Too often my clients will say, “I can’t get rid of these things. I am saving them for my children.” The problem with saving things for your children is that they may not want them!
One rainy day I pulled out a cedar chest which contained my children’s baby clothes. My daughter, soon to be 21, was home from college. We sorted through her things. Every time I picked up an item of clothing, I reminisced about how old she was when she wore it. When I would pass it on to her, she would critique it and then tossed it into either the “donate” or “trash” pile.
She did keep a few important items like her christening gown which I made for her, but she did not keep the majority of the clothing. So we washed the clothing in the “donate” pile and gave it to a local charity which helps homeless families. Then we took the “trash” pile to the recycling center.
I learned an important lesson that day. Don’t assume your children want all those things you have been saving for them. Ask them first!