<p>Only child just graduated high school and is off to college. We have been going through her stuff and making donation bags and giving old books to the library. I came across binders containing all the certificates she was awarded through the years. old toys, trophies, medals, graduation cap and gowns from high school and kindergarten. birthday cards that had been saved and poster boards for science fair projects that had been done. How did you decide what to keep for the future and what to get rid off. I think over time whatever has been saved will eventually be gotten rid off. </p>
<p>Is this your memorabilia or hers? I am not sentimental and toss a lot of stuff, but the kids have to ego through their own stuff. </p>
<p>Unless you are selling your home or are short on space, I don’t think you need to be in a hurry to discard it all. Maybe get rid of the things you are positive have no sentimental value to your daughter. Items you think she might want to keep a little longer could be set aside so that when she’s home on a long break, you could go through them together and let her decide. Different people place different value on things. I still have a few toys from childhood which are sufficiently timeless that visiting children play with them, and I hope someday I’ll have grandkids that will too. On the other hand, you don’t want to burden your daughter down the road with boxes of old junk.</p>
<p>@pizzagirl. Good question. I had saved her certificates in a binder just to be organized since her papers were all over the place. We live in a small home so whenever she has free time (barely) we go through her stuff to declutter. Just the thought of having to ever move makes me think about what we have in our home that we can get rid off. I don’t like seeing overstuffed closets with things that aren’t used yet a few memories of childhood I don’t mind. </p>
<p>I read a suggestion…probably here. Get your camera and take photos of the paper stuff (art and science projects, report cards, awards, etc. Put it all on a CD.</p>
<p>We asked our kids. Since we didn’t really totally repurpose their rooms, they could choose what they thought they wanted. Neither had any interest in the old science project poster boards, or any school papers or notes. We didn’t really have old cards. </p>
<p>We got one of those big Rubbermaid bins, and they put what they wanted in the bins…some report cards, some awards, etc. Their yearbooks and class pictures are still in their rooms.</p>
<p>DS graduated from college in 2007. Every time he comes home, he cleans out something else. His dresser and closet are pretty empty. His bookshelves are still pretty full, but he often rereads the books.</p>
<p>Toys…we saved the Brio train set, Legos, a dollhouse, and all of the American Girl Doll things. We don’t have any other children’s toys here. </p>
<p>Trophies are gone. We have the tassels from HS graduation, and they are hooked to the HS diplomas.</p>
<p>When my daughter was a college freshman away at school, I went through all of the stuff I had saved. It was very easy to go through the tons of school projects - art etc. and whittle it down to the few that I liked or had sentimental value (mind you I had saved this stuff not her). </p>
<p>She went through her class notes etc.(stuff she had saved) and saved only those she thought she could still use (calc notes, Italian notes, etc.)</p>
<p>I also went through all of her toys etc. and neatly boxed up stuff (in those large rubbermaid containers ) - one for build a bears, one for american girl dolls, etc.</p>
<p>We also went through her books and together kept only those she wanted (the rest were donated to the local library).</p>
<p>I did a huge sorting/cleaning out of craft supplies (can’t believe how much we had - paints, clays, feathers, craft kits) and threw stuff out and gave the rest to the children’s librarian.</p>
<p>In general, during her first year at school, I was possessed with cleaning out stuff and went through every closet in the house - cleaned out tons of stuff, clothes, linens, old appliances, everything. I was definitely the bag a week club for that year!</p>
<p>Several years ago, while I was at work, and my sister (the minimalist) and son collaborated on the BIG CLEAN. The Brio set, along with the board that I had painted, and most everything were gathered up and given away. This sister had made him curtains and matching crib set–all that she took back to give to another baby. She had made him all his early blankets–all cotton with trim, with designs of space ships and animals and sports. All his wood carved toys had been gifts from her. Fortunately, there was 1 big tupperware box that she missed. I don’t wish to put this cleaning on my sister; my son threw out all his schoolwork at the end of the year. It would be fun to read his early stories or reports, but not my decision. </p>
<p>So, son’s room looks the same, but the drawers are basically bare. When he and the g/f visit, they live out of suitcases. </p>
<p>I did have three pieces of childhood artwork from each kiddo professionally framed. They are hanging in my house. </p>
<p>My own mother was a bit of a packrat…but the ONE thing she saved…that I love…is an art project of mine that she had framed when I was in 6th grade. So I chose some nice art my own kids did, and had it framed.</p>
<p>@thumper1 My sister who is really organized scanned all of her two daughters artwork and made calendars with the pictures. (each month displaying a piece of artwork) I don’t want to save everything but just some things for awhile and then 6 months or one year down the road take a look at the items again. It was nice to find things that were forgotten and to find some empty spots in the closet. As far as clothes daughter likes shopping so I told her get rid of old things that aren’t worn and see what you really need to purchase vs. buying things randomly. </p>
<p>I have a habit of saving cards. (birthdays and holiday) I save them for awhile and then they are discarded. Feels good to declutter but I was amazed at how much went in the trash. (old posters and papers) I kept her taekwondo belts and trophies for now but when I have to dust her furniture I have to dust the trophies on the dresser too. I have saved some childhood toys for her to keep too. (build a bear and barbie dolls)</p>
<p>We are moving as both girls go to college, so the sorting has been brutal. They each have an container full of ‘old’ stuff, and one for the recent things. Children’s books, Christmas books, American Girl dolls are mine, so I’m saving them. We’ve given some stuff to the little girls next door. We’ve moved a few times in that last 4 years, so any of the good toys have been bundled and given away (Build a Bear, horses horses and more horses). It’s hard for them to decide what to take to college as anything left may never be seen again They have had no trouble throwing out the middle school binders and a lot of other things. It’s harder for me to take it to goodwill and think about the thousands of dollars spent on this stuff. I always say that if I had to do it again, I would have bought a lot less stuff!</p>
