Too many toys...

I got home from work today and N (6) was howling because she wants us to buy another black bunny rabbit (stuffed) because she doesn't want to have to share the one we have with her sisters. She found the bunny on Saturday. It was in a box. She hadn't seen the bunny for months. She hadn't missed the bunny. I think she was happy to see it again, but I do not think the bunny is one of her favorite toys. I do NOT think we need another one just like it. (She howled and howled about this.) I think she should learn to share with her sister.

[Tangent

I actually had a lot of patience for this outburst... I held her and she talked. I spent some time explaining to her how wonderful it was to have sisters. She agreed sisters are pretty good.... I kind of grew up as an only child (though I have brothers, they were much older than me). She does like how much she and her sisters get to play. I like it too. I love watching them.

End Tangent]

After a while, I convinced the girls that they have too many toys. Right now, they are in the process of going through their toys and sticking the ones they don't want in a box. I told them we could NOT buy anymore toys until we gave some of them away. I told them even if we gave some away, it didn't mean we'd get new toys. Ay-yi-yi. We don't need more stuff. We have plenty of stuff. They have plenty of stuff. We don't need more stuff. We need more time to hang out, less work to do, more hugs and kisses, but not more stuff.

My friend wrote about too much stuff. Paul Graham wrote about it too.