As your kids grow up you’ll find yourself in a dilemma. They begin to outgrow their toys and clothes…so you start replacing them…and end up with more items than you have space for! The solution is, of course, to get rid of the old stuff, but that’s easier said than done when they hold memories.

We’ve put together a few tips on how to decide what to keep and what to throw.

Homemade gifts

Homemade gifts should generally be kept hold of. They’re special. For example, a knitted jumper made by a family member is far more precious than anything you’ll ever find in a shop.

The same goes for gifts that your kids have made for you… If you find yourself overwhelmed with homemade gifts aplenty, you could choose a selection of them to keep, or pop them into self-storage when you’ve had time to enjoy them, there to reminisce over in years to come (or embarrass your kids with!).

Clothing

Children grow out of their clothes faster than you can say ‘time machine’. So, what do you do? If you’ve got more than one child, you could store the clothes away ready to hand down to your next child (the joys of being a second/third child!) or give them to friends/family.

You could also take them to your local charity shop (some charity shops will deliver collection bags to your home so all you have to do is fill them and leave them outside your house on the given collection day). Another option is to get creative and repurpose them into items like a quilt so you can keep them as memories…everlasting!

Toys

Certain toys become fixed in memory. Keep hold of those – you’ll be glad you did in years to come. Limit the sentimentality to a few of their favourite toys, particularly teddy bears or quality wooden ones. They’ll be far nicer keepsakes or for future grandchildren to use! Then, hand down any toys that are no longer used for others to enjoy.

Books

As with toys, there are certain books that leave a lasting impact…perhaps it was a book your parents read to you as a child that you’re now sharing with your son/daughter – keep hold of those. One day your child could be reading the same book to their little one(s). Hand down any books that don’t hold sentimental value – someone else will be sure to enjoy them.

One of the biggest surprises about parenthood is just how much stuff children produce! But using this handy blog, you can keep on top of it.

Many people with limited storage space now use self-storage as a means to get around the problem. And guess what? Now Storage offers affordable self-storage for items just like these. Get in touch with the team on 0800 0787 110 or email info@nowstorage.co.uk.