hoarding plus emotional attachments to outgrown baby toys

[unicornsfartrainbows]

Hi everyone,

I have been doing a post-Christmas clearout of my DS (aged 8) bedroom and sorted into boxes most of the stuff he just doesnt play with anymore - Thomas the Tank engine trains, jigsaws, soft toys, cars, wooden pull-alongs etc. I dont feel ready to give them away and have put them in my now overloaded loft.

I am just wondering if it's just me who does this - he is my last and I would feel a bit sad if they were gone forever. My DD (13) joked that I must be keeping them for the grandchildren and perhaps she's right!

Anyone else in this category? I dont think (?) I deliberately hoard anything else and my loft just seems to be full of old baby toys, christmas decs, seasonal clothes and all the usual stuff. My house is quite small so I really cannot keep loads of books (once read they're passed on). All music and films are on hard disk etc.

Anyway, I am starting to ramble, any thoughts welcome

Thanks. :)

[plummyjam]

Keep a one or two - favourites, those in good nick etc and give the rest to charity. Maybe another child somewhere will get the benefit of them. I wouldn't call myself a hoarder but I have to frequently declutter and I honestly can't say I've ever regretted getting rid of anything later down the line - even some quite sentimental stuff.

[Urbanvoltaire]

I think I'm still clinging on to the toddler/baby phase, bit nostalgic I guess. I think it's a thought of the kids growing up as well. I'll have another sort through and decide of what I really want to sentimentally keep.

[DarylDixonsDarlin]

I have been quite ruthless with clearing out baby stuff once we're done with it - cos I know id get nostalgic otherwise! If its outgrown it doesn't even get as far as the loft - I sell it, donate it, give to family/friends, just so its gone and most importantly it gets used. Hate the thought of stuff lying around that someone could be getting good mileage out of! I've kept literally a small bag of stuff from each child, the rest of it goes.

[MrsMook]

We kept from 1 to 2 as we definitely wanted a sibling, and have kept most again as there is a realistic chance of #3. Long term, I think most would be cleared out, but a few classics kept for visitors, things like duplo/ train track that have long term appeal.

[specialsubject]

in our family toys were kept for the grandchildren - 40 years on, result!

but it is not a strategy I recommend. Pare right down and DON'T keep soft toys. Photograph, then give away.

wooden toys, lego, cars, playmobil are worth keeping. Or selling!

[iamthenewgirl]

My Mum did this. She kept quite a few toys in the loft. After my Dad died and 45 years of living in the same house she moved. She ended up chucking a lot of stuff away because it just got ruined.

Ultimately, it was a waste. If she had sold/given it away earlier she/another child would have benefited from the extra money/joy. I always try to keep this in mind when having a clear out.

Hang on to one or two things and photograph the rest? Or better still, take lots of photographs of them playing with favourite toys and wearing their cute clothes. Much better solution IMO.

[nikki1978]

I don't keep old stuff - like iamthenewgirl my parents kept so much stuff and it cluttered up their loft then just ended up getting chucked out years later anyway! I clear out toys once a year and give to charity or to friends kids. If it is high value like computer games I sell it to help pay for xmas presents. Definitely don't keep stuffed toys apart from maybe one special one. The only thing my parents kept that was passed down to my kids was lego.

[HelenaJustina]

As soon as DC4 grows out of something it goes almost immediately! I've donated stuff to playgroups, charity shops, 2nd hand sales. Clothes go to friends if possible but clothes bank if not.
Am not at all sentimental or attached to objects and with 4DC I really need the space.

Think my DH would keep things if I didn't insist it went but we would have run out of room by now and oldest is only 7!

Maybe leave it 6 months and then sort through again, you may find you can reduce it again. Keeping things for gc is only a good idea if you can store it do it will stay nice until they are ready for it...

[BoffinMum]

I ordered an old fashioned tuck box for each family member and said that they could collect any special things in there for the future, but beyond that we really needed to give things away (unless there was going to be a really obvious use for them at some stage, for example I have carefully stored our family crib).

Mossman tuck boxes

You can even get special ones that can also be footstools and side tables, if you are really short of storage.

[BoffinMum]

BTW I have a special area for things I might need when grandchildren arrive. I find that it's best to get rid of most things, as new mothers don't want loads of stuff foisted on them just because it has been hoarded, but I do have a special toybox ready, and the best of our baby things for the newborn stage, as the latter in particular hardly ever get used so last for generations if necessary (my kids were using the crib sheets their grandmother had used as a baby herself, for example!)