There comes a point in every mother’s life when she realizes she needs to go through her children’s clothes and do something with the items that don’t fit them anymore. . Obviously, my daughter, who is almost five years old no longer needs her Easter dress, from when she was 18 months old, hanging in her closet. Out with the old, in with the new! Unfortunately, this process is often easier said than done.
It sounds easy enough. Go through your kid’s clothes, find the things that don’t fit anymore, and donate them to a local charity or thrift store, give them to an expecting friend, sell them to a consignment store, or put them up for sale on an internet site. All of those are great options for moving out the old clothes your children will obviously never wear anymore.
But then comes the flood of memories…
Looking at the tiny newborn sleepers and baby shoes, holding up the first pair of corduroy pants, and sifting through piles and piles of clothes that your child wore when they were just a little baby can crack even the toughest mom. Clearly this isn’t about the clothes. It’s about the recognition that our children are growing up. When I look at my daughter, I don’t necessarily notice just how much she has grown up on me over the last five years. But when I hold up her baby clothes, I’m instantly taken back to a time when she was just a tiny newborn. All six pounds of her. A time when I never could have imagined the amazing young lady she’s turned into today. When all we had to do all day was snuggle and love each other. The newborn sleepers she wore when we brought her home. Her first Christmas dress when she was just two weeks old, a blue flower dress that I loved because it brought out the color in her eyes. It’s been so long, sometimes I have hard time remembering the fact she was ever that small. The clothes are so much more than clothes. They represent a very special period in my life that I’ll never have again. I get teary eyed just thinking about it. My little baby is growing up!!! And simply boxing up the clothes and driving them to a donation drop off is much more emotionally challenging than it sounds.
Fortunately into today’s day and age, there are lots ways to hold on to some of these special memories after your children have outgrown their clothes. The internet is filled with ideas for turning your favorite outfits into memorable keepsakes. Stuffed animals made out of sleepers, pillows and quits made out of baby shirts, framed art pieces and mosaics using pieces from your favorite outfits. The possibilities are almost endless when it comes to re-purposing baby clothes.
Or… just have another baby and use them all again!
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