I’m trying to declutter my home. I have two children, a daughter (5) and a son (1 1/2). My husband and I aren’t sure if we are done having children.
So what to do with all the outgrown baby and kid stuff? I gave away all of my daughter’s girly stuff to friends of ours who had a baby girl. But there’s the crib that my son will soon outgrow, the stroller, baby car seat, bouncers, Bumbo, baby toys, baby clothes (I kept the neutral ones), cloth diapers, and my maternity clothes.
Currently it all sits in my basement in plastic storage bins. But it piles up! I’ve really gotten rid of a lot, donating to a maternity resource center and passing things along. But what I have left still takes up a lot of space.
If you’re not sure whether your family is complete, how do you handle all the outgrown baby, kid, and maternity stuff?
-Jessica
Great question, Jessica! And I think the answer will look different for different people. But here are some of my thoughts:
1. Get Rid of Everything You Don’t Love
If you didn’t use it repeatedly with your last child, there’s a very good chance you won’t be using it much with your next. Instead of letting it hog up storage space, pass it on, sell it, or donate it.
2. Get Rid of Everything That Isn’t In Good Shape
Don’t hang onto clothes or baby items that are worn out, stained, or ripped. Ditch items that are broken or have missing parts–unless you’re absolutely sure you will fix or replace the parts should you need them again. If you’re not 100% sure you’ll go to the effort to fix or repair an item, don’t hang onto it.
Better yet, if you want to hang onto something and it needs repair, go ahead and just fix it before putting it in storage. If you’re not willing to go to effort to fix it now, there’s a good chance you won’t be motivated to fix it when you need it, either.
3. Consider Whether It’s a Necessity
If you don’t have a lot of storage space, only keep the basic necessities. In my Having a Baby Without Breaking the Bank series, I wrote:
First off, we must start by asking ourselves, “What does it really take to raise a baby?” I believe our society has become so materialistic and consumer driven that we hardly know how to even think in basic terms.
Aside from lots of love and nurturing, here are the essentials I believe you truly need:
–Clothes (For starting out, I think you can get by just fine with around six onesies, six sleepers, a few pair of socks, a few hats, and 4-6 blankets.)
–Bed (unless you’re planning to co-sleep)
–Car seat
–Stroller
–Diapers/wipes (either cloth or disposable)
(And if you are unable to nurse–as I know happens on occasion, or if you are adopting, you would also need to add formula to this list.)
And that’s about it, folks. Seriously. There are other things that are nice to have, such as a swing, a sling (or ERGO), a few nicer outfits for baby to wear out of the house, a diaper bag, and so forth. But none of those things are absolute necessities.
4. Calculate How Much It Would Cost to Replace
If you love it and used it repeatedly with your last baby, ask yourself how much it’s worth. If you could easily and inexpensively replace or borrow something, it might not be worth hanging onto it for months or years–especially if you’re not sure you’re going to use it again.
5. Assess Your Storage Space
If you’re really short on storage space, pare down to the basic minimums. It’s just not worth it to keep items you aren’t using if you don’t have anywhere to store them.
6. Create a “Lending Library”
If you’re not using an item, you might as well loan it out to someone who could be using it. That way, you’re not having to store it, it’s not sitting somewhere unused, and it’s saving someone else from having to buy it!
Do you hang onto all your outgrown baby items and maternity clothes?
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