To donate a load of our Christmas gifts to homestart?

[Skatingonthinice16]

It seems ungrateful but oh my god we are drowning under stuff. Normally we don't have this much but everyone seems to have been very generous this year. Also we now have two kids...

Dd (one last week) now has six very similar 'my first dolls', two doll's prams, four wooden pull along toys, three shape sorters, three ring stackers, three of the same leapfrog toys, two push along walkers and loads of bath toys.

Ds (7) has several craft type sets which look lovely but I know he will never use, several duplicate books, some games which look too young for him, two electronic animated cuddly pet things which I know will never come out the box and three small duplicated Lego sets.

I didn't have much for Christmas and what I did have I asked for and the same with dh. I did receive a couple of things which, whilst kind, aren't to my taste so I'd probably take those things too.

We have so much stuff. We are drowning in stuff. It's making me feel edgy and the kids can't see what they have. It seems so ungrateful to take it all down to homestart but if I keep it it will only languish in cupboards for a year or so before the same thing happens anyway and during that time it's all stuff that is taking up space. And we don't have much space. Some of the homestart families struggle for toys, books etc and that's where I'd like to take it.

Aibu? It feels wrong in some ways and right in others! We already had a pre Christmas clear out and I took some stuff then and gave some to charity shops but I wasn't anticipating this amount of gifts. When people had asked what we wanted for dd we'd said clothes in the next size up but understandably people like to give children toys don't they? So she's hardly had any clothes but loads and loads and loads of toys.

It's exactly what I would do. We just donated some gifts to local families being assisted by a charity. New gifts and second hand things.

'Keep a spare priest for when a friend comes round'?

We genuinely don't have the space for one toy pram, never mind two. The only floor space in the baby's room is a foot and a half wide corridor between door and window. In the four year olds room there is an area the size of a rug - perhaps 1'20x80cm - but if toys are kept on it overnight, it becomes a risky walk of Lego fire run.

That means no fun go karts or ride ins - there isn't the space. We don't have a hall. And we have a normal three bed house for four of us - plenty of people live in more cramped conditions.

Donate away OP. And no, I probably wouldn't tell the 7 year old. I might keep a charity bag going and determine that as he hasn't mentioned a Christmas game for x weeks it's time to go. But I refuse to live in a tide of stuff that is overwhelming and will never get used.

Someone bought DS 9 completely different books on the same subject. Would take up about 25cm of shelf space which we don't have. he can't even read. He already has books on this subject and even if he becomes the most avid reader I doubt he'll ever read all of this (think 'encyclopaedia of space' type books). They will not all be kept.

I think part of the problem is that stuff is relatively cheaper now than when we were little. I had a full set of grandparents, godparents, and many honorary auntie and uncles who would buy for me but it would be one thing - a video, a pencil case, a selection box, one book. Now you can buy a sets of things much cheaper - when DVDs are 3 for a fiver, 3 becomes the default quantity. A friend who I know struggles for money gave DS two construction kits and a book and something else - Too Much Stuff, and I struggle with the guilt of giving it away but not as much as if it were unplayed with at home and taking up space we don't have (how many Kallax units can one house need?!?!)

My DD is also 7 she got duplicate presents so after discussion they are going on eBay and she will get the money to buy something else she wants. She is going to the works for craft stuff. I think the monetary value of duplicate gifts belongs to them and they should choose whether to sell or donate, your little girl is too young for an opinion but maybe your son would like something else instead of the craft stuff

My 3 year old made the suggestion of giving things to children who don't have much.