to not enjoy donating to the charity shop?

[NickNacks]

I realise I live in a cluttered home and I don't like it so have been really trying hard to declutter lately. I find it really difficult to get rid of things and boxes I have organised for the charity shop sit in my car for weeks on end. I have talked about this issue to people IRL and many have said 'Just do it and you'll feel like a weight has been lifted/ you won't miss any of it/ it will make you feel generous' etc etc.

So after dropping the DCs at friends this morning I past a charity shop and stopped, handed over the box and walked out quickly before I could change my mind and now I am home.

But I don't feel better. I feel sick and worried and anxious. WTF is wrong with me!

I do worry too. Most cos I worry about everything so I do the 'what if' routine described above. And because, like Pag, I have the poor-person's panic of handing over stuff.

I keep those bags that come through the door, we get at least two a month here, and try put a few bits in them each time. That way stuff keeps moving out the house but there's time to reflect/offer it around elsewhere. Also, the bags are clearly not binbags so can't be confused (not sure why that worries me).

I once donated something I meant to keep by accident so now I double check the bags before I drop them off. I am terrible for hanging onto things, especially clothes and I feel guilty if they are things I haven't worn much. I feel great after I have actually dropped the bags off, but I get quite stressed leading up to it. Ridiculous really. I agree it is some form of emotional insecurity but I don't know where it has come from. I remember buying back a book of mine that my mum had donated from a jumble sale at around the age of 6. It wasn't even a book I particularly liked.

I currently have boxes and boxes of baby and toddler clothes because I am hoping to have another baby, but it is all taking up so much space. I'm wondering if that is normal. Do people really get rid of all baby stuff and then replace it when the next one comes along? I am starting to look forward to the day I donate that lot to the charity shop.

I wondered that too. I lost most of the baby stuff because I split up from XP when DS was just over 1 so only took the bits I still needed - the cot and pushchair, really. And the clothes. I'm keeping the clothes because I might have another baby some day in a few years(!) but starting to think I should weed out the collection a bit and perhaps only keep the bits which are extra special.

I don't really need the big pram any more (DS is 3!) but still have it just in case. The baby car seat I gave to ex because he was expecting another baby with his new gf and I didn't want it anyway.

It's stupid, because I actually really enjoyed shopping for everything before, so having the chance to do it again ought to be fun! But for some reason I'm not seeing it like that.