penn_hidden_telleryahoo_com avatar
Crouching_Penn_Hidden_Teller@yahoo.com
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what a horrible mother. I hope her kids don't start playing with random garbage they find in the street.

cammieharpole avatar
Xiaolaohu
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love moms that declutter, because then I buy their toys with a thousand pieces at the thrift store. I can't afford to buy them all new, buy them used and it doesn't matter if the kids don't really like the play with the once, etc. just last night we trashed the house building a Rube Goldberg machine using blocks, dominoes, cars, marbles and cardboard tubes from aluminum foil and toilet paper.

skywatcheraj avatar
Rukmania
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me be more brave and I tried and failed to make friends. Catty and I went on many fun adventures and made me MORE creative and lively then ever. Stuffed animals to a lonely child can make a big change. A toy may just be a small bag of fluff and fabric to you but to a child especially a lonely one it can be a source of comfort, fun, happiness and love.

donutlsf avatar
A Dyke From The Dreamworld
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Teddy was my savior. He was my heart, soul and all that was great. That silly bear was pure stuffed with greatness and was the sticky glue that kept me together. He was the only thing that kept me sane. To this day, he still rests on my bed and I can't sleep without him.

Load More Replies...
ldarroch avatar
Lynne Darroch
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a happy medium between living in a home filled with crappy plastic toy bits and destroyed barbies and 100 stuffies, and turning your home into prison. Books, art supplies, toys that encourage building and roll play are great. The mother did not give her children the gift of self-discipline achieved by teaching emotional moderation and delayed gratification, but punished them by stripping them of the power to control their environment and their own feelings. Good luck when they hit puberty.

sethworthen avatar
Seth Worthen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am a minimalist. I do not allow much clutter anywhere in my house. I have minimal artwork on the walls. I have just enough kitchen utensils to cook what i need. I have just enough clothes in my closet for work and personal interests. I have a few different shoes, one for each type of occasion. Wanna know what part of my house is messy and not minimalist? MY SONS! He has probably 10 or 12 different Mickey Mouse plush toys alone plus multitudes of other toys that i teach him to put into a basket when he's done playing. Because he has no idea what minimalism is, and wouldn't until probably upwards or 10 years old or so. If he then chooses to live as i live, then so be it. But until then, he can have as much toys as his little 2 year old heart could desire! This is just awful.

alusairalustriel avatar
Alusair Alustriel
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't find anything wrong or damaging to the kid if he has toys. My step daugther went through a ton of them and I bought them knowing that in a week they will be in a box. But to some she came back a few times during the years. I always found it a success if a toy could give her a few smiles - be it a souvenir from a trip or a toy she bought herslef (yes, she has her own grandma-gave-me funds) or toy she received. How otherwise would we stimulate kids to develop imagination? I also had a few toys I loved and I am happy my parents were normal. Kids are kids - they are meant to play, especially up to the age of around 10 when they start to think differently. Taking away toys would be like taking away part of their childhood. I find that inhumane.

shaynameidela avatar
Dorothy Parker
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is terrifying. These children will either become mass murderers or hoarders, or both. My brother bought me the Eloise books. We went home with them, and my mother was furious that he spent his money on me, and made him take them back. I really never got over that. I finally got them as an adult, and have over compensated with our child, buying her far too much. As for her husband, he should be ashamed of himself.

always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I found the actual articles and read them. The one here is absolute bull, someone with their own problems and an ax to grind. For instance, here's the other half of a "quote" cited above: " I hate toys that have a billion pieces, but that seems more or less unavoidable, so instead we rotate toys out on a regular basis. For instance my girls have a box of Littlest Pet Shop figurines that they love, as well as a big bin of Barbie dolls. If the Littlest Pet Shop stuff comes down from the attic, then the Barbie dolls go back up. Right now the only toys they have down are their American Girl dolls, a few doll outfits, and the food & dishes for their play kitchen." Go to the article and judge for yourself. Just search the title.

erinhicks avatar
neverbeenbored
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Based on your comment I searched for the original article and read it too. It is way different than this post makes it out to be. They do have toys, they are just rotated so not all of their toys are in their room at the same time.

