Do you/are you keeping things from your kids childhood for them in the future?

[traces7]

Mostly I mean toys, books, sentimental items, etc. Our house is getting so cluttered and we have a lot of toys, etc that my 10 yr old DD doesn't play with, but I have a hard time getting rid of them!

Of course I have gotten rid of all the baby toys. We have a rummage sale almost every year, because we have such a small house and nowhere to keep anything. But I've been trying to save a few things as memories for the future for my DD. I've saved a couple baby outifts, shoes, and her first toy and book. But, I've also thought of keeping some of her favorite books and toys.

Am I weird? I do this mostly because as a child we moved around a lot and there is nothing left from my childhood. I have 1 doll and my set of Little House on the Prairie books from when I was a kid. I'm always a little sad that I don't have more.

So, if you do save things, what do you save and where do you store it? Thanks for the advice!

 

[Wall-E1]

No, you're not weird. I save all of my son's sports jerseys from the teams he plays on. I have his two stuffed animals saved. I have some of his smaller toys that meant a lot to him when he was younger. I probably have more things - just can't remember off the top of my head.

 

[PatsMom]

I've saved quite a few things. Her two baby quilts - one hand made by my grandmother, the other just her favorite. Her christening dress. Some handknit sweaters my grandmother made her. She has a doll my grandmother made - and she and the doll had matching outfits also handmade.

I have some of her artwork put away. The first letter she ever wrote me from summer camp. Her 8th grade report card. And a bunch more sentimental stuff.

Fabric things are stored in a cedar chest. Most other stuff is just saved in boxes.

 

[Pikester]

I'm saving all the kids Thomas the Tank Engine stuff (that stuff cost us a bundle) and all their Matchbox/Hotwheels cars plus those building sets that you use with the cars. I figure my grand kids can play with those a long, long, long, long time from now.

I've also saved school papers, report cards and some smaller items from when they were babies.

 

[JVL1018]

Yes, I save lots of things.
School stuff..I have a clear plastic box I got in Staples, a little bigger than legal paper size and about 8 inches deep. I write each of my kids names on it and then 2009-2010(or whatever school year it is) and anything from school that I want to save, just goes in there. I keep those in my bedroom for easy access, and then when the school year is over, they go downstairs to eb stored in the basement. Besides papers they draw or write, I put report cards, extra school pics, uniform shirts from whatever sport they were in, their school field day shirts..

Baby clothes that I couldn't bear to get rid of, a baseball cap my son wore every single day when he was in Kindergarten, that kind of stuff is all in a rubbermaid tote in the basement.(We have a huge storage room off the regular part of our finished basement, it's the size of a 2 car garage).

My mother donated my Weeble Wobbles to our church nursery, I didn't care at the time, but I so so wish I still had those, so my kids toys do not get thrown out unless it is broken or they weren't beloved toys that were played with all the time.
My sons duplo blocks we still have, all of their many sets of Little People, still have. Barbies, my son's collection of fire trucks and Tonkas..they all are in the playroom in the basement.

I do throw a lot of stuff out or donate a lot of stuff, and really big stuff like bikes, their old kitchen playset gets handed down when they finish with them.
I am constantly purging, but favorites will stay, there is room for them.

Heck, my husband lived in this house growing up and i still have some sort of electronic baseball game as big as a table standing up behing my laundry room door-that was his when he was a kid. LOL

If we ever redo the playroom, I will get totes and store them all in the storage room.

 

[Pakey]

Our sons are grown (youngest is almost 29) and I'm still storing their stuff as they have no interest in any of it at this point.

Things saved: Baby outfit worn home from hospital. First sports jersey. Favorite toy. Baby quilt made by Grandma. First school art project. First school writing project. Favorite childhood book. Yearbooks. Awards and diplomas (not sports trophies).

I have one large Rubbermaid container per child.

 

[minniecarousel]

I've saved my older DS's rocking horse. But by the time he's a parent, those old spring-type horsies will probably be out-lawed!

For younger DS, I've saved his Brio trains.

We have some of their books too.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I saved their Elmo and Barney that were glued to them, some books, baby outfits, Toy Story toys. Also those Pokemon cards being they take up very little space.

I'm sure I have more things but can't remember them off hand. .

 

[JessicaR]

Our sons are grown (youngest is almost 29) and I'm still storing their stuff as they have no interest in any of it at this point.

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I save things over the years and wonder if my boys will want it when the time comes. I think I save it more for me than for them. I'm one of three girls and we all wanted our stuff!

My MIL gave me some items that were my husbands and I don't think he even had a look at any of it.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Of course... I'm totally keeping some of DD's "meaningful" things! She even has and loves some of my old things

 

[EdiePA]

One of the best things that I saved were old T-shirts -- from sports teams, places we visited, camps they attended, concerts, etc. Then, as a high school graduation gift, I made them each a quilt from the T-shirts. They are 27 and 25 now and still have them.

