Drowning In Things

scubaleopard

As a mum of 3 grown - ups ---- it all goes away and then at times you miss it. I still keep 1 box of toys under the stairs for visitors and it brings back so many happy memories of mine when they were little playing.

beemuzed

I remember the house overflowing with children's toys (younger DS now 32 and a Dad himself!) and always thought things would improve when children were older. I have a number of boxes of toys in the loft (put away years ago "for the grandchildren"!) but what's worse, the house is still overflowing with my clutter! Guess I have to just face the fact that by nature both DH and I are hoarders! But I have decided that DGD will be getting books (because I love them and want her to enjoy reading too!) and money in an account - not plastic toys as I'm sure she'll get more than enough from others!

dianadors

One set of our grandparents used to try and outdo the other set by buying the BIGGEST presents - great!!! One Christmas we had 3 of the most enormous teddy bears ever tripping everyone up!! My mum used to give me money for the kids to put in their savings accounts and then just buy them a book etc - much more sensible. I must admit though, looking back its criminal how much money we have "wasted" on the kids. They dont play with half the stuff, purely because they have too much. Lesson to all you Newbie parents out there!!!

Justamum

3KIDSNOMONEY wrote: »

unfortunately some grandparents seem it necessary to buy unneccessary items. The amount of clothes my children have had from one particular grandparent and they have never worn them (i have sold them on at a reduced rate). it would have been so much better for them to have bought a new pair of shoes, or paid towards swimming/music fees. Unfortunately in my case suggestions like this don't go down too well.

I know how you feel. My mum is always buying clothes for my children as she knows we are really struggling and we don't have the supermarket clothes here. The trouble is she's not exactly flush herself! And the childrens' wardrobes are bulging - at lot of the stuff hardly ever, if ever, worn. I managed to put her off buying any clothes when she came to visit recently by saying they didn't need anything, and my 10 year old is at the age now where she would really like to go and choose her own clothes. Instead she gave me money towards buying the new school uniform my DD will need for high school in September.

For a few years she would buy tons of stuff for Christmas, most of which would either not be played with, or would break very quickly. Birthdays and Christmas are always a bit difficult because there may be things they "want" but that is different from "need", and when they get what they "want" they get fed up after a few weeks (if we are lucky). Luckily my eldest stopped believing in Father Christmas earlier this year, so won't be expecting too much any more as she knows how financially strapped we are.

We have to move soon and I'm not looking forward to the sorting and packing as we have so much stuff, although I am pretty good at getting shut of things which are broken or no longer needed. I take what we don't need to either the charity shop or the tip - and I also scavenge at the tip!

LilMissEmmylou

rosh12 wrote: »

We've got a baby due (actually overdue...) and I don't want to sound ungrateful but I am worried about the amount of "stuff" we are going to get! A lot of our friends have older kids so people are really excited about our new arrival- we got quite a bit of tiny baby stuff at Christmas before I was 20 weeks pregnant! People are so kind and generous and love to give gifts but it's hard to know what to do with it all!

I had a baby just before Christmas and she got so many clothes it was unreal! and i didnt need ANY! so i took what i was able to back to the shop, Annabelle now has £200 in her bank account but sadly others i didnt know where they came from and couldnt do this so they r still hanging up untouched waiting to be used as gifts for whoever gets pg next lol

dreams_R_free

I think a carboot sale or two is the way to go. People are always on the look-out for toys and children's stuff. Just clean them up and make sure they are safe and you should do well.

My sister-in-law always buys toys at carboots for when her young grandchildren come to stay. That way they have a regularly changing selection of great toys and she doesn't have to break the bank to provide them:T. You won't make a fortune but someone will get the benefit from them and you could maybe put the proceeds towards a savings account for your children.

LittleBrownFrog

We're trying to push the idea of relatives giving their time to the children rather than things - so maybe a day out at the zoo or something.

MIL isn't keen - she likes to buy any kind of tat that the children show an interest in (i.e. everything lol) but we're having some success with aunties & uncles.

kippers

We don't have much money but we do have a hugh family so the kids get loads of presents at xmas and on birthdays. We are over run with toys also and my girls insist they still want all of them. I feel i can't get rid of anything thats not broken if they still want them

I also feel that it wont be like this for ever

maryb

I was so glad when my DDs got too old for whole class parties - I used to dread another dozen toys coming in the house. And the stationery sets were worst. They'd draw on one page and lose interest but the set had to be kept together, I was never allowed to put the pencils in the box with the other pencils etc.

I'm more ruthless now and I do my sorting when they are not around.

having said that I am saving classic toys for the grandchildren - we have tons of brio and Duplo which represents a huge investment

Justamum

maryb wrote: »

having said that I am saving classic toys for the grandchildren - we have tons of brio and Duplo which represents a huge investment

Me too - lego, wooden train set, dolls house and building blocks. Things which they never really tire of.