Here’s a little routine I’ve developed: as I fold the laundry (which is basically every. single. day.), I keep a small pile off to side where I put Lily and Jackson’s clothes that they have grown out of.
It’s continuous, the pile. It just lives on the corner of the dryer. Every couple weeks, when the pile gets big enough, I take them down to the storage room in the basement and put them in the big cardboard box with all the other donation stuff.
That’s the theory anyway. Kids grow out of clothes, then you donate them.
But the thing is, I don’t always. Not right away anyway.
For example, this week, sitting on the top of our dryer were the following items:
4 pairs of footie pajamas that Lily has grown out of.
1 pair of size 12-month courduroy pants that are now too short for Jackson’s long legs.
1 little grey wool cardigan with woven leather knot buttons size 6-months.
Earlier today, I brought the clothes down to the basement, but I could not let go of the cardigan. Instead, I opened the big bag of Jackson’s clothes that I’ve been hoarding: the Goodnight Moon onesie, the Give Peas a Chance tee shirt, a fuzzy white pajama suit with baby blue stripes. He will never be able to wear these clothes again. We will not have any other children to pass them down to. There is no reason to keep these clothes.
For a moment, I consider putting the whole bag in the donation box, but I can’t do it. Not yet anyway.
So I add the little grey cardigan with the woven leather buttons to the growing collection.
Write Another One 
Some of their clothes carry so many memories they are hard to give up. I can understand your dilemma.
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If it helps, I still have plastic tubs filled with precious baby clothes in my basement. I can’t get rid of those favorite outfits–the Hanna Andersen soft cotton dresses with matching tights, the sweet little onsies, the tee-shirts bought while on vacation. My youngest is twenty!
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I kept just a few things….but I wish I had kept more. I went into my “tub” in the attic to prepare for a new little one coming our way in the fall….and I was in tears remembering the little Giants overalls, and the yellow onsie! I could almost remember when they were that small…
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I really appreciate this slice. It is so hard to let go and you conveyed that so beautifully with your details about each piece of clothing. Thank you for sharing this!
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I did the same thing for a long time. My husband couldn’t stand it, which is why they eventually went out the door. I did save a few though. I keep thinking I will make a baby clothes quilt. Likely this won’t happen for many years though. I did frame their first hockey jerseys in shadow boxes. They are so tiny! đŸ™‚
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My sister-in-law’s son just had a baby and she was able to pass on some of his baby clothes that she loved and when I saw some of the pics, I remembered Josh wearing them. Good reason to hold on to some of your faves. Next generation đŸ™‚
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It is hard to send them off. Maybe instead cut a piece of each that you love and make a cover for a photo book or if enough, piece together a quilt or two for one of their children someday???
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It definitely feels like you are giving away a piece of your child when you give away those little clothes they wore. I am a grandmother now and I saved a few special outfits from my own daughters, and my little granddaughter has worn a few. My own daughter has a hard time letting go of those clothes as well, always saying, “I’m going to let her wear this one more time, even though it’s too small, because it’s so cute and I don’t want her to keep growing so fast!”
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As you can tell from all of the comments, you are not alone in this, though I can say it gets easier as they get older and actually wear clothes out (and the clothes become less “cute”). My favorites are my daughter’s preemie clothes, as they remind me just how tiny she really was.
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I am the same exact way. I have bins labeled and organized because we can’t decide on if we should have a third. So this is my security:-) I think you are doing just fine hanging onto them đŸ™‚
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My daughter is almost 32 and I still have some of her baby clothes! There are a few that I just loved so much. Maybe someday I will pass them on to a grandchild.
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Each item of clothing carries a memory…there will be a time when you will be ready to let go, but, for now, hang on to them and the memories. They grow fast! And, there’s something about those tiny clothes that just pulls at the heart…
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I did the same thing! My kids are much, much older, but I still have bins of baby clothes in the basement. Maybe someday I’ll be able to get rid of them, but for some reason, not just yet.
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So hard to get rid of the clothes! I have bins and bins and bins of them. I’ve started to make myself get rid of the ones that I don’t LOVE… and the ones I love… well sometimes I’m able to pass them to a friend to use… that feels good.
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There are some special pieces I still have from when my son and daughter were babies. They are more than clothes, they are memories. Oh, my children have long outgrown them since they are now in their twenties.
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Well I have a similar problem. I put mine in an old ziplock bag that used to hold a comforter. I have all kinds of clothes and toys in there for someone yet to be born in the family or maybe just to smell and look at in wonder once in awhile. Your slice was bittersweet and I could really picture the corner of the dryer full of sleepers that would be too tight to wear for your daughter.
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I can understand this. This post really touched me. Thank you for sharing.
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