Children have so much these days they don't treasure their things?

[UndertheCedartree]

I've been sorting out my DC's book shelves today. They have so much. So many books - fiction and non-fiction, my DD has so many art supplies and art books, colouring books etc. It makes me think back to my childhood. I grew up with much wealthier parents than I am but I had far fewer books etc. The books I had I treasured and re-read so many times. My DC haven't read half their books. I'd read mine inside out. My dad used to video films for us off the TV and I watched them over and over. My DC can just put whatever they want on Netflix.

I was thinking the same a couple of weeks ago when I was having a clear out of dc's stuff. Like you, I had a few books I would read over and over, I was coming across books my dc had read once. I had a handful of vhs videos, many of which my dad taped from the tv, then later on a few cassette tapes. My dc have access to Netflix, Disney + and an Alexa!

It is lovely that they have things they treasure.
When mine were younger it was more like this (they re-read/I re-read them toddler/little kid books) but now my DS is 15 he doesn't 'grow out' of books so they just keep multiplying and his toys/younger books are kept for my DD.

Yes, it is the way things are now.

Interesting.

Very true in the case of my Gdcs I’m afraid.
It’s not their fault, but they have WAY too many toys and books to be able to appreciate more than a very few.
And I’m no fan of minimalism, but so much kids’ stuff everywhere makes it well nigh impossible to keep the house reasonably tidy.
TBH (with a few exceptions) I doubt they’d even notice if half the stuff was binned or charity-shopped tomorrow.

As a child I once counted I had about 200 books. (I was a voracious reader). A significant amount were hand-me-downs from my equally voracious father, which may be where the difference really is.

I own one book inherited from my grandfather, given as a school prize in 1913, and handed down to his children, and now to me. That was genuinely a different time.

Their books are organised and if I really wanted a book and someone said 'are you sure you will read it' of course I'd say yes. It may take some time to get around to reading it, though especially if I was also given some book sets at the same time! Their are also class reads, books you might get to address a certain issue etc. Anyway, let's agree to disagree. You think it's simple to cut down on books, I don't!

You had a cardboard box? LUXURY I TELL THEE!

We had a large rhubarb leaf between the 12 of us and counted ourselves lucky.

Yes, that's very true. They do like to read but yes, I agree they have lots of other things they like to do too. My DS does love to have a whole day free to read when he gets a new book!

I would say reading and gaming are my 15 yo's favourite things. Art and online games with friends are my 10 yo's. Reading and her baby dolls would come in next.

Both of mine are readers - DD1 exceptionally so. I try not to limit books - I do regularly restrict the number they leave in the bathroom for their bloody toilet reading habit though cos it drives me mad, but I do encourage them to see the distinction between the sort of book you'd buy to read once on holiday and then pass on, and the sort of books you return to time and time again - DD1 in particular is starting to get that distinction, helped by the fact a friend runs a local monthly bookshop and she can get new stuff there! (Doesn't work with DD2 who just sends her old books and then returns with her even older previous books)

We had a toy tat cull fairly recently - what they have tends to be sets of things - so a set of those our generation dolls, a set of rainbow high stuff, a mountain of playmobil they're kind of that cusp of outgrowing but return to from time to time - and stuff that's getting outgrown tends to go to grandparents houses for them to play with there, and pass on to their younger cousin - lots of construction and the like has gone that way. Other stuff that never grabbed their interest - however much I tried they never got into lego or wooden train sets - that went to school and gets played with daily there - very little actually gets thrown away.

Craft supplies however - I'm a craft hoarder and DD1 is going the same way - she has a trolley of art stuff and she will sit with it beside her admiring it like Gollum with the bloody one ring! She wants a craft room shared with me and her when we move house!

I disagree, I think they can have too many! Yes, they see me reading every day. I have a pile of books on my bedside cabinet. They both read every day. My DD and I also always have a book on the go we are reading together. I also read to her every night and, depending on the book, my 15yo likes to listen too. Then she goes to sleep listening to a story on her Yoto. DS always reads before bed as do I.

This thread has made me realise actually my 15yo does have books and figures that he treasures. DD's most treasured things are probably all her baby dolls (she has about 10!) and maybe some cuddly toys.

No, I'm not suggesting we should deprive them. It's just nostalgia for that feeling of re-reading favourite books/watching favourite books. I do think have too much 'stuff' is overwhelming too so I encourage them to give outgrown things to their cousin/the charity shop.

I know, things have changed so much!

Yes, it's true. When people say 'a child can never have too many books' - well, surely there comes a point that you don't have the space to store any more! We are heading that way!

With my DD there have definitely been times when I've had that feeling!