Load More Replies...
soulrider13 avatar
Heather W
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My daughter was 4 when her father (my ex) threw bunch of her toys away for not picking them up when she was visiting him. The next day I took her to daycare and she full out punched another child for taking a doll away from her. She was afraid to respond to him so she took it out on someone her own size.

adeanne avatar
Amanda Smith
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Playing is how kids learn and the only things her kids are actually learning are that they can't count on their own mother for support when they have something in their life that isn't mother approved, and that they are to follow orders or completely rebel..

shaynameidela avatar
Dorothy Parker
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She may have gone too far in reading about minimalism and Marie Kondo, and misunderstood the messages there. This is just cruel.

skywatcheraj avatar
Rukmania
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Growing up my parents never bought me every single toy I've ever wanted and honestly I'm glad. It taught me that everything I wanted wouldn't just be handed to me. Instead I would do a certain amount of math problems for money and then I would get to pay for the toy myself. I'd be so proud to walk into Walmart and proudly pick a doll or stuffed animal of the shelf and hand it to the cashier. However my sister and I did get a certain light pink hello kitty stuffed animal. Her name is Catty and I loved her. My sister and I played with, cuddled with, talked to and all around loved catty! Catty helped me as a person grow, I was a shy girl and didn't have any friends. I would image catty with me at school her bright, bubbly, ice cream loviloving nature made

lindsaytsai avatar
Lyndsey
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No offense, but that's different. You still got the toy. You learned that want = hard work = reward. The system the woman suggested is: want = nothing/punishment. Eventually, it won't be a want for toys. It'll be a want to go to a summer camp. Want for what seem to be toys, but are things needed to develop a hobby (art supplies for art or a soccer ball for soccer). However, they'll repress these wants. And when it's time for college apps, when it's time to introduce themselves to other people, and they're asked, what's your hobby, interest, major, they'll have no clue. In your case, you got to work for your interest, thus developing it further.

Load More Replies...
emmanuelmcpherson avatar
RockyDude47
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey, I’m only thirteen, but listen. I feel horrible for your kids. This just teaches them that nothing they own is safe. That if they do anything wrong that their mother is going to take away something they find a comfort. They won’t ask for anything because they’ll feel like you’ll just take away what they already have. “I finally gave up and took it all away. I wasn’t angry, just fed up. I calmly began packing up not just a toy or two, but every single thing. All their dress-up clothes, baby dolls, Polly Pockets, & stuffed animals, all their Barbies, building blocks, and toy trains, right down to the the furniture from their dollhouse and play food from their kitchen. I even took the pretty Pottery Barn Kids comforter from their bed.” Do you literally have any idea how evil this sounds? At all? I don’t care how ‘fed up’ you are. You are the parent. The adult. Your children’s feelings- surprise- matter more than yours when your kids are only around three and six.

emmanuelmcpherson avatar
RockyDude47
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

Load More Replies...
saramettlen avatar
Sara Mettlen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My ex husband likes to get rid of or sell my kids anything. My oldest is 13 and affraid to ask or get anything because " dad will just sell it".

donutlsf avatar
A Dyke From The Dreamworld
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

B***h, kids are getting addicted to porn and racist memes these days. You should be f*****g thankful that your kids are into toys. This is a good way to get your kids to despise you and start to lie, cheat, and sneak behind your back. The damage has already been done. Now all you can do is pray they don't dump you in the s****y nursing home when you're older :)

bethsimpson_1 avatar
Beth
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is disgusting!! I can't even begin to imagine how those poor kids feel!! The only comfort I can take is that they have each other. Being an only child, I had no one to play with so I took to playing with my toys for hours and hours. I had so many Barbies, Bratz and stuffed toys that my dad's basement is full of old toys. The best part is that he knows how much my toys meant to me and he has insisted on keeping them for my future children. This is kind of love and support a child needs from their parents. To show that it's ok to play with toys for however long you need to. Even when I moved in with my boyfriend (husband now) I still have a stuffed animal that I sleep with every night. My husband doesn't criticize me on being childish he just accepts that I am 26 and still sleep with a stuff Tramp that he personally bought me from the Disney store. I hope these kids meet someone who will help them heal from the trauma that this insane woman has put them through.

w_5 avatar
W. 5
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A case of "Mommy dearest". Children are emotionally attached to their toys. The stupid mother hurt them and gave them some issues-- may I hope this mother is a fake?

deaftedandme avatar
El Aenor
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She punished them for her own bad behavior. They were 3 and 6 and she went out and had her little shopping sprees. She bought the toys, she gave them the toys, then whined because they had too many toys.

