[cylentwolf]

We have a list that our daughter asks us to put toys she wants on. Then we wait. After a bit we go over the list with her and see if there is still the desire. It has been edifying that most of the time the desire is gone and we remove the item from the list.

[gnicholas]

I have wanted to do something similar to efficiently dispose of my child's toys. Step 1: I put a red sticker on any toy I don't think has been played with in a while. Step 2: three weeks later, if the sticker is still there then I take the toy and put it in a holding pen. Step 3: if the child has not noticed it was missing three weeks later, the toy can be recycled/donated.

We haven't done this yet, but it's on our list of things to try.

[asiachick]

Have you tried this with your own stuff? Books on your bookshelves you haven't opened in 10-15-20-30 years?

[gnicholas]

I do get rid of my own things from time to time, but I also get new things much less frequently than she does.

[prostheticvamp]

I did something extremely similar with my not-quite-hoarder wife. She had an uncanny ability to ask about a thing the day before it was to make its way out our door. And my “holding pen” was 3 months.