Need advice... attention Moms

[Ocean Lover]

My daughter is away at camp. I am totally gutting her room. She's 12 1/2 and going into 7th grade. I'm taking all the little girl stuff out and off the walls. She has American Girl dolls, still had some Barbies, Bratz, Polly Pockets etc in her closet that need to go. I've taken 2 garbage bags out to the trash today! Where do girls get all the trinkety stuff?!!! Anyway, my question to you is..what did you save? I don't have room for a lot but I'm having a hard time parting with some of it. Did you save pictures from kindergarten? Their first doll? What's really important? Will she care when she's 30 that I saved all this stuff?

 

[Jdarg]

My daughter is away at camp. I am totally gutting her room. She's 12 1/2 and going into 7th grade. I'm taking all the little girl stuff out and off the walls. She has American Girl dolls, still had some Barbies, Bratz, Polly Pockets etc in her closet that need to go. I've taken 2 garbage bags out to the trash today! Where do girls get all the trinkety stuff?!!! Anyway, my question to you is..what did you save? I don't have room for a lot but I'm having a hard time parting with some of it. Did you save pictures from kindergarten? Their first doll? What's really important? Will she care when she's 30 that I saved all this stuff?

I'm doing this with Will's room next week. And I'm already crying. So I can't answer your questions. I can't believe he is 13.

 

[kathydwells]

I did this last year. I still have all his sports trophies and pictures, but all the little boy stuff is gone. I still have my favorite blankets, onsies, and baby clothes he wore, but all the little boy toys are gone. I gave them to a daycare here. It is sad, though to realize he is 13 and not a little boy anymore.

 

[Allifunn]

My daughter is away at camp. I am totally gutting her room. She's 12 1/2 and going into 7th grade. I'm taking all the little girl stuff out and off the walls. She has American Girl dolls, still had some Barbies, Bratz, Polly Pockets etc in her closet that need to go. I've taken 2 garbage bags out to the trash today! Where do girls get all the trinkety stuff?!!! Anyway, my question to you is..what did you save? I don't have room for a lot but I'm having a hard time parting with some of it. Did you save pictures from kindergarten? Their first doll? What's really important? Will she care when she's 30 that I saved all this stuff?

save American Girl Doll stuff...a few pics of kindergarten...things that mean something to you...will mean something to her one day. Things that mean nothing, and that she has not looked at in years...ditch!

 

[ktschris]

I agree with Allifunn. My daughter is only six, her room is so small I have to do a regular purg or it would be coming out the door. I do hang onto her favorite stuff animals and her favorite dolls, but polly pockets...I must throw away 60 pieces a day and it hasn't even made a dent! What cruel person invented those anyway???!!!?? You need a microscope to find a shoe!!!

 

[Ocean Lover]

I agree with Allifunn. My daughter is only six, her room is so small I have to do a regular purg or it would be coming out the door. I do hang onto her favorite stuff animals and her favorite dolls, but polly pockets...I must throw away 60 pieces a day and it hasn't even made a dent! What cruel person invented those anyway???!!!?? You need a microscope to find a shoe!!!

Polly's were one of her favorite things. She spent hours playing with them. We have many small Rubbermaid containers filled with them. Polly's poodle parlor, Polly's dress shop, Polly's fashion runway... I've decided to have a garage sale...possibly this weekend if the weather is good.

 

[Allifunn]

Polly's were one of her favorite things. She spent hours playing with them. We have many small Rubbermaid containers filled with them. Polly's poodle parlor, Polly's dress shop, Polly's fashion runway... I've decided to have a garage sale...possibly this weekend if the weather is good.

Divest divest divest...unless it is really important!

 

[Beach Runner]

We got rid of a bunch of stuff the summer before our daughter left for college, but we still have hundreds of stuffed animals and other toys. Even at 21, she is never without her Nala stuffed animal (Lion King). Nala has been with her to Europe many times, as well as Asia, Bermuda, etc. She laughs and says that Nala will be with her on her honeymoon. I have no doubt about that.

We need to sort through it all again before she gets married (which I predict will be next summer). I don't want to throw out something she's attached to, like some of her bunnies.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think it's my right to throw out her stuff without her permission.

 

[newyorker]

I agree with holding onto American Girl, but the Polly pocket stuff....good lord...my "baby" just graduated high school, and today, as the movers were clearing out her room for our big move, she herself took the Polly Pocket stuff to the curb (we left a pile of trash that looked like we were hillbillies!) But this was a major purge of stuff just before moving and college--I was surprised that even her field hockey poster stuff was put in the waste can.

I actually think what gets tossed and what gets saved is somewhat idiosyncratic according to the kid. Zosia (my daughter) actually saved some stuffed animals I thought for sure would be tossed--and one bear is in our Jeep right now as we drive to Memphis. Being 18 is not a guarantee that a girl won't want her stuffed bear.

 

[ktschris]

Polly's were one of her favorite things. She spent hours playing with them. We have many small Rubbermaid containers filled with them. Polly's poodle parlor, Polly's dress shop, Polly's fashion runway... I've decided to have a garage sale...possibly this weekend if the weather is good.

Oh mine loves them too. She has thousands of them, but we always seem to suck up 10 - 15 in the vacuum! Plus when she was younger, the rubber clothes possed a problem for her chubby little fingers -- and dad's hand were too big to work the clothes, I can't tell you how many dress he ripped in half!