<p>My parents have moved a lot and don’t have much of our stuff. We don’t need it, but it is sometimes fun to come across an old report card or photo from third grade. If my kids are ever famous, I’m sure other people will come up with old pictures and newspaper articles of ‘way back when.’</p>
<p>" I think over time whatever has been saved will eventually be gotten rid off."</p>
<p>I’m not sure all of it will. I have to believe there has to be some things that she will like to look back on. I kept all the cards and letters that my grandparents wrote me over the years. I guess I would think about keeping what not just necessarily she might want to look at but what her future kids might find interesting.</p>
<p>when D1 came home on breaks she cleaned her room and saved little and gave away or threw away the rest. when D2 came home on breaks she did not do any of these. After D2 graduated from college I gathered some and clean up the rest. I put all her stuff that I thought she would like in her closet or on bookshelves. I just cannot get rid of alot since I do not know her sentimental value of them. The rooms look nice and neat. I think the first year of college is too soon to get rid of much. </p>
<p>When S left for college the floor of his room was literally inches deep in paper. I spent days in there going through it, and various other stuff. I sorted everything into boxes of stuff I thought he probably wouldn’t want, and boxes of stuff I thought he might want. Every time he came home, I asked him to take a look through them. No dice. After a few years, I moved the stuff I thought should be discarded to the garage. They were still there when he graduated from college, unexamined. Last year I recycled all of it, with his permission. Of course, in the mean time he had brought home MORE stuff from college. I almost never get rid of books, but there is a lot of other stuff that should go. Especially clothes that he never intends to wear. I hate to ruin his rare visits home by nagging him about going through this stuff, but something has to be done. My mother, a neat freak, did not hesitate to throw away all kinds of stuff that had sentimental value to me: childhood toys, old school uniforms, the china plate my grandmother served me breakfast on as a child. So I am extremely loath to do the same. But I don’t think he really cares. Also, we have a large house with a large walk-up attic and tons of storage room, so there is no compelling reason to get rid of stuff, if I am willing to just put it in the attic…</p>
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<p>I agree. What’s the rush? </p>
<p>One thing to consider is some students fresh out of high school may not be comfortable with what may seem from their perspective a feeling you’re pushing them out of the house as quickly as you can. Especially right after HS graduation without much/any time to juggle processing their HS graduation experience, getting ready for college experiences/military/jobs, expanding their academic/social horizons, etc. </p>
<p>As for processing/getting rid of stuff, as slow and tedious as it can be, this is something the late teen/young adult child concerned needs to own 100% not only for his/her own sake, but also so you as the parent cannot logically be blamed if you accidentally toss out something which turns out to be sentimental or still needed. </p>
<p>My intention is not to get rid of everything. Just the things she knows for sure she doesn’t want to keep.
Daughter is actually living at home for the first year of college so it is not that I am anxious to get rid of things. We live in a two bedroom condo so just want to keep the home clutter fee. We also want to make room for the new things she will acquire during college. I just want everything kept in an organized way so that she knows where everything is when she wants to look at it. With limited closet space if things are not put in place it starts to look messy and unorganized. Every six months or one year I try to assess what we have in our home and what is old and needs to be donated or thrown away. Anyway I got new ideas from reading all of your comments which I really appreciate. This was my first post on Parent Cafe. I too have not adjusted to the fact that she is out of high school and attending college. She sure grew up fast.</p>
<p>My mom saved a bunch of my stuff and put it into boxes. I looked at it a few years back, probably 25 years after I’d gotten out of high school. It was so cool! Things like my graduation speech that I had totally forgotten about. And articles from our local and HS newspapers. I’m glad she kept the boxes all those years! </p>
<p>“We got one of those big Rubbermaid bins…”</p>
<p>^This. Every year the day after we dropped kid off at camp, I would clean out his room and dump everything into big shopping bags and put them in the basement. So, a few years ago when we decided to clean out that part we bought the big bins and went through everything. We didn’t even fill up one bin. Kept a smattering of sentimental stuff (to H& me - kid would have said to toss it all.) I also kept the nice wooden toys (thomas tank trains, blocks, etc.) and all the board books that weren’t ruined. When we are dead, he can go through bin, keep what he wants and toss the rest. </p>
<p>Kid is a rising college senior, so this summer I asked him to clean out his closet and bureau and take to good will everything he doesn’t want. I am turning his bedroom into the guest room and he moved down to the bedroom in the basement. More privacy for all of us with him down there. </p>
<p>I sorted their school stuff (art, papers, projects, awards) into toss and keep, then sealed a selection into a container for each to have when they’re older and want to show their kids, etc.</p>
<p>We just moved my mom and my sister did the arduous task of going through all the pictures and mementos and gave us each our own box. I got a kick out of reading old report cards - I dilly dallied on my way to Kindergarten - I was happy to see this stuff, that I will probably just put in my attic.</p>
<p>Every year we got those rubbermaid containers and at the end of the school year the kids and I picked what to save that was special. They’re all in the attic. </p>
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Let me get this straight – while you were at work your sister and your son went through everything? Without your input whatsoever? Those were some mighty generous gifts she gave to others (Brio trains)!</p>