I also saved a couple outfits, Brio train set, some lego sets and books.

Edie

 

[Acklander]

I'm not a big "saver", I'm more of a minimalist, so no - I don't save things like outfits/toys etc.... I have one container for each kid where it has photos/letters/school awards etc... but that's about it. Once it's outgrown, and not used anymore I either throw it out or pass it on.

 

[luvmy3]

I'm a saver but with 3 kids I try to limit to the stuff that I know means the most. I used to save every school project from pre-school and K but I found it much easier to take pics of it and keep those instead. Anything they make for me as a gift, I keep.
As far as their toys, the only things I plan on saving are dd's American Girl dolls, furnitire and accessories and all the boys' Thomas stuff. I consider those an investment and I can one day give the to my grandkids.
I kept the shirt and hat from the hospital when they were born, and a couple outfits/shoes and binkies, but thats it. They all have special blankets, and 2 of them have special stuffed animals that will get stored away when they stop using them

 

[traces7]

One of the best things that I saved were old T-shirts -- from sports teams, places we visited, camps they attended, concerts, etc. Then, as a high school graduation gift, I made them each a quilt from the T-shirts. They are 27 and 25 now and still have them.

I also saved a couple outfits, Brio train set, some lego sets and books.

Edie

How did you make the quilt? I've been saving my DD's old t-shirts just for this reason, but didn't know how to go about making a quilt. Of course, I don't sew, so it will be a little hard anyway. But I was hoping to get my mother in law to make it, she quilts all the time.

 

[ilovejack02]

I only have kept about 5 outfits from when DS7 was a baby. One was his 2nd xmas outfit that I just adored.. paid a fortune for it LOL. It hangs on the wall in his closet, I swear Im going to frame it ; ).
I will keep most of the Thomas the tank engine items,but for the most part all toys are gone.

I keep all his school stuff in a folder and purge at the end of the year. I keep report cards and continue to do so.

I buy him Jack in the box ornaments ( his name is Jack) for the xmas tree ... he helps pick out and I will hand them over when he gets married and has his own family.

I try not to keep to much stuff, I hate clutter and dont like keeping to much stuff in storage.

I do have his Baptism gown, it was my father's and my mom redid it for my little boy when he was 3 months old.
My Dad is 84 now.. I hope to have it to hand down to my grand kids.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

As far as toys go just some books and the little people stuff. Everything else goes when they outgrow it. I will probably save all the board games though.

Other stuff I save is special school stuff, first outfits, little things like that.

 

[Princess_Nikki]

Mostly I mean toys, books, sentimental items, etc. Our house is getting so cluttered and we have a lot of toys, etc that my 10 yr old DD doesn't play with, but I have a hard time getting rid of them!
So, if you do save things, what do you save and where do you store it? Thanks for the advice!

Nope, you're not wierd. I keep pretty much everything. I had a lot of great toys from the 80's that my mom did away with after her divorce and I still get upset about that.

We do occasionally have yard sales or give items away to the good will that aren't his favorites. Like happy meal toys, random stuffed animals, or sports balls that have seen better days.

Storage? ~sigh~ Let me know if you come up with any good ideas!
I just keep everything in plastic storage bins.

 

[diznygirl]

I have saved a lot of sentimental stuff - toys, books and clothes. I made shadow boxes of their hospital stuff from when they were born. I have boxes of school stuff, as well as scrapbooks.

I also plan on keeping all our Little People toys - and we have a ton of it! They keep changing the way they make them and we don't like the new stuff. I'm hoping I'll have lots of grandchildren to share them with.

 

[disneyvacationmom]

I have saved way too much stuff--lots of toys--I recently got rid of a lot but saved a few Barbies, the lego, k'nex, and special books etc. I'v also saved a few outfits of my sons and his first shoes, and every dress my daughter owned from 0-6 years(a little ridiculous I know), their home from the hospital outfits and baptism outfits. Also some school things--the other day I went through some of their journals and I found one of my sons who is now 23 and a pilot. It said "When I grow up, I am going to be a pilot. Flying is fun. I can take people all around the world. I have never been around the world" He was 7 at the time. Made me glad that I saved the stuff. It is stored by the way in rubbermaid bins.

 

[*BTMRR*]

Whatever you do, don't watch Toy Story 2 on the day you're planning to get rid of your kids' old toys...I made that mistake once! I couldn't get rid of anything that day! That sad song the Cowgirl sings just kept running through my head.

I'm not a packrat at all when it comes to my own stuff--I love going through closets and clearing stuff out--but it's hard for me to get rid of things that the kids don't use anymore. I've limited myself to one big binder for each kid for their artwork and school papers, and one underbed storage tub for each kid's small toys, medals, and so on.