How long to keep clothes for 2nd child

[Hangingwithmygnomies]

I'm currently having a sort out of everything as we have carpet fitters coming next week, so am taking the opportunity to clear some stuff beforehand. I have 10 and 4 year old, so a fair age difference. My 10 year old is a tall boy and in age 13-14 clothes. I really don't have the space to keep everything that he has outgrown but it seems silly to get rid of things that I know we'll need in the future, especially the more expensive items such as coats/winter onsies and that kind of thing. If you have a similar age gap, did you keep it all or just a couple of years above your youngests age?

I don't have an older child, but regularly buy years ahead for my dd if I see anything at a bargain price or in the charity shop.

Would you have the space to store it in vacuum bags anywhere? Then you can put them in some weird spots - like under the stairs, sofa or on top of cupboards.

@AintOverUntilTheCatLadySings

I don't have an older child, but regularly buy years ahead for my dd if I see anything at a bargain price or in the charity shop.

Would you have the space to store it in vacuum bags anywhere? Then you can put them in some weird spots - like under the stairs, sofa or on top of cupboards.

I already have lots age upto 9 years in vaccum bags under the bed. I'm hoping to get my loft boarded to make some more use of space but doesn't help me for the moment. I guess my problem is, it could potentially be 10 years of clothes to store due to how much taller/bigger my eldest son is. Plus I have no idea if DS2 will like the same stuff as DS1, so I could keep it all and DS2 will hate it.

We have a 5 year age gap and I tend to sell the decent stuff on ebay or to a second hand selling site because I don't want to hold on too stuff for years and also dd's are completely different colourings so don't really suit the same stuff. I let dd1 chose her own clothes so want dd2 to have the same choices too

We have a 5 year gap. Luckily my mum lives locally and has more space so we keep the clothes in a spare room there

Once they are 12 (?) they start developing a taste in clothes so they might not like what their sibling wore.
Ds1 is very skinny and wears skinny jeans. Ds2 is more muscly so skinny jeans look silly on him.
It might be worth keeping stuff if it's designer but I think that ds2 could get annoyed by hand me downs at that age and want new like his brother.

I kept wellies and crocs when they were very young but I didn't save shoes

I’d keep some of it, the nicer/more expensive things and the basics (like school trousers) that the younger child won’t have an opinion on.

I have a small age gap but big height difference (older child very tall, younger very short). I do keep most things, but DS2 doesn’t wear all of it, because:

• DS2 has his own views on things, eg refuses to wear a ‘fat’ winter coat. But summer coats get handed down.

• I’d feel mean to never buy DS2 new things, eg I’ll buy DS1 2x new trousers, shorts and T-shirts, and at the same time I’ll buy DS2 one t shirt and one pair of shorts.

• the height difference means that things don’t suit the other child - eg age 5 clothes that we chose for DC1 age 3 or 4 aren’t what an 8 year old DC2 would be seen dead in! Sounds like you’d have similar issues.

• shoes are usually too battered to keep. But I always re-use the sandals and wellies.

• I do pass on school uniform , but I won’t be keeping DC1’s current stuff because age 10-11 clothes will never ever fit DC2 when he’s at primary school!

@Findahouse21 yes we have very different colouring here too - one is a red head and the other is not. Didn't think about that.

@netflixismysidehustle yes I agree and I'd feel horrible not buying him new stuff. They're both very different personalities. DS1 just wears whatever I buy, whereas DS2 is more assertive about what he wants to wear. Maybe I'll just keep the size that are already packed away, school uniform and school coats. Shoes don't last long enough for me to worry 😂