Are you already feeling the dread? You love Christmas, but is every crevice of your home already filled to the brim with toys? Do you have one of those cartoon closets where, when you open it, all the world comes flying out to bury you? Ya, me too.

Today we’re asking you to do a preparatory purge, so when Santa comes it doesn’t send you into a fear spiral. 

How to do it

• First, take your child’s hand and invite them along for the ride...
  
  

Pick a room

• Start with ONE space within that room. A closet? A dresser? A toy chest? 
• Empty out all within and take stock of what you’ve got.
  
  

Make three piles

• One: the keepers
• Two: the maybes
• Three: the goodbyes
  
  

Talk with your child about what to do next

• What do they still play with?
• What can they certainly part with?

If they're struggling, try to remind them...

• Is it important to keep something you only kind of like?
• Or is it more important to share it with a younger kid who would get SO much joy from it? Mention a specific kid in your life. For us **Shout out to Baby Julia!**
  
  Pro tip: Occasionally I've found this works but certainly not always. So just have that expectation going in!

Then

• Go around that room and repeat with other areas as needed

Now

• Start the next room!

You might not change the tone of your entire home in one go, but it’s a start. 

 ♥️,

Lauren & the Chicago Parent team 

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'CAUSE WE'VE GOT GIVEAWAYS!
Every week one of you will win one of these excellent holiday prizes.

• Dec. 3 Tickets to Holiday Bricktacular at LEGOLAND Discovery Center
• Dec. 6 Tickets to Immersive Nutcracker: A Winter Miracle at Lighthouse ArtSpace
• Dec. 9 Winter WNDRland: Iced In! at the WNDR Museum
• Dec. 12 Tickets to a Blackhawks game