When did you get rid of children's books?

[GorgeousGeorgiana]

I am just about to start thinning out our massive collection of children's books - picture books for younger ones, not chapter books.

I have one 7 yo and an almost 4 yo who only wants the same ten or so books on repeat! I'm just wondering when is too soon to get rid of the others. 7 yo is too grown up for them now.

I didn’t. 🙂My son now has my books from my childhood. They were safely stored away in the cupboard as I went onto a new reading level.

Since we moved every two years or so I had a massive cull of outgrown ones everytime we moved. Only kept the absolute favourites.

I was given a couple of boxes of my preschool books by my parents and the majority hadn't aged well...(Noddy with racist terms, out dated learning methods, obsolete references etc).

I don’t think there’s an age… I noticed bedtime stories were great when my DD started reading, there’s a lot of alliteration, good examples of the “harder” phonics - great to get her to find words with the “ow” or “au” sounds…
And even at 6/7 she liked to “read them” by herself at bed time
Have to say, after 9 we had no use for them, so other than keeping some “special” / sentimental ones, we donated the rest…
Your 4yo may still change her mind

Hmmm OK, I'll be conservative in my thinning out attempt then.

Thanks all

Didn't do our first cull until they were about 12, but we kept all the classics eg bear hunt, gruffalo for visitors kids & grandkids.

I think I started 'thinning out' picture books once DC went into reception.

I started with the ones that I couldn't bear to read any more, the badly written books, the ones that DC never really asked for...

Even now I still have some of the old favourites tucked away - mostly Julia Donaldson - in the hope that they might be enjoyed by DGC in the very dim and distant future.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Since we moved every two years or so I had a massive cull of outgrown ones everytime we moved. Only kept the absolute favourites.

I was given a couple of boxes of my preschool books by my parents and the majority hadn't aged well...(Noddy with racist terms, out dated learning methods, obsolete references etc).

Omg yes, we've had this too! An older relative has a huge collection of children's books. We were given some and they were pretty racist. Quietly disposed of those

Julia Donaldson are the ones 4yo dc always asks for! They're going nowhere

I've thinned out the ones where my heart drops when DD chooses it. And some board books, for my 4 yo

I only get rid of books that I didn’t think were very good.
Mine are 11 and 9 and we still have most of their books and I will keep nearly all of them.
My mum has a large collection of my books from my childhood.
We don’t throw out books in my family!
I am a primary school teacher also so they get used at school as well.

Did massive cull when youngest was end of Y1 as we were moving.

Then every so often here - when space is needed - last time youngest was at secondary and we were getting rid of a bookcase - we asked old primary they wanted them they bit our hand off and even wanted teh pciture books in good condition.

Did look and think we really need to do another big clear as there are still some picture books and many books not touched for years - plus could do with more space for other books.

Do remember my DDad upseeting my Mum by doing a big book clear out though she still managed to keep quite a few to pass on to GC.

I was given a couple of boxes of my preschool books by my parents and the majority hadn't aged well...(Noddy with racist terms, out dated learning methods, obsolete references etc)

I've experienced this too, even books that are 20 years old have aged. The pictures look dated cars, computers, phoned don't look like what they did 20 years ago. So I'm on the view that the majority of our collection will be moved on. No point in keeping them for 20 or 30 years in the hope another family child might want them.

We have a crazy collection of picture books, I detested buying comics at £4 so would end up with 2 books on a BOGOF.

I thin them out periodically when they seem to young for our youngest.

I thought we'd just re-buy books if GC ever came along - they make good presents and there's usually a charity shop with some in to pick up for visitors.

Lego - might hang on to that. We did like being given lego as it was so expensive - MIL hung on to DHs' and kids loved playing with it when they went over.