kanna172014 avatar
Kiki
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If my parents had thrown MY toys away, they'd better hope they never have to move in with me when they're old because there's an excellent chance their treasured things would have ended up in the garbage in retaliation.

lincholn6echo avatar
lincholn6echo
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Damn... I honestly want to physically harm this person that dares to call herself a mother... I hope she loses custody..

benicia_99 avatar
Azure Adams
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be honest, I hope this "no toys" b******t bites that "mother" in the butt super hard. Not kids becoming drugged murderers but something super severe.

hendralim avatar
Hendra Lim
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

poor kids, probably their mother never think what would happen if her own childhood were like that. heck, even i know that if you don't have toys at all most kids won't be interested in you or that you will be "Borrowing" toys from your friend until your friend will tell you "why don't you buy your own toys, don't mess with mine" or something

mr_re-in-act-ment avatar
Mr. Re-in-act-ment
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had an obsession with thomas the train as a toddler. Is it an ADDICTION that I played with my train tracks? (plus these kids are 3 yrs old and 6 yrs old, they need something to play with)

wellsea7 avatar
We'llSee
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Instead of throwing away all of the toys this Mom messed up. I agree with most here, this was unnecessary and quiet mean. When my children were little, I would notice from time to time, they would get "bored" with their toys or there were just too many laying around all the time, I would rotate toys, while cleaning I would pack away a certain amount of toys for a few weeks or so and rotate them out, when young , they thought they had new toys constantly lol... but to take them all, is to far, when you have kids your house is probably going to be messy and thats ok, trust me, they grow way to fast to let THIS be THE issue..

shaynameidela avatar
Dorothy Parker
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This happened several years ago. The mother in question has a well known blog and because of this uproar, is more popular than ever.

indicasmama avatar
Debi Phillips
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know a family that has bought bikes, trampoline, skates & scooters, has them in a shed that their kids walk past several times a day that they never play on or with. All they get to do is look at them. The parents never let them play outside ever. All summer long they hear kids playing outside but they have to stay inside. Now you'd think this is child abuse right. Nope. Child services has never done anything about it. Makes me sick for the kids. The mother says its cause the oldest is autistic. I say it cuz she's just lazy & would have to come out to supervise. Either way, it's cruel & unusual punishment to me.

suegreene avatar
Sue Clasen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe I wasn't the best mother, but my children were brought up without TV until they were 11, 9, and 7 and we moved to another country and lived in a flat, their toys were mostly Legos, and trucks, and outside toys, I refused to buy them guns or swords, but didn't mind that they made them, and in this I think we made the right decision, they became very creative, you can't imagine how much came out from their imagination, cities, swords, table games like monopoly, but having Vikings as main actors, they investigated, created a map of Europe, the ports and rivers where they attacked, created the money, defenses, Fascinating what they can do with their time if it's raining or snowing and cant go out. Today as grown ups are so resourceful, and all three think is because of that, after that, TV, didn't fill their life it was part of it as many other things. Maybe that mother went too far, but I understand her, today I find so many obnoxious childs, and parents that don't put limits.....

circular-motion avatar
Mer
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Children are permanently traumatized when a parent breaks trust with them and they will rightfully never trust her again. I hope those poor kids find an adult they actually can trust...and I hope that "mother" eventually realizes that her children will be the ones choosing her rest home.

chicadee4587 avatar
Stacy
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My daughter is 11 and no longer plays with her toys but told me she she isn't ready to part with them. So, I will hold on to them. They will stay in the bins under het bed, until she is ready. I have things I can't part with yet, why can't she? Kids are people, they have feelings, expressions, wants, and needs. I don't even agree with the statement about going to the park not being their choice. We have season passes to the local theme park. Some weekends, she'll ask if we can go, I say sure, we spend the whole time riding what she wants.

marloes-hermens avatar
The Dutches
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"... she says she got 'fed up' of cleaning and re-arranging all the playthings that her 6 and 3-year-old children own, so she packed them all up and took them away." Hmmmmm ... what if she is fed up cleaning and rearranging ... their clothes? ... the bathroom? ... the kitchen cabinet? ... the house? Stupid, selfish woman. Poor children. This is an unsafe situation for them and psychological abuse.

