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General Category => Grab Bag => Topic started by: Keys Girl on July 19, 2012, 04:28:34 PM

Title: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Keys Girl on July 19, 2012, 04:28:34 PM
I have been storing baby and toddler clothes that my son wore and even though I've moved a few times, I've always kept them, with the idea that he might like to have his children wear them.  I'm in a small apartment now, and I'm clearing through some clutter and I'm thinking of sending most of them on to a charity, and keeping one or two items.

I'm not even sure that I'll ever see any grandchildren and after 25+ years of holding on to these items, I could use the space and my enthusiasm for holding on to them has of course gone down the tubes.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

KG
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: pam1 on July 19, 2012, 05:34:15 PM
I think charity is a great idea!

Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Beth 2011 on July 19, 2012, 06:16:21 PM
Hey Keys Girl,

Sounds like a plan. Chin up!  :)
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: luise.volta on July 19, 2012, 06:33:21 PM
I donate anything I don't use to someone who can. I know I am lacking in sentimentality, probably, but there's no clutter.  8)
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Elise on July 19, 2012, 06:48:08 PM
I did what you are thinking of years ago KG - kept his first tie, his little monogrammed yellow sweater from about 2 years old and his first birthday outfit.  They fit in a zip loc bag and I have not been sorry I let the rest go. Still have his childhood books though, am hoping to pass those on one of these days, along with his wood building blocks and train set.
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Scoop on July 20, 2012, 06:04:06 AM
Keys - I think you should donate 'almost' everything.  Boys are less sentimental about that stuff.  And really, it's usually the Mom who dresses the baby, and her level of sentimentality will be once-removed from his.

Keep anything 'special', Christening dress, coming home from hospital outfit, and anything hand-made (blankets, sweaters, hats).

I've saved a bunch of my DD's stuff, because she hates to part with it, but I think as we get further away from her babyhood, we'll be able to get rid of more stuff.  She will want to buy her baby's clothes, she won't want to dress her baby in all of this 'old fashioned' clothes.
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Doe on July 20, 2012, 06:35:05 AM
I think I would give away the bulk and package the special stuff and send that to the offending AC so he can keep it or not.  It's the 'special' stuff that seems to carry the more painful reminders, imo.
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: SCW on July 20, 2012, 08:01:46 AM
From the other side of the fence.  I am not sentimental and after three marriages have lost or given up most of my children's things.  I would (and have) like Doe said given to the AC the more sentimental items, but after 20 years or more, isn't the rest of it outdated for today's parents?  I would have never used an outfit that my mother had for me, on my daughter 25 years ago.  I cannot imagine my children using anything 20 years old on their kids.
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Keys Girl on July 20, 2012, 08:23:16 AM
Thank you everyone, I'll got through the items.  I might keep a couple of hand knitted items that my mother made, and Scoop you are right, he's not likely to choose what any baby or child will be wearing, so it's going to find a new home today or tomorrow.

KG
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Pooh on July 20, 2012, 09:41:40 AM
I did the same thing.  Got rid of all of it except a couple of special outfits each.
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: lancaster lady on July 20, 2012, 10:12:06 AM
I offered my DS 's handmade baby blanket to my DIL for my GD , ''No thanks'' , she said .
I think we are the only sentimental ones where our kids possessions are concerned , because they certainly
don't want them .
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: jill on July 20, 2012, 10:21:41 AM
After 2 girls, most of the clothes were worn out, but if not, were given away.  I kept a few special items though.  When they were each expecting their first child, I made a centrepiece, flowers in a container with a dowel on which I hung a little baby hanger with their first baby sweater.   I have given them most of these keepsakes, glad to have done so, as I do not see much of them now.  I still have a few special writings and pictures.

Jill
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: constantmargaret on July 21, 2012, 08:25:41 AM
I have to echo that they don't want this stuff. The sentiments attached to these items are ours, not theirs. To them it's just old stuff.

I saved the darling handmade stuff my children had, and for 6 there was a lot of stuff. Turned out that in the end nobody wanted any of it. I would have had an entire closet shelf all those years if I had given it to Goodwill. DARN!

