Anyone else obsessive about DC's toys being organized?

[Jenny_A]

I love to organize and arrange DD's toys! Instead of a big box to put all of her play food in, I arrange it in her kitchen putting the condiments in the refrigerator, stack the little boxes and can on the shelf, etc... She has specific bins for balls, musical instruments, trains, etc... and ONLY those items can be put into those designated bins.

I find if she has a toy where you have to buy additional pieces I have to complete the set by buying her (over time) all the pieces to complete that "set". For example, she has all the rooms and pieces that they make to go with Fisher Price "My First Dollhouse".

I know each toy that she has and if something is missing. It drives me nuts if we can't find something. When we set up her Little People all the right people have to go with it's original set.

Now, saying all of this, I love for her to play freely. I don't care if she mixes sets while she plays, etc... I'll even leave things alone if she has them set up a certain way. But eventually they all get put back where they belong.

DD is only 2 so she does some of her own cleaning up but not a lot at this point. I think I'm going to have to relax a little more as she gets older and starts putting away her own toys. Although, I've noticed my obsessiveness is rubbing off. She'll notice if something is out of place.

Anyone else do this or am I nuts? A lot of my friends just throw toy pieces and parts in big bins or buckets and forget about it. Not me :-)!

Jenny

[veronica]

I am the exact same way and my behavior stems beyond kid stuff so I just started seeing a therapist. Mind you, I always let DD play any which way and clean up after she is in bed but it has gotten so obsessive for me that I bought her little tiny hair clips to clip back her wispy hairs in the front and I will actually move the sofa just to look for one that is missing. I have a "mental" list of the pieces that we have not been able to find or if one of the dogs chewed at a toy and I hate that I can't replace them. I too have the my first dollhouse and complete everything, even if DD doesn't play with them.
I am by no means saying you need a therapist, but I know that for me it has gotten to be too much so I am hoping to be more "free" as I like to think of it. I have only gone twice so no real progress yet but I looked online and noticed I fit the classic case of "perfectionism" or OCPD (Not to be confused with OCD).

I have found that since the arrival of DS, we have been more more busy and some of my usual quirks have eased up.

At the end of the day, I don't think there is anything wrong with cleaning up and arranging things in a certain order as long as it makes you happy and doesn't negatively impact you or your familys' life. Once I knew it was hurting my family, I knew I had to change.

[ellies mom]

I like the toys organized just so and I too have a mental list of what goes with what, how many there are supposed to be and so on. That said, I just want DD to pick up her toys so I really try to keep my issues to myself and if something is completely out of order or missing, I deal with it myself later.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I wish I was! Can you guys come to my house for a work session?

[ellies mom]

I wish I was! Can you guys come to my house for a work session?
Oh, I didn't say they were picked up all the time. Just that when they are put away, I like them just so. There seems to be no middle ground with me. Disaster or scissors put in scissor shaped outline on peg board. OK, seriously, I don't have a peg board but I think you get my drift.

Which is why I'm trying not to share my issues with my daughter. I'd like her to be able to find the middle ground.

[KrystalS]

I am exactly the same way! I organize all of DDs dishes and food in her kitchen, and all her toys have specific bins they go in. Dh thinks I'm crazy but it makes it so much easier when she wants to play with something specific. She doesn't have to dig through a big toy box for a certain toy. But I've always been a very organized person, I hate clutter and I'm a perfectionist.

[SnuggleBuggles]

When we pick up, everything is organized just so...even the play food in the kitchen (pretend milk is in the fridge :)). I have one of those Target wooden racks with plastic bins that hold toys and each one is grouped how I want the toys to be. I haven't done it yet but think I will when the baby gets older (ds1 is a lost cause :)), I will print out pictures of what goes in what bin to make clean up easier.

Beth

[WatchingThemGrow]

I will print out pictures of what goes in what bin to make clean up easier.

I'd do it now. It will help DS1 in Kindergarten, if he hasn't already started. That's how centers are cleaned up, and it's pretty important there.

I guess it is my nature to always wish things were put away in their proper places, but not actually take the time to do it.

OP, does DD seem to have those tendencies already or do you just see it as a problem for yourself that you don't want to pass on? I admire the people who realize problems exist and try to get help for themselves in some fashion.

[bluestar2]

hmmm.... maybe I have a problem and am in denial ;)

[nupe]

I like to have sets of toys in their own containers or bins. All the toy bins are by category in our playroom (music things, stuffed animals, computer, art things, firehouse,lego/duplo, puzzles, puppets, etc) and in the kids rooms. I haven't bought complete sets or wanted to of anything yet, although we have a ton of Thomas/Brio.

[salsah]

I A lot of my friends just throw toy pieces and parts in big bins or buckets and forget about it.

i can't stand that! it drives me nuts. you wouldn't do that with your stuff so why do it with the toys?



unless it is taking over your life, i wouldn't worry about it. be proud and keep it up -- it is never too early for dd to learn. (think about like your desk -- do you keep all your papers filed away neatly or just piled up in one big stack?)



at our hosue, i keep everything organized. all toys have a separate bin or other designated area. everything has its own place and must be put there neatly. so the wood blocks are not just thrown into the box -- they are neatly arranged. same goes for the train set. and yes, the toy milk is in the play fridge. the entire play kitchen remains organized like a real kitchen. and i hate when something is missing. how do things just disappear?


dh thinks i need therapy. i probably do (i can't even leave anything crooked - i am always straightening everything -- even REAL food .) dh is the exact opposite so it is a real problem for us. he calls me monica (in reference to the show "friends") or monk (in reference to the show "monk") because i am so obsessive about cleaning and organizing everything, not just the toys. and i don't just do it for fun, it actually irritates me when things are not neat and clean or straight (aligned with its surroundings).

[niccig]

I think it depends if it is affecting yourself or others in a negative way. Eg. a friend's mum would not allow my friend to get ANYTHING out of a closet. I mean like a sweater. Her mum controlled access to EVERYTHING. That's definitely negative. Another friend told me that crumbs etc on the counter upset her and she is very insistent on how her girls eat/play so they stay clean - but it's at the point that she's now worried that her girls don't just get in and play and they get upset if they get a little dirty, so she's trying to back off a little.

If you're getting upset at how the kids are playing and that they're not putting the milk just so in the toy fridge, than I would say it's a little too much.

I have our toys in certain bins and on shelves, so they're easy to find. I have 4 baskets in the toy kitchen, 2 for food and 2 for pots/dishes. The shelves are the same, there's a certain basket etc and it goes a certain shelf, so we can find it again. I find this easier to clean up, everything gets scooped up into one basket and it goes on the shelf with other related toys. I also think this is easier for DS to do himself and as he's getting older he's getting better at cleaning up after himself.

If your system is too complicated for the kids to do, so you are always doing it for them, then I think it's too much. They have to learn to pick up after themselves. I constantly struggle with DH putting things away, so I'm trying to have DS be better about that.

[greatcanuk]

Oh, I didn't say they were picked up all the time. Just that when they are put away, I like them just so. There seems to be no middle ground with me. Disaster or scissors put in scissor shaped outline on peg board.

I'm the same exact way.

[jvs195]

I'm not like this at all so I guess that explains the mess! I do have bins that I try to keep "like" items in (costumes, wooden toys, musical toys etc..) I gently direct DS to put items in those containers, but honestly I'm just happy when they get put away period. If something goes missing it's a lesson on how to keep track of your things. We usually end up finding it pretty quickly or find other things to distract. DS has already shown perfectionist tendencies and I don't want to add to his stress by being obsessive about everything in it's place. And yes my office has piles of papers waiting to be neatly filed.