carmenmclellan avatar
Carmen McLellan
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She just told them to clean up, left them to tidy up, without supervision, and expected them to be, what, sitting quietly with their hands in their laps, and all their toys put away? A three and a six year old, even should they obey and remove those toys from the floor, are going to move right into another activity, more toys, more "untidiness". I read the article. At 3 and 6, the chances of getting your children to pick up after themselves without your direct supervision are pretty low. She seems awfully smug about how easily her children adapted to HER obsession with their stuff. Now that they have to plead for the toys in the attic, which may only be exchanged for the toys they currently have in their room, of course they are super careful, and play all day with what they have. They don't have the ownership of these toys, they have to rely on maybe being able to "borrow" a few for a while, and if they ask too often, or enjoy them too much, they won't even have that.

sncriana avatar
Oral Craven
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She's punishing her children for something she's done. Those kids didn't buy those toys, SHE did. When she says they have no shortage of things to do, chores came to mind immediately.

lunanoir69 avatar
lunanoir69
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This woman obviously knows nothing about child development. She should be reported to Child Protective Services for abuse and neglect.

iapetosdertitan avatar
Iapetos
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, been there. I love my mum, but we had many fights when I was a kid. She would take away my books in order to get my obedience by giving some of them back if I "behaved". I think people do this out of frustration and helplessness. When I noticed she wanted to do this to my little sister, too, I talked her out of it.

wil_vanderheijden avatar
Wil Vanderheijden
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Being cruel to your child makes you a terrific parent? Yeah, dream on. It will only make you a lonely senior citizen because your children are going to be cruel to you when they've finally escaped you.

marieke avatar
Marieke Buytene
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Throwing all your children's stuff away is how you make hoarders and raising girls to be only nice and quiet is how you create easy victims.

zyobiwankekobi avatar
ObiWan Kekobi
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Tumblr users decided to explain" Dont let Tumblr users explain ANYTHING period!

amie_b4 avatar
Amie
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

https://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2013/09/13/raising-kids/

loula-nord avatar
Loula
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it's funny that this is somehow "viral" or relevant. The original article is from 2013...

gpg79 avatar
Gigi
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

God. I thought I was a horrible parent. My heart aches for those children.

iggnir avatar
bob
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And that, I think, is the big difference between you and this mother. I'm pretty sure that she thinks that she is a fantastic mother. Her world will probably crumble when her children stop coming home over the week end. ;)

Load More Replies...
norsepaw avatar
Sivi
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now I really want to ask mom how I was as a child and toy. I mean I remember playing with my MLP having war with the barbies(never really liked barbie :p). But now I wonder how I was like when I found toys in shops. Other the one time when I almost ran out of the toy store to show dad the pony I was going to get while he stood outside waiting. I still have much of my toys, I treasure my original 14 MLP, I have since grown the collection with ponies I never got a hold of as a kid(such as the american ponies only) or really wished for. IMG_201809...b77a87.jpg IMG_20180915_095049-5bc6eaeb77a87.jpg

bantrobel avatar
La Petite Morte
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am both a pack rat and a neat freak. I have a lot of stuff, but by all that's holy it's neatly arranged, dusted and clean. I am also step mom to 4 kids between 7 and 16. Needless to say it's been a learning experience for *me*. When they were living with their mom they had no chores or responsibilities, they dropped socks, plates, garbage, toys, whatever wherever they wanted and were used to someone else picking up. The few times they were given chores they ignored it until their Mom gave up and grandma became a personal maid again. When they came to live with us that stopped being the case immediately. All 4 were assigned chores that were age appropriate and within abilities. And they fought me, oh lord did they fight me. Excuses ranged from 'I forgot' to 'that's not my toy I didn't put it there' to outright lying that they had done the chore because they weren't used to anyone who would actually get up off the couch and walk into the next room to check. There was about a year of me teaching them how to sweep, do dishes, vacuum, mop, fold clothes (they genuinely didn't know how to do any of this), me waking them up at midnight to finish or actually do the chores they said they'd completed before they went to bed, etc. Now, doing their chores earns them computer/ video games time, and they still try to get away with half assed or nonexistent jobs, but it's more in line with what I'd expect from their respective ages as opposed to lazy entitled kids who never had any responsibilities. For my part, I've had to learn that kids will be kids and a certain amount of mess and chaos is normal and not something to get mad about. Importantly, I let them know that they could say no, that they could negotiate, that they could voice complaints and they would be heard. They don't get out of doing chores at all, but they can switch with a sibling if the assigned chore is something they absolutely hate. They can do chores in the morning before school instead of right after school. I let them know that they had a voice and a say in their lives, that it wasn't just my way or the highway. And they taught me that having a messy house for a few hours won't kill anyone.

