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Still storing your children's 'stuff?'

(87 Posts)
fiorentina51 Mon 28-Aug-17 18:11:05

Both of my two are well into their 30's. We have a large store room attached to the house, most of which is filled with their stuff. Toys, games, books, early electronic games and computers......the list goes on!
I keep meaning to have a sort out but feel daunted by the quantity. Think I might have to be brutal and threaten to dispose of it all unless they come and sort it!

Tegan2 Mon 28-Aug-17 18:10:20

Same here grannysue; on top of that I also have me ex's stuff and my ex FIL's stuff.

grannysue05 Mon 28-Aug-17 18:01:04

My DS2 has all his school sports trophies here, plus scout uniforms.
Also 21st birthday cards and momentoes from various events when he was growing up.
He is now almost forty with a family of his own but has no spare space to accomodate all this memorabilia.
Looks like I am stuck with it.

Kateykrunch Mon 28-Aug-17 13:33:04

I still chuckle about my friend who, when moving house, stored stuff in her DD's loft, her daughter keeps asking her to come and take back but she is dilly dallying and finds it really amusing that the tide has turned!

paddyann Mon 28-Aug-17 12:51:03

mine took all their "stuff" with them when they went...and a fair amount of my stuff too...their bedroom furniture ,beds..bedding and towels and a variety of dishes and even food .My son still comes and raids my freezer on a regular basis if he's worked late and cant be bothered to cook or will turn up and cook his breakfast here to save making a mess in his own kitchen...lol

Ilovecheese Mon 28-Aug-17 12:33:11

I had a "use it or lose it" day when my husband and I moved house. I chose to keep some toys though, and now our grandchildren play with them.

HildaW Mon 28-Aug-17 12:32:52

That's the beauty of downsizing once they leave home.........they were told to collect what was theirs or it went!.......we said it nicely though!

Fishpieplease Mon 28-Aug-17 12:30:08

I've been contemplating having a tidy your "treasure" day,inviting adult children to come together and go through some of their stuff. I'm happy to do tip trips as I have a big car. I reckon if I offer l throw in lunch we might get our garage and loft back,ready of course to fill up with our rubbish.

Imperfect27 Mon 28-Aug-17 12:16:32

Auntieflo that's a lovely picture you paint smile.

There are things I have kept especially to 'pass on' at the 'right time' like favourite books and old toys. Other bits and pieces are 'just stuff', but I know how much I have loved building up my own book collection so don't want to throw out the many, many books we accumulated for them over the years.

We are having a bit of a sorting out day as someone is coming to repair our stairs in the week ahead and they need to get into what I call our 'cupboard of doom' space underneath. I think 50% of the boxes there belong to my children. One box file belongs to my DH and the rest to me. He found 4 pairs of his shoes that he had forgotten about 'buried' ... I unearthed and reunited about thirty pairs of mine blush. Know where my kids get their bad habits ...
DH now quietly smug ...

Auntieflo Mon 28-Aug-17 11:36:14

Oh yes. We have a 'treasure chest' toy box that gets a sort through now and again, especially as DS2 now has a 3 year old. But what was lovely a few years ago, DS2 and DIL went into the loft to just look. They were up there for ages and when I poked my head throught the hatch, there they were sitting down surrounded by the memories. A couple of big Lego toys did go that day, but we still have bits and pieces.

tanith Mon 28-Aug-17 11:36:14

I have 'stuff' of my sons he is 41 lives abroad now and 3 times he's been up in the loft to sort it out but there it still remains as he says he wants to keep most of it, I can't see him ever taking it with him to his new home, he'd need a van anyway so I'm stuck with it. I did tell him if I ever move it's going in a skip I don't think he quite believed me . wink

Imperfect27 Mon 28-Aug-17 11:26:06

DH just made me laugh ...

We are still giving house room to many of my DS1 and 2's books, dvds, discarded musical instruments, old room ornaments, etc. Believe me, I am not a hoarder - boys are now both over 25, but as they moved through uni and settling down into flats, we found boxes of things yo-yoing in and out of our home depending on what room they had. Both do seem settled now and it really is time to get things sorted. We have asked them to say what they want / do not want, but never seems a priority for them to sort out.

DH says we should wrap it all up for Christmas and give it to them. grin We will be trekking up to DS1 with all his stuff soon -I think he will be 'surprised' at how many boxes there are!

Are you still giving up space to grown up children's things?