The Dear Dr.MOZ Baby Blog

Dear Dr.MOZ,

I take our three-year-old to his room to play while my wife puts the baby to sleep each evening, but I seem to find myself with more clean-up time than play time. The piles of plastic tubs we use for toy boxes really aren’t doing the job. Does the GoodFather have anything up his sleeve for a dad with an extreme prejudice towards plastic and a $200 budget?

A “friend” of the family,
Florida Daddy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hello Florida Daddy,

The first thing you’ll need to do is establish the rule that toys need to be put away before a new one is introduced. For example, the color book and crayons will need to be put away before Thomas and Friends can come

out and play. He won’t like it at first, but I think you’ll find that he’ll learn quickly and clean on his own when he understands that you won’t budge. And for the non-plastic furniture for under $200…no problem my friend. Here’s a collection that should have you ship-shape in no time:

• Wood and Canvas Bookshelf: The easy access shelves will make finding that special book a snap, and the soft canvas shelves help keep the books from being damaged with repeated use. (Available at The Baby Office)

• Animal Bag by boon: If there’s a better way of wrangling those stuffed animals in one place we certainly haven’t heard about it. Boon’s Animal Bag allows kids to fill’er up with animals, and then sit on top of it like a bean bag! (Available and on sale at MyStrollers)

• Under Bed Toy Basket w/White Liner: You’re already stuffing toys under the bed, so why not do it in style? This toy basket has a large lid for easy access and wheels allowing you to place toys under the bed (Available and on sale at iToy Boxes) * SAFETY NOTE: Anytime you purchase a product made of wicker, you’ll need to check for (and remove) sharp edges. Do this when you purchase it, and during the product’s use on a regular basis!

Thanks for the question Florida Daddy. Remember, only one toy can be out at a time. No really…just one.

The GoodFather

(to my home on DrMOZ.com)