Just got rid of dds last toys - feeling emotional.

[gloopygel]

Dd is now too old for toys. Earlier today I asked her to clear out any stuff in her cupboards/ drawers that she no longer wants.

Bit of a toy story moment where she sorted what to bin / donate / keep.

It feels stupid, but when I saw all her once cherished toys, thrown into the donate/ bin boxes, it upset me.

We've had many toy clear outs and these are the toys that she had always chose to keep, her favorites. A few years ago she would have been crying the thought of them being donated.

Poking out the box was her My Little pony collection she had from the age of 5. She used to play with them every day and I remember the day i surprised her with the one she had wanted for ages. She said I was the best and gave me the biggest hug.

I asked her if she wanted me to keep the ponies in the attic, but she looked at me and said what's the point I'll never play with them will I?

Knowing that was true, I took the box to the local charity shop.

The toys had been just sitting in the cupboard for a while so I know now they will go to better use.

It just made me feel really emotional. Seeing all her once beloved possessions, just dumped. She really couldn't care less that they're gone.

I know I'm being pathetic and should be proud of my daughter and how she's growing up. I really am.

Anyone else felt like this?

I once took my daughter's teddy to the charity shop and the next day it looked so sad and lonely in the window that I bought it back again 🤫

My eldest is 22 and just moved into her own flat. She didn’t want to take her Jessie (from toy story 2) ragdoll, or her Fizz Tweenie. I said ‘I don’t know you anymore’ and was only half joking. They’re not going anywhere. When we move, they’ll come with us.

I’m not hugely sentimental, but these are tatty, a charity shop wouldn’t take them, and something so loved shouldn’t be landfill.

My other daughter is 19, also just moved out (although I don’t expect it to br permanent) and getting her to get rid of anything is hard. I’d saved a load of school work and there was this large 2 dimensional pottery owl, with bits of raffia and hessian glued on, and it was disintegrating slowly and messily, so I said I was throwing it. Both girls thought they’d made it, so we looked on the back only to find one of them had brought home the wrong work, and I’d been lovingly caring for someone else’s monstrosity for about 12 years. Younger daughter still wanted to keep it ffs.

@Ticklemycarpets I understand that completely!

I am keeping quite a few of my daughters toys. My mum still had quite a lot of mine and it is nice getting them out to play with again with my kids and the memories come flooding back. I wouldn't have dreamt of keeping them if I'd been given the choice as a youngster though.

God, yes, I get it. I stuck all the Thomas stuff and the Sylvanians in the attic... it'll have to go sometime, but not yet.
The kids think I'm daft.

I'm welling up at this thread, can definitely relate. @Pollythecat15

I forgot to mention this but after the deaths of my mother, father and sister in the last 4 years I started hunting down my beloved childhood toys, the ones I could remember but not why the hell they weren't kept. It's cost a small fortune but they're all here and I'm never letting them go again

I tried to throw out loads of my toys when I was younger but my mum must've been too emotional about it and kept them my niece and nephew love playing with them now at nana's house!

@UnitedRoad I did have to giggle at you keeping the monstrosity pottery owl

If its any comfort, I bought my DD3 a dolls house second hand on ebay. Seller said she hoped it would being our dd as much joy as it brought to hers. She loves it so much and it has had a second wind being loved and played with by my DD rather than sitting in an attic.

I couldn't have done it.

I'd have kept them.

You're allowed to keep mementos of your child too. In a few years time or as an adult she may have liked to see them again.

I've just kept a few of their favourite things like the brio, dolls house etc, hopefully for future grandchildren.

But I will never, ever, ever get rid of dd's Jessie doll. No one can watch Toy Story 2 and get rid of Jessie...sob!

Please don't throw away her toys! Keep some of them!
My daughter and niece love to play with mine, my sisters and sister in laws barbies/sindeys, dolls, dolls houses polly pockets etc! And also my husbands cars, trains etc!
Tbh we love playing with them again!!

I'd have kept them OP

I'm 22 and still have teddy's and toys from my childhood won't ever part with them as they're special memories of early childhood

It is hard, I agree. Ds is 15. He still has his tiger his dd bought the day they visited Chester Zoo when he was 5. I've kept some books, special cuddly toys and a few other bits. He refused to part with his rocking horse so that's in the loft for when he may have children of his own. It's sad when I think of the literally hundreds of toys i have sent to charity but you just can't keep them. all.

I saved my kids My Little Ponies and lots of Barbie stuff for my potential grandchildren. Also have enough Thomas the Tank Engine cars and track to circle the globe. Now waiting for great-grandchildren!!

This has made me so sad, my boys are 2&3 in December and the thought of them never picking up their favourite bin trucks and excavators one day and zooming them around breaks my heart 🥺

As a charity shop aficionado, thank you.

My dd has a whole tub of vintage ponies and dolls from someone's clear out and they are very much loved.

I love that my Dad kept some of mine. DD played with them and we’ve kept them (plus some of hers) for potential future generations ❤️

It’s sad in some ways but here is a different way to look at it.
I know a 7 year old little boy who is currently dying of cancer. Incredibly sad. What his mum wouldn’t give for him to out grow a few toys and move on to something else.
With everything they out grow, their interests change to something else, the next stage of development and life’s journey. Choose to Let the joy and happiness of their growth and life step forwards rise above the sadness of their passing childhood.

I would have put the little ponies in the attic in a nice box. When she's 30 you can bring them out and she will gaze in wonder and you will discuss the games you played together and all the fun you had...just like I recently did with my mum when she gave me my Sylvanian families set!

@GreyhoundG1rl ^^. 😀

Oh I'd have struggled with this op.
I'd have definitely sneaked them off to the attic, I'm extremely sentimental though I still have toys from my childhood that I've passed down to my daughter. My mum was the same and I'm so glad she kept things from my childhood it's been so lovely to relive those memories through my own daughter.

I must have done something wrong as my kids are now around 30 but I still have sacks of beany babies and boxes of treasures of the earth. I also still have my spirograph and some other toys from the 70s.

I had to leave a charity shop in a hurry once when I took all our baby and toddler toys in and could feel the tears welling up