holliemarie1995 avatar
Hollie Newton
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All I got in my head reading this article is what about Christmas?! What then

samanthathompson avatar
Samantha Thompson
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love stuffed animals, even when I was a baby I loved them. I had so many, like hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of them. And you know how many my parents bought me? Not 0, but not any more than 10. All the ones I got I either a.) bought with my own money while I was with my grandma or uncle (my parents wouldn't let me spend my own money, God knows why) or b.) other members of my family got them for me. My room was always a mess, because I preferred to stay in room rather than be downstairs with my family. My parents would CONSTANTLY yell at me to clean my room, which I understand, as it was a mess, but I wish I could show you their room. It was HORRIBLY messy, like the carpet was barley visible. And some of you might be thinking "they were busy parents with jobs, they didn't have time to clean their rooms!" but my dad worked 10 A.M.-2 P.M, and my mom didn't work at all. With me going to school at around 6:00 - 2:30 and my brother going at about 9:00-4:00, that's 6 hours.

pavlinag avatar
Pavlina G
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's crazy. 3 and 6. Wow. I'm all for getting rid of like half the toys, goodness knows my kids had and still have WAY TOO MUCH SHITE! but all! Harsh.

lynxwithaharpoon avatar
Nostalgic Hyena
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Uhh.. making your kids give away any of their toys is wrong. Even if it's not all of them.

Load More Replies...
abchiaramonte avatar
A. B. Gilman
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here's a comment on the article: "At one point I did the same as the author and took away most of his toys. He did not even miss them and will rarely even play anymore as his interests are changing to computer games and devices." So do you want your kid to become addicted to technology? Really?

galieburr07 avatar
Riliane
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree with the side that says "You shouldn't have took your kids toys away". Since I am still a child, and have been threatened by my moms friend to have all of my toys taken away because I "never play with them" as he puts it, know how it feels. This probably has nothing to do with the article, but my mom's friend once asked me what I was into, or what I wanted for Christmas, and I answered with "I want Harry Potter stuff." what's the response I get? "No. That stuff is for boys. Pick something that is for girls." like am I not allowed to like things that boys like? Yeah...Atleast my mom understands me.

reichert_linda avatar
Linda Davis
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My daughter & son were her kids ages. I would have never thrown their toys away, but I did gather them all up MANY times and put them away. I wouldn't have paid for a build a dinosaur either... I know how expensive those build a bears are, I can't imagine the cost of a build a dinosaur! Kids have NO CONCEPT of cost of toys. That's why I'd NEVER throw their toys away! But just because they want something doesn't mean they'll get it either! I'm not saying I agree with what this woman did, she has more issues than we know, everyone is demonizing her without knowing all the facts. Hopefully she'll get help!

tararankin avatar
Tara Rankin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My father did this to me when I was a kid he did it as a way to stop my nan and grandma from giving me toys due to me have to many but he didn't realise till I was seven and both had died that I had little to remember them which has made life difficult I have had no memories of them since the age of nine and the emotional abuse has never truly left waiting till I finish school to move to a friends house.

wwsp8 avatar
Whitney Speight-Carlin
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just told my son this story, and asked his opinion. My 11 year old is smarter than this crazy b***h. He said, "She took away all of their creativity."

boris_8 avatar
Tao
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is so old story... come on... https://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2012/09/14/took-kids-toys-away/

sheena_leversedge avatar
Sheena Leversedge Wood
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have just turned 38. I still buy toy dinosaurs fairly regularly. yes, I could try and pass them off as "collectable replicas" but they are toys. I have the Blue action figure in my handbag ALL THE TIME. I HAVE A 1ft tall rubber dinosaur I did a repaint job on, and she has her own Instagram. sometimes I fetch her just to have a cuddle, even as a married nearly 40 year old with pets. it's not sad, I just find her lovely, and enjoy touching and looking at her. on my coffee table right now are a few fossils (sauropod bones, and a very small raptor tooth) and a Papo Spinosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. from time to time, I pick them up, open and close their articulated jaws and position them as if they're interacting. I have various cuddly toys I will sometimes fetch to the sofa with me because they feel nice to cuddle. lots of my toys, ornaments, decorative representations of living things, have names, and an associated personality. I would be upset if someone took my dinosaurs.

sheena_leversedge avatar
Sheena Leversedge Wood
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

so doing that to a child seems brutal to me. their toys are their friends. part of their world, share in their adventures. at nearly 40, I'd probably cry if someone took my dinos. this woman took her childrens companions away.

