Letting go of our kids is never easy, nor is letting go of their stuff. Each age leaves us in a fit of nostalgia that makes us want to keep everything our youngsters came into contact with, especially their clothes. After all, each outfit is likely attached to a memory, and no one likes to say goodbye to those. The trouble is that, with babies growing out of outfits at an astounding rate, this hoarding could soon see you overloaded. Worse, you may well find that you simply never look at those ‘irreplaceable’ outfits again.
That’s not to say, of course, that there isn’t some merit to keeping little outfits, especially if you intend to extend your family. Options like the storage units offered by Northern Mini Storage even make doing so possible without taking up attic space. But, if you’re going to pay to keep kiddie clothes in reserve, you need to make sure they’re worth having in the bank. And, asking yourself these questions could help you to decide precisely that.
Are they well made?
Not all companies make kids’ clothes with quality in mind. Hardly surprising given that some of these outfits are often worn for as little as three months. Sadly, cheaply made kids’ clothes aren’t worth keeping. Cute as they might be, there’s no way they’ll hold up to usage from multiple children, and that renders them useless on the storage front. Give them away or turn them into a blanket, but don’t keep them! Instead, store only high-quality items. Some sure indicators include metal poppers, thick fabric, and seams that look like they could stand anything.
Would they work for all genders?
It doesn’t matter if your family and his family are all boys, genetics work in funny ways and there’s no ruling out the fact that you could have one boy followed by a stream of girls! With that in mind, be ruthless about getting rid of gender-specific clothes. It may be adorable, but would you really put a little boy in that pink tutu? If you’re interested in gender-neutral parenting then go ahead, but everyone else needs to be realistic. Luckily, yellow isn’t the only neutral option on the palette these days, with earthy greens, oranges, and browns also working well.
Are they easily replaceable?
Lastly, make sure that the items aren’t easily replaceable. You want to save money on buying replacements, of course, but is it really cost-effective to store a pack of muslin blankets that you could easily buy again when the time came? We don’t think so. Sleepers, too, are often ten-to-the-dozen, and rarely worth keeping. Instead, look for more unique outfit items that you’d struggle to find again. Then, get rid of the rest.
Sometimes, keeping kids’ clothes is a definite savior, especially in large family units. But, don’t make the mistake of storing stuff for the sake of it. Rather, get exacting, and make sure that you know what you’re keeping and why every step of the way!
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