Kids generally understand that the holiday season means they’re getting more toys. But between stuffed animals, action figures, video games, puzzles, books, and everything else, kids today already have a lot of stuff. And for parents, this time of year can be stressful, as many ask, “Where do we put all this stuff?”

Caitlin Gibson, a feature writer for The Washington Post, knows exactly how that anxiety feels. In her article, “Our kids have too much stuff,” she writes, “There is already too much stuff, and now, staring down the gift-laden winter holidays, there is the stress (and guilt) of knowing even more is incoming.” 

Gibson spoke with Marketplace host Kimberly Adams about why kids have so many things and how she is approaching the ever-growing mountain of kids’ toys.

The following is an edited transcript of the conversation.

Kimberly Adams: So what is the toy situation in your home like right now?

Caitlin Gibson: Oh, it is getting better, but it’s mildly out of control. I have a five-year-old and a three-year-old. So there are — oh gosh, yes, there’s Legos everywhere. There’s stuffed animals everywhere. There’s everything everywhere. There’s — there’s a lot of things everywhere in my house.

Adams: Writing this piece about your kids having too many toys, can you talk about sort of the journey that you went through as you were writing this? 

Gibson: Well, this story came up because it’s a conversation that I’ve had with so many parents. I mean, as I’m doing my reporting, I’m speaking with families all the time. Of course, I’m moving in parenting circles in my own life as well. And particularly with the holidays coming up, something that I was hearing over and over again, from parents was this kind of anxiety about just the sheer volume of things that have accumulated in their home. And then, knowing that even more is coming with the holidays coming up. So what I wanted to do is just talk to different parents and kind of get a sense of, “How is this happening? Why is this happening? What does it feel like to have to navigate this? And what are some ways that we might be able to kind of get this a little bit more under control?” 

Adams: Another piece that came out around the same time as yours, this one from Business Insider, argues that one of the reasons parents these days, give kids so many toys to keep them occupied, is basically the toys are cheaper than child care. What do you think of that?

Gibson: I think that is absolutely true. And a really important point to make. It’s one thing to say, “Oh, it will be better to kind of give experiences or to do something with your kid.” Well, you know, in our modern reality, a lot of parents don’t have time, don’t have the money to take their child somewhere or do something. And then, for the same price, you know, the cost of toys has dropped to a level where it is easier to just buy them something to keep them occupied. And I think that’s really real. I also think the pandemic exacerbated that. I mean, speaking even just for myself, you know, I was at home with little kids, I couldn’t safely take them anywhere. In the beginning, I had a newborn and a toddler. And I think a lot of parents I’ve spoken to have echoed that same thing that even more stuff started kind of flooding in during that window of time when going places wasn’t really an option.

Adams: So what’s the tally now? How are you doing it controlling the toys in your house? Are you even trying to anymore?

Gibson: I am. I am pleased to tell you that I brought in a giant box of about 35 stuffed animals just yesterday to give to a colleague who is collecting for refugee families. So at least I’m down 35. And I probably still have 135 to go in my house. But we’re, we’re working on it.

Adams: How did writing this article change your overall approach in terms of how you think about the things your kids have and might get in the future?

Gibson: Well, it was good to be reminded that there are things we can do to minimize the impact of this and that it is okay to be openly communicative with the people in your life. You know, I live in a small house, we don’t have endless space. And it’s okay to convey that to people. It was kind of affirming to have other parents and to have the professional organizers saying that too. It’s actually good to let people know that, you know, if they’re thinking of getting you something bigger, they need to check in with you about that. And I was listening to what she was saying about including your children in this work of purging. And so when I went through that box of 35 stuffed animals I was just telling you about, I did sit down with my five-year-old daughter and she helped me do that. And that was really kind of nice to talk to her about why it’s important to let things go and how there are other people who might, you know, really need and use those things in a way that we’re not needing and using those things anymore. So I think just being more mindful about what’s coming in and the way that we’re letting things go. Those were kind of my main takeaways from working on this.

Correction (Dec. 27, 2023): A previous version of this story misspelled Caitlin Gibson’s name.