Wow! I would have loved that! My mum read a lot but it was Mills & Boon which I wasn't interested in. My dad didn't read a lot but he had a set of Agatha Christie novels that I read.

I often read on my Kindle now or if a hard copy book if I know I won't read it again I either give it to my friend, her daughter or my son depending on who I think will like it best. My son and his best friend swap books too.

I know what you mean about toys. DD is 10 and mainly plays only with her baby dolls. But now and again she will want to get the Playmobil out or her Barbie's. My daughter and I would love a craft room!

I completely agree! I've been trying to do the minimalism thing for a few years now and find The Minimal Mom on YouTube really good. (Especially about toys).

m.youtube.com/watch?v=k7kLvtKvhGA

The only thing I think shouldn't be reduced too far is books, I reduced my 6 large boxes of my own books to a shelf and a half (which does feel fine) but I grew up in a house full of books so I don't limit the childrens ones.

I like the Minimal Mum.

Sorry if I've missed it as it actually seems so obvious but what about a Kindle? It gets rid of the space problem and can be a lot cheaper than even second hand books as they have free library apps and there is also Kindle Unlimited. I have lots of books on my wish list and buy if they ever come down to 99p.

It's also worth considering at that age, they may also be moving out in a blink of an eye (or so it seems!) and then you're stuck storing a load of books which your Dc aren't even there to read! With the housing market it's hard for young people to get the space they need, shared houses or studios won't have enough space, and if they go to uni and live in Halls there won't be room either.

I used to be really "snobby" about Kindles and much prefer the feel of a paper book but needs must and all that. Kindle books also don't disintegrate with repeated reading, I have so many books missing pages (usually the back page!)

Also you don't have to wear reading glasses as you can make the print bigger

It did backfire slightly when he gifted me a children's encyclopedia - my teachers were rather bemused that all my facts were 30-40 years out of date

Neither of them like reading on a Kindle - they like real books! It took me a while to get used to a Kindle but I still get real books sometimes.

That's hilarious! 😂

Books, why do we have so many. They multiple in the night?

I used to grudge the money for kids magazines. £5 and all they really wanted was the toy of the front. So I'd be in Smiths and say what about a book which were always on a deal so he'd end up with two.

DS1 was about 5, I asked a couple of people for book ideas, I felt he was starting to out grow picture books. Within days they'd both landed a carry bag worth of pictures books onto me. Kind but not what I meant. I did eventually pass a chunk of them on.

I've had baby books handed to me that while in good condition were really dated.

Toys are relatively cheaper than they were. My kids have the same number of people buying for them as I had, but they seem to buy bigger, more expensive things.

I'm guilty of not liking people buying clothes for my kids. 2 shorties, really need a size down from age. Family obsessed buying so they grow into stuff. Clothes with characters that have been outgrown before they actually fitted. Got marginally better now younger cousins are taller. But my 11 yo wants to pick his own stuff.

Interesting thread. Here are my reflections:
We don’t have much time, what with working and after school activities. The little spare time that the children have they want to spend doing their favourite things, namely YouTube and computer games.
They love choosing their own tat, far more than getting presents. I remember planning out my Christmas list in October because it was one of the only opportunities to get new stuff.
If we visit a place eg national trust then I tend to succumb to the pester power in the gift shop. It seems fair enough to spend a fiver on some tat when they’ve done something that’s more for our benefit. I wouldn’t have been allowed this.
All their friends have mountains of stuff so I don’t want them to feel left out (we have relatively little stuff).
They seem to treasure their whole stash; as others have said, if I try to declutter they get very defensive of the not-played-with item.
The existence of short attention span things on YouTube means that it’s hard to get them to do anything for long periods. I wasn’t a great artist, but would spend ages drawing. I think my DC can’t really be bothered to colour things in sometimes, they get bored and stop. And reading, they seem to only manage a chapter.
I remember having to put up with living in an adults’ world as a child. Stately homes, restaurants, shops etc didn’t have child-friendly aspects, you just had to walk round with your parents being bored. I don’t want to make the DC have a rubbish time just for the sake of it, but I can’t help wondering if we’ve gone too far the other way.

I woke up thinking about this thread-I’ve been kind of decluttering as I go (not helping hugely, the place is still overrun book wise with toddler books, kids cooking books people have given us etc). My kids DONT read a lot but are specific in what they do-one dog man, one David walliams one Rick riordan. These are the books I’ll never get rid of because my mum got rid of all my Enid blytons, point horrors, sweet valley high, saddle club, Steven king .. the list could go on. All gone to various cousins school sales of works etc and my god I miss them!!! Plus how could she think it was okay to get rid of my comics and horse magazines?!?!?