Load More Replies...
saileach avatar
Nancy Massi
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was growing up, I owned nothing I had. Not my clothes, toys, books, nothing. Even gifts given to me by friends or relatives--none of it was mine. Once I brought the item into my house, it became the property of my parents who could take it from me whenever they wished. Letters were withheld from me. I swore I would never, ever, treat any child I had that way.

susann_campbell_7 avatar
Susann Campbell
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This will make them want to have children that will have every toy they want because their cruel mother took their toys away and I will bet that they won't be visiting Grandma at all. They will play with these toys with their children and the toys will be every where. I know, I really know, I'm a hoarder of toys.

linda_stirija avatar
Linda
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, as over the past 3 years me and my husband still hadn't agreed on amount of toys our kid should have. I wish to purchase less, but better thought trough. While he's buying her 1-3 items per shopping trip (spontanious shopping in my opinion). As I am the one cleanning that up I really wish my kid had less toys. But I would NEVER take them away without her consent (How would I feel when suddeny all MY stuff was taken away!?). There are other ways to de-clutter - Like we recently gave away 10 toys for baby cousin. It's not much, but ir was HER CHOICE which toys she gave up and we will repeat this time to time. It also teaches to let go, skills of valuation and doesn't breake her sense of ownership. She does play WITH toys - creates small towns, invites us and her stuffed friends to wach her theatrical plays. We as parents are responsible for her playing skills - to balance indoor toy play and outdoor exploration. To teach play with plastic legos and with sticks and stones in mud.

darklumiya avatar
DarkLumiya
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't want kids cos i know i won't be a good mother and have no time, patience , money , wisdom or desire to be responsible. I falsely trust that those people who do have kids are at least willing to try and be decent parents. then you come across c**p like this and want to remove those kids from the horrible parent

au-coin-de-la-page avatar
Linouchka 99
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know, I'm kind of inbetween the two opinions. I think these children had WAY TOO MANY toys and couldn't focus on playing with them because they were always sidetracked from one to the other. Too much of good stuff can be overwhelming and stressfull. On the other hand, I would not have thrown away the entire collection : I would have left four or five toys for each kid and stored the rest away in the attic, so they can change toys every few weeks, as if they were new and they could enjoy rediscovering them from time to time. On the opposite side, I would like to point out that you don't always need TOYS to play : without toys, you have to use your imagination to find ways for your play, and what is more precious than developing imagination in kids ? Isn't it what playing is all about, imagination ? Toys can break or become outdated, but imagination always stays within us.

acshepherd1218 avatar
Amanda Raynes
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I sometimes take my kids toys away. But when that happens it is bc they have done something truly bad and continue to be bad. But... I don't throw them away. They are put in the closet and when my kids have imroved their behavoir then I allow them to have them back. I see taking toys as punishment. I'm not sure if that kid deserved that response. But not sure we need to mom bash either. We are all trying to figure it out. If you really want to get through seek out of curiosity not judgement. And try to speak with reason not condemnation.

carmenelena avatar
Carmen Elena
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That´s a form of violence. I like seeing my child´s toys ALL over the floor? No. makes me crazy? sometimes. I wanna take them away? Sometimes. Am I gonna do it? NO. Do I love watching my girl playing with all her stuff and asking me to play with her? Absolutely. A toy is not only something to carry. When childrem feel afraid, or insecure, or tired, bored, angry or whatever, they need their doll, bear, pillow, etc to cuddle and feel better. I am not the kind of person who buys everything she wants, but I have no right to take away what she owns. It´s disrespectful.

suzi63 avatar
Suzi Gauthier
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like my aunt, who luckily. had no kids, but was so OCD that after she read a book on simplifying your life, became obsessed with getting rid of things. She took my uncle's coffee pot out of the kitchen & had him make coffee with a filter & cup of water because she didn't want it cluttering up the kitchen. She threw out old photos & keepsakes, some of which she gave to me & my sisters. The funniest thing is that she would always collect items that people threw out on her walks, and she wouldn't stop that, she would still collect it, then try to get other people to take it. I never saw someone who could take "simplify your life" advice & actually make it more complicated.

amie_b4 avatar
Amie
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everyone needs to read the original article and the ones that follow. It's been blown out of proportion big time!

thedavids06 avatar
Brivid
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is shameful that BP would allow such a one sided article. All they have done is post responses to the woman and a few sentences from her original blog post. But people are quick to hate.

