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It's the Brian Laird Show. I'm WNYC. I'm Bridget Bergen filling in for Brian today. If you have kids or have

interactions with parents, there's one thing that they may complain about a lot. Their home has too many toys.

Toys are everywhere in the child's room, the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room, and they just keep

coming. Even when it seems like you've made headway with decluttering, more toys just seem to

appear. With the holiday season, even more are guaranteed to enter homes. Over the last few

decades, the number of toys kids have has slowly increased, but recently,

the number has skyrocketed. According to CNN since 2019, there has been a $5.7 billion

increase in the amount of money we're spending on toys. This means that today's kids have more

toys than ever before, and while tons of toys might not seem like such a big deal, unless you are the person charged with tidying and organizing all those toys, studies show that kids might actually be better off with less stuff.

Recently, Vox reporter Anna North wrote about what's causing the toy title wave and how it's impacting kids.

Anna is a senior correspondent for Vox, an author of their Kids Today newsletter. Hey Anna,

welcome to the show. Hi, thanks for having me. And listeners, especially you parents, the holiday

season is almost here.

How are you all planning to declutter your spaces for incoming toys?

What tips do you have for other parents or guardians who may be struggling with how to handle all this stuff?

Are you asking the grandparents to give gifts besides toys?

Give us a call or text at 212-433 W-N-YC. That's 212-433-9-6-92. Also, does anyone want to

shout out a toy that is worth the real estate it takes up? What keeps your kids entertain? Call or text

212-433 W-N-YC, that's 212-433-9692.

Anna, it seems that your story may have been motivated by your personal experience with feeling toys filling your house.

You even mention finding a pink plastic rat in a drain.

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