I know what you mean though. Right now there is a cute teddy bear in my DS's former closet that was given to him at birth and embroidered by family friends. Do you think I can get rid of it?
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Keys Girl on July 21, 2012, 04:00:43 PM
It never occurred to me that they wouldn't want it, when I was younger, my mother cherished items from a previous generation or the one before it.  Times really have changed, I really could use the space and I'm going through a major de-clutter phase so someone else's kids are going to benefit.

Thanks to everyone for their feedback.
KG
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Pen on July 22, 2012, 01:56:44 AM
Keys, I loved having items that belonged to my GM & DM when they were small, but I don't think my kids are interested in having that stuff or even their own baby items. I'm glad I didn't save much, just a couple of handknit items from MIL.
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: SCW on July 22, 2012, 08:09:57 AM

I have a few things from GM, and DM. I cherish them.  Maybe once they grow older....they will wish they had some of the things, but not many have room for things from their GP, DP, their own and their DC.   Imagine if we kept all of our children's baby items, toy, clothes, etc.  then our parents had all of theirs, GP had theirs......I am sure the Storage industry would explode!  lol

I have a doll baby that was my mothers, she is the kind with rubber face, hands and feet, and over the years that has gotten gooey, she is pretty dirty and I keep her on my dresser.  I have tried to clean her with no luck.  Everyone, and I mean absolutely everyone who sees her says how scary she is!

I also have a TV lamp of a sailboat from GM, I kept out on a Barrister and several years ago the foster kids were playing and knocked it off  :(  It broke, but not irreparable.  The kids I let slide, but behind closed doors, I cried to my DH. (tearing up now thinking about it) I keep it in the china cabinet now. It is the one thing that reminds me of GP, because I saw it every time I visited.

I know these will probably be sold along with everything else I have when I pass.  I still hope that my AC will find something that means a lot to them, to keep. 

Maybe we could have a thread of "The things we cherish from the past"?
 
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Pooh on July 23, 2012, 06:19:27 AM
I see all these things that I go, "Oooh...I'm so going to do that", and then I never get around to it!  I have an antique bedroom set in my guest room.  I saw online somewhere, where they had taken the outfit for each child, with hat, shoes, etc and the little birth card, and bought shadowboxes.  They put all the little sentimental things for each child in the box and then hung them on the wall.  I loved that and I still want to do it, if I ever get my guest room back! Lol.
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Lillycache on July 23, 2012, 08:57:43 AM
I learned my lesson with my DIL.  I would never give her anything I held precious if I had it to do over.  When she had the first baby I gave  them the rocking chair I got as a shower gift from my grandma when I had my first.  It was beautiful solid Walnut and quite expensive.  I spent hundreds of hours rocking both my boys to sleep in it and comforting earaches and boo-boos.   I guess my mistake was not saying I wanted it back eventually, but honestly, I thought she would cherish it as much as I and she would pass it on.  Well, first she painted it an ugly green.  Then it was another color... then it was gone.  I never had the heart to make an issue of it.  But it hurt.  I really wish I had never given it to her. 
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Pooh on July 23, 2012, 09:08:11 AM
I'm doing the same thing Lilly.  I have the rocking chair that my Mother bought my brother and his first wife when they had their first child.  My Ex Sis-in-law passed it down to me when I had my children.  I'm going to give it to FDIL/YS.  It's in her room now and she asked me about it one time and I told her what it was and that it had rocked all the GC of my Mother, including YS.  She smiled and I told her she could take it with her when she left if she liked and that hopefully she would treasure it as much as I do.  I don't expect it back but I hope she holds onto it and hands it down to her kids someday.  If she doesn't, then I will not feel bad, as it's a gift.  It will actually tell me something for later years on what sentimental things to pass down and what needs to go to someone else.
Title: Re: Baby Clothes, etc.
Post by: Grammie on July 25, 2012, 10:15:11 PM
One of the few things I saved from OS was the outfit DH bought after we found out the sex of our new baby.  He wore it home from the hospital.  We gave it to OS/DIL as a shower gift with a nice poem and a framed photo of OS wearing it.  GS also wore it home from the hospital.  I have saved one outfit for YS as well. Now all he needs is a wife!  The rest of the items were donated to a charity.