Load More Replies...
ugrosclaude avatar
Ula
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How about not buying your kid hundreds of toys in the first place? I grew up with one Barbie and a teddy bear, treasured it.

tutty_tita avatar
Amanda Ferraz
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I really want to upvote this thread to get it featured, but it made me so sad... Had never wished for those facebook reactions before...

tutty_tita avatar
Amanda Ferraz
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where are child services? (Might have gotten the name wrong, as I'm Brazilian) Gosh, this woman is a lonster and her husband is a great excuse of a good for nothing

kkittywidget avatar
Karen Klinck
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most Child Protection Service workers are so overworked that it's all they can do to deal with physical abuse. My friend worked for them for 18 years, and their standard was food, clothing and shelter. This could be stale marshmallows and flat pop, near rags and a pile of dirty laundry on the kitchen floor... Remember, every case filed has to go before a judge for a decision, and the judges are programmed to be prejudiced in the mother's favor. It's a broken system, but barring actual physical abuse, that--female--wouldn't lose custody. Unfortunately. Most CPS workers would agree that she needed to lose custody until she had major parenting classes and proved she could actually handle her children, but you'd have a hard time convincing a judge. He'd give her a lecture and close the case. And it's much harder to open a case the second time.

Load More Replies...
nicoleherron avatar
Nicole Herron
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good for mom! She knows she's the parent and she's in control! I wish the rest of the American parents would take control instead of letting kids take it from them!

always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I see it. It's not about materialism, it's about anonymity. But we are too materialistic, as a rule. We need to keep that in focus as well.

cocora-embra avatar
Coco
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

After all this scandal about children loosing their toys, imagine what it must to be being a child in Syria, for example, who not only lost his toys but also saw a ton of atrocities in the way... Ah, but western children will be scarred for life if they loose their toys. Gee...

thandeit avatar
Random Panda
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just because someone else has it worse than them it doesn't mean their pain doesn't matter. It costs you nothing to have some f*****g empathy.

Load More Replies...
huckleberrycatfish avatar
Joe Clark
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a child, we were too poor to afford toys. All we got to play with was a cardboard box. And then we had to share it with the neighbor kids.

always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was very poor too. I remember playing with an old jar with my sister for hours. But the years we had nothing were some of the best because I was so close with my family. Living in a tiny space ment more trips to the playground, for example. But, because that jar was special, it want thrown away right away. Sure, it disappeared, but only after I would no longer miss it.

Load More Replies...
yzsab avatar
Panda
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She deserves to burn in the deepest darkest pit of hell without anything not even her phone because she is the most disgusting selfish ugliest person in the universe I'm guessing that's she's Donald trumps side chick

necromanced avatar
Keuthonymos
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I'm sorry, have any of you seen this womans kids in the aftermath? Did any of you see what they were doing at the time? Is Tumblr really your prime source of reference? Stop jumping on the lefty snowflake bandwagon just because some girl posts her version of what she'd do despite not having kids herself. If you want to feel better about yourselves, go donate to a charity or something

huckleberrycatfish avatar
Joe Clark
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

There is no evidence that this actually happened.

kwill04 avatar
Kiahna
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

..... I was going to comment with a witty comeback, but I don't really think it's worth it. At least you're not as bad as that woman.

Load More Replies...
jennylee avatar
Jenny Lee
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

We live in a culture where more is never enough, and many kids have far too many toys than they can ever play with. I don't think taking away every toy is helpful, as they do help with development. But minimizing the excess should be OK. I recently witnessed a boy who could barely even walk and talk yet having a fit at CVS because he couldn't have some new sparkly toy he wanted, which he would forget about by the time they got to the parking lot. It’s the consumer culture that is the problem. This mom's step was drastic, but it is still a step in the right direction.

bigsister9874 avatar
Leigh-Anne Guyette
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

so you know this child in CVS was a spoiled brat and not on the austic spectrum? Congratulations! Who would have thought that observation and testing were unneccessary, just glimpse a total stranger and make snap decisions, problem solved!

Load More Replies...
Popular on Bored Panda
Trending on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda