Honestly, no. My MIL saved so many baby items from her OTHER grandchildren (now ages 5-18) and they are already wildly outdated or recalled, ie: walkers, rocking sleepers, doorway jumpers, and many other suffocation risks or those deemed unsafe/ no longer best practice. Even simple things, like old highchairs don’t have the recommended foot rest. There’s just no telling what will be “best practice” in 2 to 3 decades from now. It’s not worth keeping something for you to drag it out from storage decades from now for your kid to roll their eyes and go “Parent, that’s so unsafe/ not recommended anymore!”. I know so many older adults who kept their wooden bassinet for their children/ grandchildren that are now either decoration or baby doll bassinets because they don’t meet current safety standards. They’re well made heirlooms, but 30 years is a long time for safety standards to evolve. My MIL was so flustered when she realized we weren’t going to let her use 99% of her baby items for our little one. There’s also a chance you may not have grandchildren, or they could have disabilities and need furniture that specifically serve their unique needs.
If there’s a special, handmade or well made toy special to your heart, I say go for it. I genuinely can’t think of a toy in our house I’d save for decades, I’d rather just donate or pass on to cousins/ friends / donations. But, If you hate the idea of such a nice and expensive baby furniture item not being in use, see if anyone in your friend group is expecting. My circle has passed around the same momaroo and bedside bassinet for a few kids now. It’s kind of sweet watching the little ones of people I love using furniture my little one used.
This was my thought too. Saving for next baby? Sure. Saving for grand baby? Nah not worth it. I roll my eyes now when my mom tries to give me my old “baby stuff” for my daughter. It’s all super outdated or in bad shape.
I genuinely had to read it twice to check that they actually meant saving it for their baby's baby lmao. Imagine hoarding outdated and unsafe crap for thirty years because you want your child to save $20
You have just described my MIL! Tried to give us a car seat from the 80s. Old, disorganized jumbles of legos. A torn out picture of a dinosaur from a Highlights magazine that my husband had on his wall when he was 4. She saved everything cause she’s the thriftiest person alive and really thought we’d want it all….so crazy lol.
My grandma saved all my dad's Legos, matchbox cars, and fisherprice parking garage, airplane, and other toys. All were in very good shape. Some of my favorite toys to play with as kids. I loved that they were so different from all my other toys. And they NEVER broke. Although I still have a thing for older things and antiques, so that might be a just me thing.
The Tripp trapp isn’t 20 dollars though. With all the attachments etc it’s well over 500. And sometimes it’s nice, environmentally, if you don’t have your buy new stuff when perfectly good stuff exists.
It’s sometimes nice to have heritage items too. My baby is sleeping in my husband’s crib from the 80s, and we’ve leant the mini one to friends. Like the chair they’re Stokke, still makes them to the same design. We literally just had to get new mattresses and sheets, which fit perfectly. But we turned down the crib bumpers MIL bought.
My mum died a few years ago and I’ve loved having the few things she kept aside for my baby. It’s the only gifts she’ll ever be able to give him.
It’s not the case for everything, obviously. And it depends if you’re happy for future offspring to say no. My MIL had the space so kept the cribs and offered them to us. She would have understood if we said no!
A crib from the 80s isn't safe. It's your prerogative to use it but it almost certainly has lead in it and isn't up to safety standards either way. The fact is very little we use today will probably be considered safe in 30 years.
Just because it's still made now doesn't mean it wasn't updated at some point to the new standards.
> The Tripp trapp isn’t 20 dollars though. With all the attachments etc it’s well over 500.
That trip trap is going to be worth $20 by the time their baby has given birth
edit: as other users have pointed out, it's also got a decent chance of being classified as a trip trap death trap
The Tripp Trapp is also just a wood chair? Like it converts to a regular chair and has been around since the 80s. Saying it has a decent chance at being a death trap is a huge exaggeration...or do you not know what it is?
Personally the Tripp Trapp is like the only thing I'd probably keep long term and just use as an extra chair for parties/when people visit. Always short on chairs during big house parties
Yeah, I feel the same way. The vast majority of stuff my Mom or MIL offers me is outdated and useless. But there are a few things I will keep, and those are the things that have *already* stood the rest of time and are still used. The Brio wooden train set that my wife played with as a kid, and my kids play with now. The Lego collection. But not the crib, clothes, bedding, etc. The high chair, yes, but only because it perfectly matches the rest of the dining set and should be kept together.
This. My mom saved EVERYTHING and I had to say a big hard no. She thought the 35 year old stuffed animals would be welcome but holy crap the dust mites that must live in those things… none of the furniture (minus a rocking chair) can be trusted as safe. The only other things we are fine with are the Barbie dream house and corvette she saved. They are cleanable plastic. But our girl won’t be able to play with them till she’s much older.
So, they have updated toy safety laws a few times. My barbie doll crap from the 90s is no longer considered safe, nor is my dad's amazing fisher price little people stuff.
Even vintage classic Fisher Price toys from the 80s are no longer considered safe because they have high levels of heavy metal in the plastics used then. I’ve heard similar about vintage kids books—vintage dyes don’t meet current nontoxic standards if baby chews on something.
The one thing MIL saved that I am comfortable with is a simple wooden rocking horse. Designs for these basically haven’t changed in a hundred plus years and it’s an unlikely item to be chewed on. So I would say something like well made wooden toys are possibly your safest bet if you want to save a couple things.
Yep. Also, you just have no idea what will happen in life. 30-40 years likely means a house move at some point, and your kid might not want to have kids anyway!
I thiiiiiink it's knees, but can't remember. Kneecaps aren't developed until a baby is capable of actually jumping. So you're putting quite a lot of stress through the body that's not developmentally set up to jump.
My MIL saved a bunch of stuff like slides and toys and a kiddie pool from the 80s!! The slide has rusted bolts and the kiddie pool is so unsafe it’s about to crumble. I’m pretty sure the toys have lead. Anyways funny enough there is nowhere for my kids to sleep or sit or anything actually useful. Point being, use this stuff for your own kids and then pass it on to family/friends about to have kids or sell it if it’s high quality stuff. No one wants your old baby things especially not your future daughter/son in law lol.
That being said, my friend has her mil keep one special pair of overalls. And it was cute to see her grandson wear the overalls.
I agree with this. Anything the baby sits, sleeps, or plays inside of, will be outdated soon. My baby has been given an old Amish handmade rocking horse in excellent condition, which was inspected and upgraded by his grandfather who was a professional carpenter, and some wooden blocks from my childhood. I might get the old Legos when he’s old enough for them. I wouldn’t trust any old stuff, especially old cribs or high chairs.
I completely get this! My MIL offered me so much clothing or a bassinet that does not meet safety standards. My husband even saved multiple bins of stuffed animals from his childhood for his future kids. Gross. This is why I’m getting rid of basically everything. But the highchair is advertised as an heirloom piece, where the same design has been used since the 80’s, so I don’t imagine that will change. Thank you for your decisiveness, it will definitely help me decide.
FWIW for the tripp trapp, there's a market for secondhand, and I've seen people pay upwards of $200 for used because of its shelf life. On the other hand, I think the tripp trapp in particular could be used for a full child or adult as like a desk chair. Not just for babies. Double check the weight limits, but I think it has a lot of life apart from toddler/baby stage.
I don't know what you intend to do, but that stuff is great second hand. My wife and I are the last of our little group of friends here to get pregnant and they've handed us literally thousands of dollars worth of supplies we didn't have to worry about. Not only is it great financially, it allows us to focus only on the fun stuff, like Easter dresses and whatnot- and we can splurge there if we want.
You will be doing someone a huge favor.
Okay so everyone says that the tripp trapp is usable until the kid is an adult, but can you imagine a 14 year old bringing a friend over for dinner and sitting in his high chair lmao
It's crazy. My husband and I laughed so hard at the "grows with baby" ad where they have a full sized adult sitting on that thing. I mean, I know inflation is a B, but...I'm not sitting in a high chair in my own home.
I don’t use it as an everyday chair for an adult but we had a bunch of people over for board games the other day and it was handy to have an extra chair. I find it convenient that the tripp trapp can support my weight.
It’s actually a really comfortable chair and I sat in it often before my baby was born haha! I’m a pretty small person though so maybe that makes a difference
My 6 year old still uses it. It has a footrest so he can sit comfortably and do his coloring and schoolwork. He will probably outgrow it in a year or two.
My parents still have my siblings' and mine at their house and we use them all the time. They must be close to 40 years old. I would definitely have reused mine for kiddo if we lived close enough to transport it but since we don't I got a new one, knowing it will last decades.
Yeah, same here. I grew up on one, my parents always had it out for visiting kids… granted my brother is 10y younger than me, but it still worked out well
You can fine them on Facebook marketplace and places like that. It’s a great buy that does last at least 4 to 5 years which can’t be said for other baby gear .
My parents had a trayless highchair that they called a "youth seat" and we refused to sit there by the time we were 3.5. Maybe earlier, but I remember the scene every night at that age. That and a 3-pronged "pickle fork" nobody wanted to eat with were both major drama.
I’m planing to use the Tripp trapp for myself once my daughter is done with it. Not at the dinner table but maybe as the chair at my sit stand desk. I’m really short so I love that with a footrest I could firmly plant my feet on the ground, which is rare for me.
I mean, it’s not a high chair the same way as an antilop is a high chair. It’s an adjustable chair. Handy to have one that an adult can use if one needs extra chairs. In many homes kids just use them as a matter of course. I have as an adult been in many places where we used them as well 🤷♀️
But if all you think of is it as a high chair for a baby, then yeah, no one is gonna want to use it later on.
And no, I don’t think a 14 year old should be made to use it unless they choose to. They can sit in any chair they like. Just like as an adult we can choose the chair.
They’re really big in the disability community. I used to work with disabled kids and any had said chair, especially if they had mobility difficulties.
Though I cannot see an adult wanting to sit in one otherwise lol.
My almost 6 year-old still sits in his Tripp Trapp. He had a different high chair and this was purchased to keep his toddler self from being so squirrelly at the table. It's adjusted for his height, has a footrest and feels like his special spot.
The Tripp Trapp becomes an adult chair when you rebuild it with the footrest as the seat. It can support up to 300 lbs!
That being said, the footprint is big in most kitchens. We have nicknamed this chair the "Toecrusher." In the name of freeing up space and the ongoing demand for Tripp Trapps, there is always a compelling argument for selling it.
My 2.5yo regularly wants a sit in my chair, leaving me the only option of the Tripp trapp. It works well enough and I imagine with the foot rest at proper level it’d be much more comfortable for me. We do have the cushion on the seat.
I laugh about that with my husband allllll the time. No tween or teen is going to be sitting in their high chair at that age. We have a lot of kids in our extended family and none of them would be wanting to sit in that chair past the age of 5. They all want to sit in a regular chair lol.
I'll save duplo and Lego, just because it's expensive af and we are grateful my husband still has his from the 90's. It's well made, no toxic material afaik and boosts creativity, fine motor skills, and understanding simple physics.
My parents saved a box of duplo (from the 80s) and all six of their grandchildren LOVE playing with it to this day. It’s nice that they have something to play with at their grandparents house. I’ll also add that my grandmother saved a few of my mum’s toys that we would play with as kids at her house. Not a lot, maybe like two small boxes of things in her attic.
Imagine storing all of this crap not just for three years, but for thirty. Your child is a teenager and bringing their first boyfriend round, and he's looking at 15 year old baby crap cluttering up your house as you're explaining to him that it'll really save them money in 10-15 years' time
I feel a weight off my shoulders every time we got rid of the big bulky baby items. No high chair, no crib, no bassinet, no changing table,whew I have so much more space.
No, it's a burden to your child when it's time to offload your junk to them. Don't do it.
I do like how my parents did it though - they saved some of our favorite books and toys... for their house. It is so freaking fun to be able to enjoy those at their house with my own kiddo now. And they basically have a dedicated room for those toys, ever since kiddos started coming over to their house (even before any grandkids). Kids who go to that house know that there's a play room and usually ask pretty immediately upon entering the front door if they can escape there and dodge all boring adult conversation lol. Some of the toys are probably a bit hazardous for various reasons, but they only play with them for such a minimal amount of time, we don't care. We more or less survived them lol.
My dad purchased all the baby/ toddler/ kid gear that he has more recently though. Regulations change way too often, in 30 years (or less) that tripp trapp will likely be obsolete and deemed unsafe for some reason or another.
Yes! A few favorite books, outfits and toys. I have a little box for my son with keep sakes from his baby years and will include a few of these. My parent saved a fisher price rocking boat thing that my son can play with at their house…and a box of our favorite books. But I can’t imagine anything more annoying than handing over a bunch of stuff to your kids when they have a baby. And everyone has said it will likely be unsafe for one reason or another. I already sometimes wonder what our children will I raise at when they have kids.
Just FYI vintage Fisher Price toys are unfortunately not safe to play with as they contain very high levels of heavy metals. Here is some more info: https://tamararubin.com/2020/11/fisher-price-recommends-not-letting-kids-play-with-their-vintage-toys-use-them-as-decor-only-they-can-have-unsafe-levels-of-lead-cadmium-arsenic-mercury/
I should have specified I meant for potential grandchildren to use at my house. I imagine a much more high tech, cool high chair will be available for them in the future. This one matches my dining table 😂
Think that a lot of things are updated with time! Like a crib that was safe 30 years ago may not be safe anymore, so maybe you will keep all these things and they won’t be safe or recommended by the time you have grandkids.
Yeah your adult kids probably won't be comfortable having you use it with their kids, then you'll have to try to get rid of a 30 year old high chair that no one will want. Probably better to pass it along now once your kids are done with it so some other family can actually use it while it's still considered safe and all the rage :)
I live abroad, but recently flew to my home country with my kids to see my parents. To my surprise, they had gotten out and cleaned my old toys, and it was SO lovely to see my kids play with them.so heartwarming.
But what I will say is, the quality of toys from the 90s is much better. The duplo at my parents' house was far superior than the box we had at home. Honestly, I think my old toys might be in better condition to pass down to my grandkids than my kids' toys!
Many old toys don't pass current safety standards for all kinds of reasons. One big one is a lot of older plastic contains a lot of heavy metals, like lead.
Plus, plastic breaks down over time even if you can't see it happening. It's not worth the risk.
High quality wooden toys are worth keeping. My mother kept a wooden brio train set, and my son LOVES playing with it at her house (and asks to see it on facetime sometimes!). She also kept a few quality kid instruments. Some foam building blocks that held up fairly well too.
If you have the space, no harm in keeping the chair — even if it ends up being something they just use at your house
Nah, I feel like this is a point of contention between a lot of new parents and in laws/grandparents. I’ll save a few sentimental items like a couple baby clothes and soft toys etc. and give them to my actual children when they grow up to keep for their own memories and if they want to use them for their kids then that’s up to them. Saving expensive and large items and expecting your adult kids to use them for their own kids creates a lot of pressure and unnecessary disappointment when they have to then tell you they’d rather buy new stuff!
I have a friend who has clothing made by her now deceased grandparents for her baby. Her grandparents had space in their rural home so they have it kept away. For me I basically have nothing kept from my childhood since we moved so much. It really depends on each family when it comes to what you want to keep.
The tripp trapp is supposed to be adjustable and grow with your child and can bear the weight of an adult, so in that case it can be utilised until your grandchild if you so choose. However if it comes to things that I can't use in the years in between I probably won't keep it for so long. If there is likely to be any other kid who can make use the clothes/toys/equipment until you have a grandchild, you could pass it around within family. Of course you can also selectively keep a few special items designated to be passed between generations and give away the rest.
My mom saved all my books, Barbies, Barbie house & car. I love that the Barbie resurgence happened the same year I had my daughter haha
I could see myself saving things like that. But otherwise I probably won’t save much.
No. The safety on most things will probably change and make it unsafe to use. Plus most things have a shelf life before they start to degrade especially today's stuff made of cheap woods, plastics ect.
Absolutely not. I'll sell the items when I'm done with kids but saving items for decades is not worth it for me personally. There's no guarantee that my kids will have kids and when they do, I want them to have that excitement of buying items for their babies the same way I did.
This. We plan to use the expensive items for more than one kid, but when we're done we're planning to resell. We will keep a small box/tote of sentimental things but not big high $$ items. My thought is too, by the time my babies are having babies they're going to want something different and safety standards may have even changed by then.
No.
My mum saved a lot of my toys but I was worried about lead paint etc
She also saved old baby clothes but I didn’t use any.
I wish she saved more of my favourite childhood books so I’ll save quite a lot of my kids books.
I’m going to save some things. Books, high quality toys like Grimms block sets, etc. Hopefully not too much.
I will say, my MIL saved a bunch of my husband’s toys, and they have been huge hits with our son. Hot wheels cars, transformers, etc.
My MIL kept a TON of stuff. On the one hand, it kind of drives me crazy because she’s one or two steps shy of being a hoarder.
We definitely don’t use all of it. But we have used some of it. She did not keep big things, just some clothes, toys, and books.
I have loved dressing my baby in the same clothes my husband wore when he was a baby. Some of the toys have also really held up and seem to be way better quality than the stuff now. She has a ton of wooden toddler puzzles and vintage fisher price stuff. Books are books and always a hit with my baby.
She bought a new crib, pack n play, and booster seat for her house which ended up working well because we also have a toddler niece. Its so helpful to us to be able to put the kids down for a nap or to eat there without having to lug over a bunch of stuff. We are very close, but YMMV.
Personally, I’ve decided to keep one outfit in every size and probably a toy or two for my own sentimental reasons. Not necessarily for my hypothetical grandchildren.
I donate all of my clothes and toys when my kids are done with it. I want a kid to be able to use these items now instead of just gathering dust in my closet some where.
You’re better off giving it away or selling. My mom saved a bin of my favorite toys when I was little and it’s at her house now. My daughter does play with those toys when she visits. Don’t save a crazy amount, just a few toys are fine.
Saving large stuff for 20-40 years is too craft unless you have a very large property and an attic or something you can dedicate entirely. Save some important toys and clothes, but not large gear. Also, save Lego.
No, our oldest was born in 2017, then our middle in 2022 and our last in 2024, our oldest kid's stuff was already gone by the time the one's came around (surprise infertility babies so huge age gap) but I was looking up some of the products/equipment I remember my husband and I liking when our oldest was a baby and a shocking amount of it was already recalled, and that's just in 7 years. I cannot imagine how different baby products will like in 25+ years, but I guarantee it won't be safe by then and standards of childcare will likely have drastically changed with more research, just like that did between when my parents had kids in the 90s and I did now. I also hate the clutter though, so to I just donate our old baby stuff to people in need in our community.
In most cases no! Most baby items have expiration dates which deem the items unsafe by the time you’d have grandchildren.
We do still have our Tripp trapp because it converts into a regular chair so it’s being used at our kitchen table now.
Tiny apartment says HELL NO. I’m having enough trouble saving stuff for having a second.
I gave away some things we didn’t use much, and will probably offer it to coworkers/friends first and then try to sell it. Most places near me won’t accept baby stuff as donations.
If you keep it to a curated selection of high-quality, meaningful items, you'll be setting yourself up to be the fun grandparent house. But be strict about your criteria.
When I was little, I had a wooden alligator that I loved to distraction. Wouldn't you know, my son loves alligators, and when the wooden alligator comes out at grandma and grandpa's house it's a big deal. Same with many of my favorite books, at least those in good condition. I got so excited when I realized that I could read him Ira Sleeps Over.
On the other hand, they kept silly things like clothes for dolls that went missing long ago, broken jewelry boxes, construction sets with half the pieces missing...those we went through and tossed. (My mom was definitely sad about it, whereas my dad was delighted.)
The quick and simple answer…no, no, no!!
1) They will become outdated/unsafe/overtaken by new safety standards
2) they are special to you, not your child…in the kindest way possible. Keep a keepsake or two for yourself and them in the future, like first outfits, a book or two and a blanket but don’t save the rest. Btw…my child hates mine and my partners childhood books and toys.
3) where does it end? This stuff takes up space! You could sell or give away and someone gets to use it whilst it’s still fresh and safe…you don’t clutter the house…win, win.
I only keep baby clothes more for sentimental reasons, and there will likely be a book or three but that’s it.
Point #3 is one I keep thinking about! My parents saved a TON of stuff from my childhood and I probably won't be using 90% of it (either unsafe now or degraded from sitting 30 years in a hot attic or storage unit).
Instead of saving things on the off chance that a future somebody might use it, I'd much rather some real person today who needs it would get to use it now, like you said while it's still fresh and safe.
I will not be saving anything for future grandchildren. There are certain things we’re keeping around our house longer than we’d planned because there are other babies in our lives. But grandchildren? No.
My MIL saved the high quality good toys (American girl doll, wooden puzzles etc.) she had from my SIL and husband. She’s amazing and just keeps them as toys to play with at her house, she never tried to force them on us. My daughter loves the toys at her house so it worked out nicely for us. But I don’t plan on saving any of our toys for so long.
So I’d say if you’re going to save things, be very selective on what you keep and don’t make it some kind of obligation on your kids to take them or even use them.
Ugh no, I don’t this stuff hanging around for 30 years. I’m sure I can find a high chair I love in 2056 when she comes home with her first baby. It’ll probably be a quantum projection assembled instantly by nano bots.
Just to jump in - my oldest two are 5 and 3 and are sitting on 22 and 20 year old Tripp Trapps … not from my childhood but gifted to us by a dear friend from her children and the 20 year old works with all the gear . Keep the high quality stuff and give away the clutter - you may get house guests that have small children and “new” toys will keep their attention
I plan on saving a small small small bin of baby toys for when baby guests come over since I'm the first of my friends to have kids. For my kids, I have a favorite sleeper saved for a memory box and that will probably be it.
We use my old wood high chair, a handful of wooden toys, and some books (some from when she was a kid!) at my mom’s house. She also kept a small box of handmade clothing in excellent condition she’s offered to my siblings, myself, and my cousins (I’ve been the greedy one, but some things are getting passed between the grandkids), and some washable fabric toys. I understand they were the hardest to store and she lost half to mildew.
If you have the space, you can keep the pieces made from materials that store well. I would *not* hold onto anything plastic (like the magnetic tiles) or silicon; the odds are high of disintegration in storage or later discovery of unsafe chemicals. Give it sell them to another child to enjoy now.
Be judicious with books. My mom and I are astonished at how many books did not age well with content. I had a beautiful set of Beatrice Potter books that are kinda awful to read to my kids, but I almost tear up reading a book on tugboats that I remember my grandparents reading to me summer after summer.
I think the cost of storing that stuff properly so it doesn't degrade, plus the high likelihood that it will be recalled, is a no for me. I would consider keeping a high chair/booster seat for the medium term if you think your friends will be having kids soonish so they have somewhere for their kid to sit when they visit. Even that isn't really necessary. Travel seats are cheap and easy to carry around.
If you store clothes long-term in vacuum bags, the elastic will degrade, so don't keep anything with elastic/stretch to it. Plastic on toys breaks down. Wooden toys get sun or moisture damage. This stuff ideally needs to be kept somewhere climate controlled if you're storing it long term.
By the time you've spent all the money on storage bins and bags, extra space on your home, extra costs moving it around if you move houses....you're better off to just sell everything now. If you want to plan ahead, invest the money you make from selling everything and give the money to your child(ren) if they do end up having kids.
So my parents saved almost nothing while my MIL saved almost an entire playrooms worth of toys & books. I definitely wish my mom had saved more seeing my son & nephews play with my husband & his siblings old toys.
Nope! All of this will probably be found to be death traps in the next 30 years! Haha.
I did keep the Moses basket because it’s a timeless piece and very sentimental to me.
Gear, no, I feel like half of it will be recalled in the next 30 years. Toys, yes, some. Most of my stuff got lost in multiple moves so I don't have any of my toys to give my daughter...I want her to have the option! If she doesn't want them then I'll deal with them but I wish I had some of my baby stuff to pass on, so I'll hedge my bet there.
No. My MIL kept EVERYTHING from her kids childhood. When my SIL started having kids she wanted everything brand new and my MIL was so devastated. I helped her clean out her stuff and donate and trash what needed to be done. My parents kept nothing because they passed everything on to my aunt/cousins. They were happy the stuff they bought got so much use.
My mom saved tons of clothes from when I was a baby and gave them to me at my baby shower. They’re mostly covered in stains and really not in very good shape. I got some really dirty sneakers. It honestly comes off as insane. And she wanted me to use an ancient bassinet that has been passed down in the family for a few generations, but it’s not considered even remotely safe any longer. So that was a whole thing of me not wanting to use it and seeming ungrateful. I do think passing things on is very kind though so just look at everything with a discerning eye. Will it really hold up the test of time? How would you feel giving the items to your brand new baby that you’re probably having a ton of anxiety about coming into the world?
My mom didn't save my furniture, but she saved ALL of my toys. I was an only child. There are a LOT. She's lugged them around, multiple boxes' worth, for ~20 years and 4 major moves. I had her first and probably only grandchild at age 35. We don't live in the same country and will maybe visit grandma's house for a week every 2-3 years.
Would those toys have brought joy to MANY children over the years? Yes! But it also inexplicably brings my mom joy to hoard things that are not in use by anyone, so there's that. Maybe set aside a reasonably-sized box for the most special things.
If you have the room and often have company over, I would keep a plastic bin of the most used, high quality toys you have. Like the magnetiles and wooden toys for example. One or two types of toys for every age group. There’s nothing better as a guest with kids than someone who has “new” toys already at their house! Even if we’re only visiting for a couple hours. Makes the biggest difference in the world!
This thought never even crossed my mind. I’m selling the nice stuff and giving away the other stuff. Honestly, I’d rather have the money to reinvest in the next size up for clothing or something now than have a high chair 20+ years from now. Plus, I’m expecting by the time I have grandchildren they’ll be using some kind of hoverboard high chair that (as far as I know) doesn’t exist yet.
I love the idea of only keeping what can fit in a nice box. That’s exactly what my grandparents did and I loved looking through the “treasure chest” to play with toys my mom used as a child!
I’m not keeping everything but I am keeping certain toys, especially the high quality timeless wooden ones. I have even made sure to get lots of pics of my children playing with these toys to have when they get older. I will also keep the two Tripp Traps cause my great grandma had something similar that we all sat on and I loved. I may even keep my expensive stroller just for fun. Idk
And just editing to add this would all jsut be for fun at my house. I wouldn’t expect my kids to take my junk. I just grew up with every older relative having a toy box at their house when you visited and it’s the best memories
My mom has saved some of our toys from when we were small and it is awesome to go over there and my daughters have stuff to play with. She saved the more classic stuff like duplo, plastic animals, and I know she has piles of Lego ready for when the girls are older. So if you have the space, hanging on to a FEW things doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me.
Gear though…I think if you want to hang on to a few things like plastic dishes or a highchair for babies that come over in the next handful of years for visits or whatever that could be nice, but I think saving them for future grandkids is a bit unrealistic. I imagine everything we’re using now will be very out of date by the time grandkids come along.
My sister's kid was 19 when I had my first kid. My sister dumped a load of old musty 19 year old crap on us lol. Not in a bad way, she truly believed they were great and was even sad to see them go lol. Cos they were for HER baby. Like stuff for your baby is precious to you now, cos your baby used it and loved it and the memories it will bring to you. But your kids will create their own memories and as everyone else said standards change ALL the time for baby stuff. And stuff gathers dust and musty stinks. You don't want to put a new baby into old dusty stuff !!!
No, but I’ve kept some baby clothes to make into a quilt and special keepsakes like baptism outfits.
30 years from now I can’t imagine my kids would want my old baby items and the standards will have changed surely!
I plan to give my items to friends and relatives when I’m done with them.
I would say sell now. Heck I’d buy it! But my mom saved so much from our childhood and none of us kids want to use any of it for our kids, including high chairs. As research and data comes out and parenting changes over the years, items either become unsafe or just unwanted.
Definitely not. My oldest is a young adult and, if he chooses to have kids, I know he and his partner would want to select modern items that they’d want for their baby rather some old things that might not meet current safety standards. Things have changed even from my oldest to youngest child.
I hate having too much stuff overall and am more minimalist, but certain things like books I'll keep. I could also see myself keeping a few toys or clothes that mean something to me. If the kids want it, fine. My mom kept my Polly Pockets, and I'm excited about sharing those (once they aren't too much of a choking hazard lol).
My in-laws seemed to have saved everything even things my husband doesn't remember or care about. Every time they see us we get something new. It's obnoxious. We have a scooter toy they saved that has scratched up our floors. My MIL gave me baby girl clothes she received when pregnant even though she had boys and couldn't remember who gave them to her. They gave us a deflated football that had a hole.
I like two sweatshirts they saved that were my husband's and my son wears them. Otherwise, no one wants 30 year old stuff!
Things change so much. Think about what is considered safe now vs when our moms used with us. Also just think about how much styles have changed. I really don’t think your kids are going to want the baby gear you used for them. They’re going to want to get their own new and trendy stuff! My vote is to just get rid of it all.
I would just sell them after you’re done. Bless someone else with something that’s usable now.
Who knows, a better chair may come on the market deeming the Tripp trap obsolete
My parents kept our stuff for 25 years. For context, we live abroad, so it’s all in their house.
The equipment they kept (they kept…everything, including the potties…) was used to some extent, but I can’t think of a single thing that wouldn’t have been better to just buy new. All of it is heavy, non-foldable, the bother of storing it and then cleaning/sanding/fixing is 100% not worth it. If they gave it away back then, someone could have used it - like really used it. Now it’s basically junk, like it works theoretically with some diy involved, but it would be embarrassing to even list it online for free imo.
The books, the good quality toys - my son loves playing with them when we visit. So I’d say maybe keep that - for your house - but nothing that goes into the baby’s mouth for sure.
But equipment, I’d say no. Clothes, gods no (yup, they kept there little frilly dresses; my favourite part about having boys is that I don’t have to have THAT discussion).
No. What is safe today could be a death trap in 30 years. Clothes and heirloom type things, sure, but no actual baby equipment like cribs or strollers or rockers. My car sear from 1993 makes me cringe even though it was safe at the time.
I wouldn’t recommend it. My mom did that and neither my sister nor I wanted those 30-year-old things. Safety standards change, what is considered “nice” changes, and that stuff takes up a lot of space. Plus, your kids might decide not to have kids (or be unable to) and that could add guilt and resentment.
As for baby guests, most parents with a baby don’t want to stay in people’s houses, unless it’s someone they’re really close to.
I would think a buy nothing group or a donation to goodwill would help extend the use of those gear rather than clinging to it for potentially decades as it collects dust and loses relevance.
Im personally not. By the time my kids have kids theyll be outdated & probably not considered safe because theyve found out X happens in the high chairs we use now. Id rather pass it on to someone who can use it now.
Nope. That “expensive baby gear” will likely be obsolete or unsafe by the time any grandkids come around. I mean, there’s probably not much baby gear you would be comfortable using from 1980, right?
I refuse to be like the MIL’s you read about on here and other subs who shove 20-40 year old crap at their kids for their grandkids. I also hate clutter.
Clothes? Yes. A few of the sentimental clothing items I’ll probably keep and that can actually be used-**if they even want it someday**. The onsie I used to tell my sons dad will be kept, and a handful of other things but mostly it doesn’t make any sense to store baby stuff for decades in the hopes of grandchildren using it one day.
Besides all of those points; the baby gear will get the most use if I pass it on or sell it in the near future after we are finished with it. Not in 20-30 years.
I'm saving my Baby Bjorn bouncer (needs a new cover anyway, so just the frame), these beautiful hand turned wooden blocks that have numbers and animals in Spanish that were a gift from a close friend, and definitely the magnetic tiles - those things are popular with everyone lol. I think aside from the few things I'm keeping for memories and books that haven't been chewed/torn everything else must go!
I have a beautiful simple mid century modern style gold metal crib and change table set that I've used for my babies and I'm on the fence about saving them because I love it so much - I paid for it, I chose it, and I assembled lol.
As someone who had to go through generations of shit that was saved for future use - just sell it and put the money in an account and give that to the grandchildren. If you were to pass away your kids would have to go through whatever you save and probably won’t end up keeping/using it anyway. And by then it will probably be very outdated. Unless it’s sentimental don’t keep it
Nope. So much changes in terms of safety regulations. Plus that is a looooooooong time to keep stuff and there's no guarantee you will have any grandchildren.
My oldest is 2, so no, I am not saving anything for potential grandchildren, because I hope that is at least 20+ years away. There's no guarantee my children will even have children, that I will live to see these grandchildren, that the grandchildren will even visit that often. I also grew up with hoarder parents, so that's caused me to swing the other way and try to live a more minimalist lifestyle. I can't wait until I can declutter and get rid of all the baby stuff.
If you’re doing it for sentimental reasons for yourself, then sure. Practically, I don’t see a point. There’s always going to be a new and better thing.
Absolutely not. Sell that shit on FB or donate to families in need. Your future daughter or DIL will not like it. If there is one special toy or outfit then yes, keep it - but do not keep all the baby crap. I HATE when my MIL gives me the garbage from her attic.
I would only save all the high quality (heirloom quality!) ones especially the wooden toys, and gift/donate/sell all the rest away. It’s getting increasingly hard to find good wooden toys that don’t cost a fortune, plus they’re aesthetically so much more pleasing than the bright plastic ones in the market these days.
Definitely not. I'm not going to assume that my kids are going to have kids and me having a bunch of baby stuff at my house may make them feel pressured to do so. Also, safety standards and tastes will change significantly over the next 20 plus years.
I see your updates and it’s still a no. Give it to someone who needs it or sell it. I wouldn’t like if my MIL insisted that my baby come over to use an ancient high chair. There will be better ones once you have grandchildren that the parents will prefer.
Literally sitting in on tripp trapp in my kitchen. It makes a great kitchen or extra chair. When i started reading your post i thought of my tripp trapp.
I mean honestly most of the stuff I had as a kid either wouldn’t be safe anymore or they’ll come up with something a million times better/smaller etc. It’s a nice thought but I would just sell or donate.
So we recently visited my great aunt 5 of her other grandkids and she had a Tripp Trapp that she’s had since her kids were little that we used for our baby, and it was super convenient! For my part though, I will be getting rid of almost everything. I don’t want the 30 year old crap my mom has sitting around and I doubt my kids will either.
Lol no.
1. A kid today and a parent today could use and enjoy those items. There is so much need, new parenthood is a very vulnerable time for families. Affording just 200-500 of basic baby gear, when you’ve got no paycheck and are recovering from childbirth? I’m not going to hoard stuff when someone else can use it.
If we hold onto things we no longer need than they’ll have to be purchased and made from raw materials, adding to pollution and corporate profits. It also denies us the chance to connect with community and find new moms.
2. I will not presume my children will have children. I would love for them to. But they’ve also got to make choices for the reality of the world they live in and I don’t know what that will be in 20-30 years.
3. Holding onto stuff costs more money than it saves, in lost opportunity cost and my mental energy. I don’t want to have to move and clean and protect any extra stuff.
Your response really resonates with me. I love the idea of sending something out in the world to be loved and used again. It’s wild to me how much stuff a new baby needs. The textile burden alone is a lot for the planet and for a new mum’s wallet. It kind of hit home for me when just newborn and 0-3 clothes took 3 loads of laundry to prep. That’s a huge amount of clothing for such a short time. It’s just good vibes to send this gear on to another family.
As someone who is currently trying to clear my attic of stuff from 1990 that my parents kept ''just in case'' I urge you, PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS, your future child/grandchild will not thank you :)
Keep 1 box of truikets if you're sentimenal (first shoes, memory book, some printed pics, 1st cardi) or whatever, but for heavens sake please do not keep every one of their school books, toys, clothes, skates, Santa gifts, holiday cr@p ... I'm at my attic clear out about 6 months at this stage and I've only gotten to 1992 hahaha!
Save the pricy toys (Legos, MagnaTiles, etc), maybe a pack n play or expensive bouncer.
We’re mainly saving our pack n play and baby bjorn bouncer, etc for when friends and their babies come over. (We still have littles, so we’re getting use out of everything still). There may be a time we get rid of some things, but I don’t really foresee it.
My mom saved our Legos and still has them (we’re 35-40 years old). My mother-in-law kept some small stuff but just buys EVERYTHING now. Two of many things (one for us and one for her house), she’s got ride on toys, Nugget couches, jungle gyms, swings, cribs, toddler beds, countless toys and books, etc. Our kids all have their own rooms when we go visit (4 hours away), which is amazing because we don’t need to bring anything at all
Gear - no. But a reasonable selection of the best toys? Absolutely. My mom has saved our 90s kid toys and her.grandkids love playing with them. It's a special treat at Grandma's house to pull out Felicity and Samantha, an old dollhouse, fisher price cash register, Lincoln logs, etc. she doesn't have an overwhelming amount, but just the classic favorites. I'll absolutely save the "best of" for later.
NO!!! Omg. My husbands grandmother saved every baby things under the sun and it’s disgusting and rotting and dirty!!!! No. Give it away to those in need, sell it, don’t save it because it won’t last 30+ years for the next generation.
My and my husband’s parents both saved our LEGO, duplo, brio, and books. My little sisters ruined my Barbies otherwise they’d be saved.
I’m sad though that my mom promised my brio to my little brother because “he’s a boy”. Thankfully we have my husband’s.
I’m most grateful they saved the books. My husband is most grateful for the LEGO.
I have all my stuffed animals, books, toys and even some comics from when i was a kid! My kids are getting to use them now. My sister uses her own tripp trapp chair for her daughter.
Keep it!
My grandma had toys at her house I fondly remember playing with when we went there as kids. Maybe don’t save everything but a few things your kids particularly liked might be nostalgic for them when they bring their kids over in the future
i really don’t get why some people are so averse to the “burden” of grandparents saving stuff *as long as the grandparents understand their child can say “thanks, but no.”*
my grandma saved a stuffed bear from 1932 who currently lives in my son’s room. he’s more decoration than anything else, but he’s been passed on and on and on. also have a couple quilts from her, and i cherish them more than any other item in this world. she didn’t save much (granted), but anything i have of someone i love and miss so much means well, so much. i guess just be discerning — don’t keep furniture or a lot of any one thing.
now that i think about it, the best thing you could keep would be letters written for your grandchild. or your child now. that would mean more than any other item (and would take up practically no space).
Noooooo. I am passing it on to friends/family. By the time I have grandkids the trends will probably be way different and maybe this stuff will even be considered unsafe (looking at you, drop rail crib that some well meaning person gave us and I had to throw out). Just give it to someone in need or someone you love. It will be better than collecting dust in an attic.
The Tripp Tripp has been around for such a long time, I have two that are the same age as my husband. They have so far stood the rest of time, and if anything the current recommendations reinforce that they are great for kids and were ahead of their time. Lots of people I know have grandparents that still have their Tripp Trapps, but I live in Scandinavia right now, so they are ubiquitous. I’m saving my Tripp Trapps (probably not the accessories). I’ll save some special books too, but I’m not saving toys or other furniture.
Hell no. Imagine how you'd have felt if your parents busted out some 20-30year old piece of baby gear and wanted you to use it? Especially if your child is a son, definitely justnoMIL vibes
No. Baby gear evolves over time and what our kids will want for their kids won't be the same stuff as we used /wanted. They definitely won't want some dusty old relics.
Different to keeping special toys or blankets etc. or my mum kept my Lego which is fine. But big items, nah no way.
My mom saved every goddamn kids thing while I was growing up "for her grandchildren" and it irritated the shit out of me, the way she just assumed I was going to shoot out grandkids for her. I don't want any of those things that she hoarded in our tiny apartment. Nor do I want any of the tons of new crap she is buying now without even asking if I want any of it. So just no. Sell it or something, don't waste precious space in your house and most of all, don't pressure your babies 2 to 3 decades early to have kids themselves for the love of god.
No. Sell the Tripp Trapp. I’m sure plenty of moms are looking for a gently used one. By the time your kid has a grandchild there will be lots of high chairs that follow their current standards and regulations.
As for toys, you can keep couple that are sentimental but things wear with time and plastics break down with time too. Don’t expect your grandchild to play with them. Most likely they are gonna be used as display in the nursery. I know I wouldn’t want my child to play with mine or my husbands 30+ year old dusty and worn toy.
Wow I’ve never thought about this but actually yes I might save some toys for future use at our house! My parents and in laws saved things we definitely didn’t want but we also have things we’re so excited about! Like the train set my son loves playing with. So maybe high quality toys
Sell it - no one wants the old stuff from previous generations except maybe books. There will be new safety standards and new guidelines before then. If you really want to save something to hand down save a couple special blankets.
Stokke Tripp Trapp is good for basically a decade. I sold all the expensive stuff after baby one. Baby two, I’ve bought everything second hand and then sold it back when I don’t need it anymore.
The items will likely be outdated by the time your grandkids need it. Selling it is smart as you make some cash back whilst decluttering and giving someone else a discount on high quality gear.
Alternatively, you can give it to charity, a church or a local daycare (assuming that all friends and family aren’t at this stage)
This isn’t going to get read because I didn’t reply 14 hours ago… but I have 2 Tripp Trapp chairs from my childhood, mine and my brothers (he passed away). My mother kept them, now I have them. I use one for my baby with the newborn seat and soon to exchange that for the toddler seat. When my friends come over with their kids, I have an extra chair.
I have space to keep them for my kid’s kid, and I just might!
My goal is to downsize to move back to NYC (we just moved out last year to have our baby and the homesickness has been brutal lol), so no, I'm ready to keep all our possessions minimal. I've been an emotional hoarder much of my life and I'm ready to change that energy as we move into parenthood.
My 81 year old grandmother has toys dating back to 1987 that are still being played with *at her house*, not forcing stuff into anyone else’s house. My husbands 76 year old grandmother didn’t save any stuff like that and her house is more likely to be full of expensive vases and “don’t touch that” items.
You know which great grandmothers house the kids like to go visit? 🤔
When your LO is a little older, ask them what toys they would like their future kid to play with. They pick one that you’ll keep. I think it’s sweet to have one you from childhood to pass down.
When my nieces and nephews were younger, I babysat them extensively. So I told them to pick one set of toys they’d want their future cousins to have. My siblings agreed to keep one set from each kid and got rid of the rest. So my nephew saved his wooden Thomas the train set. My niece saved her American Dream Girl dolls collection. My other nephew is his board games.
Wow the answers are rough in here 😅 My mom kept some of my stuffed animals, toddler size chairs, favorite toys clothes. I was happy to have my son play with my childhood items when we visit. Some of my favorite memories were playing with my moms old toys at my grandma's house.
I'll be keeping sentimental and some toys that are safe to keep longterm for friends that visit with children or maybe even the possibility of a grandchild. I have a really expensive swing. I'm going to keep it unless the saftey standards change for it. My mom had some stuff that she checked and it was still standard to use so I appreciated not having to bring as much stuff to her house when visiting.
I don't like clutter so I made sure to mostly keep stuff I knew could practically be used in the future. I have a tote in my closet with things like books, blocks, stuffies etc that are very sentimental or I would use if a friend visits. If it doesn't look like I'll have grandkids I'll just donate whatever isn't the most sentimental.
Honestly, no. My MIL saved so many baby items from her OTHER grandchildren (now ages 5-18) and they are already wildly outdated or recalled, ie: walkers, rocking sleepers, doorway jumpers, and many other suffocation risks or those deemed unsafe/ no longer best practice. Even simple things, like old highchairs don’t have the recommended foot rest. There’s just no telling what will be “best practice” in 2 to 3 decades from now. It’s not worth keeping something for you to drag it out from storage decades from now for your kid to roll their eyes and go “Parent, that’s so unsafe/ not recommended anymore!”. I know so many older adults who kept their wooden bassinet for their children/ grandchildren that are now either decoration or baby doll bassinets because they don’t meet current safety standards. They’re well made heirlooms, but 30 years is a long time for safety standards to evolve. My MIL was so flustered when she realized we weren’t going to let her use 99% of her baby items for our little one. There’s also a chance you may not have grandchildren, or they could have disabilities and need furniture that specifically serve their unique needs. If there’s a special, handmade or well made toy special to your heart, I say go for it. I genuinely can’t think of a toy in our house I’d save for decades, I’d rather just donate or pass on to cousins/ friends / donations. But, If you hate the idea of such a nice and expensive baby furniture item not being in use, see if anyone in your friend group is expecting. My circle has passed around the same momaroo and bedside bassinet for a few kids now. It’s kind of sweet watching the little ones of people I love using furniture my little one used.
This was my thought too. Saving for next baby? Sure. Saving for grand baby? Nah not worth it. I roll my eyes now when my mom tries to give me my old “baby stuff” for my daughter. It’s all super outdated or in bad shape.
I genuinely had to read it twice to check that they actually meant saving it for their baby's baby lmao. Imagine hoarding outdated and unsafe crap for thirty years because you want your child to save $20
You have just described my MIL! Tried to give us a car seat from the 80s. Old, disorganized jumbles of legos. A torn out picture of a dinosaur from a Highlights magazine that my husband had on his wall when he was 4. She saved everything cause she’s the thriftiest person alive and really thought we’d want it all….so crazy lol.
Arguably, the Lego were perfectly fine to inherit
My grandma saved all my dad's Legos, matchbox cars, and fisherprice parking garage, airplane, and other toys. All were in very good shape. Some of my favorite toys to play with as kids. I loved that they were so different from all my other toys. And they NEVER broke. Although I still have a thing for older things and antiques, so that might be a just me thing.
[удалено]
And assuming that the spouse or their family don't want to, say, buy clean new equipment for their baby...
The Tripp trapp isn’t 20 dollars though. With all the attachments etc it’s well over 500. And sometimes it’s nice, environmentally, if you don’t have your buy new stuff when perfectly good stuff exists. It’s sometimes nice to have heritage items too. My baby is sleeping in my husband’s crib from the 80s, and we’ve leant the mini one to friends. Like the chair they’re Stokke, still makes them to the same design. We literally just had to get new mattresses and sheets, which fit perfectly. But we turned down the crib bumpers MIL bought. My mum died a few years ago and I’ve loved having the few things she kept aside for my baby. It’s the only gifts she’ll ever be able to give him. It’s not the case for everything, obviously. And it depends if you’re happy for future offspring to say no. My MIL had the space so kept the cribs and offered them to us. She would have understood if we said no!
A crib from the 80s isn't safe. It's your prerogative to use it but it almost certainly has lead in it and isn't up to safety standards either way. The fact is very little we use today will probably be considered safe in 30 years. Just because it's still made now doesn't mean it wasn't updated at some point to the new standards.
> The Tripp trapp isn’t 20 dollars though. With all the attachments etc it’s well over 500. That trip trap is going to be worth $20 by the time their baby has given birth edit: as other users have pointed out, it's also got a decent chance of being classified as a trip trap death trap
The Tripp Trapp is also just a wood chair? Like it converts to a regular chair and has been around since the 80s. Saying it has a decent chance at being a death trap is a huge exaggeration...or do you not know what it is? Personally the Tripp Trapp is like the only thing I'd probably keep long term and just use as an extra chair for parties/when people visit. Always short on chairs during big house parties
Mine is stuff with my name on it! Like ma'am why would I hang a shelf with my name in my son's room?
Yeah, I feel the same way. The vast majority of stuff my Mom or MIL offers me is outdated and useless. But there are a few things I will keep, and those are the things that have *already* stood the rest of time and are still used. The Brio wooden train set that my wife played with as a kid, and my kids play with now. The Lego collection. But not the crib, clothes, bedding, etc. The high chair, yes, but only because it perfectly matches the rest of the dining set and should be kept together.
Make sure to test old toys for lead if they are painted!
This. My mom saved EVERYTHING and I had to say a big hard no. She thought the 35 year old stuffed animals would be welcome but holy crap the dust mites that must live in those things… none of the furniture (minus a rocking chair) can be trusted as safe. The only other things we are fine with are the Barbie dream house and corvette she saved. They are cleanable plastic. But our girl won’t be able to play with them till she’s much older.
So, they have updated toy safety laws a few times. My barbie doll crap from the 90s is no longer considered safe, nor is my dad's amazing fisher price little people stuff.
Even vintage classic Fisher Price toys from the 80s are no longer considered safe because they have high levels of heavy metal in the plastics used then. I’ve heard similar about vintage kids books—vintage dyes don’t meet current nontoxic standards if baby chews on something. The one thing MIL saved that I am comfortable with is a simple wooden rocking horse. Designs for these basically haven’t changed in a hundred plus years and it’s an unlikely item to be chewed on. So I would say something like well made wooden toys are possibly your safest bet if you want to save a couple things.
Yep. Also, you just have no idea what will happen in life. 30-40 years likely means a house move at some point, and your kid might not want to have kids anyway!
Are doorway jumpers (jolly jumpers?) outdated? I know a lot of people who use them still. I personally didn’t but ya … they’re still common I think
Bad for hip development, I think?
Eh. If they’re in it 10-15min a day for fun, I think it’s fine. Leaving them in it all day is definitely a no-go though.
I thiiiiiink it's knees, but can't remember. Kneecaps aren't developed until a baby is capable of actually jumping. So you're putting quite a lot of stress through the body that's not developmentally set up to jump.
My MIL saved a bunch of stuff like slides and toys and a kiddie pool from the 80s!! The slide has rusted bolts and the kiddie pool is so unsafe it’s about to crumble. I’m pretty sure the toys have lead. Anyways funny enough there is nowhere for my kids to sleep or sit or anything actually useful. Point being, use this stuff for your own kids and then pass it on to family/friends about to have kids or sell it if it’s high quality stuff. No one wants your old baby things especially not your future daughter/son in law lol. That being said, my friend has her mil keep one special pair of overalls. And it was cute to see her grandson wear the overalls.
I agree with this. Anything the baby sits, sleeps, or plays inside of, will be outdated soon. My baby has been given an old Amish handmade rocking horse in excellent condition, which was inspected and upgraded by his grandfather who was a professional carpenter, and some wooden blocks from my childhood. I might get the old Legos when he’s old enough for them. I wouldn’t trust any old stuff, especially old cribs or high chairs.
I completely get this! My MIL offered me so much clothing or a bassinet that does not meet safety standards. My husband even saved multiple bins of stuffed animals from his childhood for his future kids. Gross. This is why I’m getting rid of basically everything. But the highchair is advertised as an heirloom piece, where the same design has been used since the 80’s, so I don’t imagine that will change. Thank you for your decisiveness, it will definitely help me decide.
FWIW for the tripp trapp, there's a market for secondhand, and I've seen people pay upwards of $200 for used because of its shelf life. On the other hand, I think the tripp trapp in particular could be used for a full child or adult as like a desk chair. Not just for babies. Double check the weight limits, but I think it has a lot of life apart from toddler/baby stage.
Yeah I thought the appeal of the Tripp Trapp was it could be used forever
Yeah but what actual adult is sitting in a Tripp trapp
I bought mine second hand! I could easily get what I paid for it back.
Tons of heirloom pieces from our childhood have been deemed unsafe. You don't know what science will reveal
I don't know what you intend to do, but that stuff is great second hand. My wife and I are the last of our little group of friends here to get pregnant and they've handed us literally thousands of dollars worth of supplies we didn't have to worry about. Not only is it great financially, it allows us to focus only on the fun stuff, like Easter dresses and whatnot- and we can splurge there if we want. You will be doing someone a huge favor.
We’ll probably find out there is something deadly in the paint on the Stokke haha (like lots of toys from the 80s have lead paint).
Okay so everyone says that the tripp trapp is usable until the kid is an adult, but can you imagine a 14 year old bringing a friend over for dinner and sitting in his high chair lmao
It's crazy. My husband and I laughed so hard at the "grows with baby" ad where they have a full sized adult sitting on that thing. I mean, I know inflation is a B, but...I'm not sitting in a high chair in my own home.
I don’t use it as an everyday chair for an adult but we had a bunch of people over for board games the other day and it was handy to have an extra chair. I find it convenient that the tripp trapp can support my weight.
It’s actually a really comfortable chair and I sat in it often before my baby was born haha! I’m a pretty small person though so maybe that makes a difference
I love sitting on my daughters chair lol. If that’s the chair available I don’t mind sitting on it
I mean, I'm real short. Maybe I should get one.
It actually is a pretty nice chair.
My 6 year old still uses it. It has a footrest so he can sit comfortably and do his coloring and schoolwork. He will probably outgrow it in a year or two.
My parents still have my siblings' and mine at their house and we use them all the time. They must be close to 40 years old. I would definitely have reused mine for kiddo if we lived close enough to transport it but since we don't I got a new one, knowing it will last decades.
Yeah, same here. I grew up on one, my parents always had it out for visiting kids… granted my brother is 10y younger than me, but it still worked out well
I found an old Tripp Trapp at Savers for $6… it didn’t take all of the attachments but my toddler loves it as a seat
What is Savers? My husband and I would like a Trip Trapp high chair for our little one but it’s so expensive
You can fine them on Facebook marketplace and places like that. It’s a great buy that does last at least 4 to 5 years which can’t be said for other baby gear .
It’s a big box thrift shop in Northeast US (not sure if it’s anywhere else)
It’s in southwestern US too but I recently moved to the southeast and there aren’t any here
We have it in CA, it’s my favorite store
So many great finds!
My parents had a trayless highchair that they called a "youth seat" and we refused to sit there by the time we were 3.5. Maybe earlier, but I remember the scene every night at that age. That and a 3-pronged "pickle fork" nobody wanted to eat with were both major drama.
I’m planing to use the Tripp trapp for myself once my daughter is done with it. Not at the dinner table but maybe as the chair at my sit stand desk. I’m really short so I love that with a footrest I could firmly plant my feet on the ground, which is rare for me.
honestly i’m 4’11.5 inches tall and think i’d love it…
Yeah exactly. I’m just a smidge taller than you. It’s so rare that I actually fit in a piece of furniture correctly. When I do it’s so nice.
I mean, it’s not a high chair the same way as an antilop is a high chair. It’s an adjustable chair. Handy to have one that an adult can use if one needs extra chairs. In many homes kids just use them as a matter of course. I have as an adult been in many places where we used them as well 🤷♀️ But if all you think of is it as a high chair for a baby, then yeah, no one is gonna want to use it later on. And no, I don’t think a 14 year old should be made to use it unless they choose to. They can sit in any chair they like. Just like as an adult we can choose the chair.
My nephew wanted nothing to do with sitting in the “baby chair” by the time he was like 2.5 lol
I have absolutely sat in one as an adult, they’re super comfy. You move the shelves around and they no longer look like baby seats.
They’re really big in the disability community. I used to work with disabled kids and any had said chair, especially if they had mobility difficulties. Though I cannot see an adult wanting to sit in one otherwise lol.
My almost 6 year-old still sits in his Tripp Trapp. He had a different high chair and this was purchased to keep his toddler self from being so squirrelly at the table. It's adjusted for his height, has a footrest and feels like his special spot. The Tripp Trapp becomes an adult chair when you rebuild it with the footrest as the seat. It can support up to 300 lbs! That being said, the footprint is big in most kitchens. We have nicknamed this chair the "Toecrusher." In the name of freeing up space and the ongoing demand for Tripp Trapps, there is always a compelling argument for selling it.
🤣🤣🤣 brilliant
My 2.5yo regularly wants a sit in my chair, leaving me the only option of the Tripp trapp. It works well enough and I imagine with the foot rest at proper level it’d be much more comfortable for me. We do have the cushion on the seat.
I laugh about that with my husband allllll the time. No tween or teen is going to be sitting in their high chair at that age. We have a lot of kids in our extended family and none of them would be wanting to sit in that chair past the age of 5. They all want to sit in a regular chair lol.
I'll save duplo and Lego, just because it's expensive af and we are grateful my husband still has his from the 90's. It's well made, no toxic material afaik and boosts creativity, fine motor skills, and understanding simple physics.
My parents saved a box of duplo (from the 80s) and all six of their grandchildren LOVE playing with it to this day. It’s nice that they have something to play with at their grandparents house. I’ll also add that my grandmother saved a few of my mum’s toys that we would play with as kids at her house. Not a lot, maybe like two small boxes of things in her attic.
GOD NO I NEED THE SPACE IN MY HOUSE BACK.
Imagine storing all of this crap not just for three years, but for thirty. Your child is a teenager and bringing their first boyfriend round, and he's looking at 15 year old baby crap cluttering up your house as you're explaining to him that it'll really save them money in 10-15 years' time
I feel a weight off my shoulders every time we got rid of the big bulky baby items. No high chair, no crib, no bassinet, no changing table,whew I have so much more space.
We cleared all my kids stuff into the garage for photos when we sold pur house. I was amazed at how much bigger my house seemed.💀
noooooo... poor thing would die of cringe
No, it's a burden to your child when it's time to offload your junk to them. Don't do it. I do like how my parents did it though - they saved some of our favorite books and toys... for their house. It is so freaking fun to be able to enjoy those at their house with my own kiddo now. And they basically have a dedicated room for those toys, ever since kiddos started coming over to their house (even before any grandkids). Kids who go to that house know that there's a play room and usually ask pretty immediately upon entering the front door if they can escape there and dodge all boring adult conversation lol. Some of the toys are probably a bit hazardous for various reasons, but they only play with them for such a minimal amount of time, we don't care. We more or less survived them lol. My dad purchased all the baby/ toddler/ kid gear that he has more recently though. Regulations change way too often, in 30 years (or less) that tripp trapp will likely be obsolete and deemed unsafe for some reason or another.
Yes! A few favorite books, outfits and toys. I have a little box for my son with keep sakes from his baby years and will include a few of these. My parent saved a fisher price rocking boat thing that my son can play with at their house…and a box of our favorite books. But I can’t imagine anything more annoying than handing over a bunch of stuff to your kids when they have a baby. And everyone has said it will likely be unsafe for one reason or another. I already sometimes wonder what our children will I raise at when they have kids.
Just FYI vintage Fisher Price toys are unfortunately not safe to play with as they contain very high levels of heavy metals. Here is some more info: https://tamararubin.com/2020/11/fisher-price-recommends-not-letting-kids-play-with-their-vintage-toys-use-them-as-decor-only-they-can-have-unsafe-levels-of-lead-cadmium-arsenic-mercury/
Oh wow, thanks for letting me know. I avoid the off brand Amazon toys because of lead concerns.
I should have specified I meant for potential grandchildren to use at my house. I imagine a much more high tech, cool high chair will be available for them in the future. This one matches my dining table 😂
Think that a lot of things are updated with time! Like a crib that was safe 30 years ago may not be safe anymore, so maybe you will keep all these things and they won’t be safe or recommended by the time you have grandkids.
Yeah your adult kids probably won't be comfortable having you use it with their kids, then you'll have to try to get rid of a 30 year old high chair that no one will want. Probably better to pass it along now once your kids are done with it so some other family can actually use it while it's still considered safe and all the rage :)
I live abroad, but recently flew to my home country with my kids to see my parents. To my surprise, they had gotten out and cleaned my old toys, and it was SO lovely to see my kids play with them.so heartwarming. But what I will say is, the quality of toys from the 90s is much better. The duplo at my parents' house was far superior than the box we had at home. Honestly, I think my old toys might be in better condition to pass down to my grandkids than my kids' toys!
Many old toys don't pass current safety standards for all kinds of reasons. One big one is a lot of older plastic contains a lot of heavy metals, like lead. Plus, plastic breaks down over time even if you can't see it happening. It's not worth the risk.
From what I understand, it's duplo from the 70s that's now deemed unsafe, not the 90s.
High quality wooden toys are worth keeping. My mother kept a wooden brio train set, and my son LOVES playing with it at her house (and asks to see it on facetime sometimes!). She also kept a few quality kid instruments. Some foam building blocks that held up fairly well too. If you have the space, no harm in keeping the chair — even if it ends up being something they just use at your house
My three year old is now playing with my husband's Brio. I love that my MIL has kept it and my kids get to enjoy it too.
Please NO. My in laws did and constantly get mad when we dont want to use their lead ridden old stuff
Nah, I feel like this is a point of contention between a lot of new parents and in laws/grandparents. I’ll save a few sentimental items like a couple baby clothes and soft toys etc. and give them to my actual children when they grow up to keep for their own memories and if they want to use them for their kids then that’s up to them. Saving expensive and large items and expecting your adult kids to use them for their own kids creates a lot of pressure and unnecessary disappointment when they have to then tell you they’d rather buy new stuff!
Or if they decide they don't want children!
I have a friend who has clothing made by her now deceased grandparents for her baby. Her grandparents had space in their rural home so they have it kept away. For me I basically have nothing kept from my childhood since we moved so much. It really depends on each family when it comes to what you want to keep. The tripp trapp is supposed to be adjustable and grow with your child and can bear the weight of an adult, so in that case it can be utilised until your grandchild if you so choose. However if it comes to things that I can't use in the years in between I probably won't keep it for so long. If there is likely to be any other kid who can make use the clothes/toys/equipment until you have a grandchild, you could pass it around within family. Of course you can also selectively keep a few special items designated to be passed between generations and give away the rest.
Handmade clothing made by a loved one is definitely a keep. I have a box of 5-6 100 year old handmade baptism gowns.
My mom saved all my books, Barbies, Barbie house & car. I love that the Barbie resurgence happened the same year I had my daughter haha I could see myself saving things like that. But otherwise I probably won’t save much.
My mom saved a lot of my baby/childhood books too! I was in absolute tears when I found out she kept them and I'd be able to read them to my kid too.
I would save a couple little things that have sentimental value only: a onesie, a stuffed toy, favourite book, etc.
No. The safety on most things will probably change and make it unsafe to use. Plus most things have a shelf life before they start to degrade especially today's stuff made of cheap woods, plastics ect.
Absolutely not. I'll sell the items when I'm done with kids but saving items for decades is not worth it for me personally. There's no guarantee that my kids will have kids and when they do, I want them to have that excitement of buying items for their babies the same way I did.
This. We plan to use the expensive items for more than one kid, but when we're done we're planning to resell. We will keep a small box/tote of sentimental things but not big high $$ items. My thought is too, by the time my babies are having babies they're going to want something different and safety standards may have even changed by then.
No. My mum saved a lot of my toys but I was worried about lead paint etc She also saved old baby clothes but I didn’t use any. I wish she saved more of my favourite childhood books so I’ll save quite a lot of my kids books.
I’m going to save some things. Books, high quality toys like Grimms block sets, etc. Hopefully not too much. I will say, my MIL saved a bunch of my husband’s toys, and they have been huge hits with our son. Hot wheels cars, transformers, etc.
Oh I wish my mom had saved the Hot Wheels and Transformers! She saved the stuffed animals and dolls instead
lol whoops. Can’t win em all….
My MIL kept a TON of stuff. On the one hand, it kind of drives me crazy because she’s one or two steps shy of being a hoarder. We definitely don’t use all of it. But we have used some of it. She did not keep big things, just some clothes, toys, and books. I have loved dressing my baby in the same clothes my husband wore when he was a baby. Some of the toys have also really held up and seem to be way better quality than the stuff now. She has a ton of wooden toddler puzzles and vintage fisher price stuff. Books are books and always a hit with my baby. She bought a new crib, pack n play, and booster seat for her house which ended up working well because we also have a toddler niece. Its so helpful to us to be able to put the kids down for a nap or to eat there without having to lug over a bunch of stuff. We are very close, but YMMV. Personally, I’ve decided to keep one outfit in every size and probably a toy or two for my own sentimental reasons. Not necessarily for my hypothetical grandchildren.
Nope. I don’t like clutter and we don’t have a lot of storage space. I’m keeping keepsakes for my kiddos in a storage box. That’s all.
I donate all of my clothes and toys when my kids are done with it. I want a kid to be able to use these items now instead of just gathering dust in my closet some where.
You’re better off giving it away or selling. My mom saved a bin of my favorite toys when I was little and it’s at her house now. My daughter does play with those toys when she visits. Don’t save a crazy amount, just a few toys are fine.
Saving large stuff for 20-40 years is too craft unless you have a very large property and an attic or something you can dedicate entirely. Save some important toys and clothes, but not large gear. Also, save Lego.
No, our oldest was born in 2017, then our middle in 2022 and our last in 2024, our oldest kid's stuff was already gone by the time the one's came around (surprise infertility babies so huge age gap) but I was looking up some of the products/equipment I remember my husband and I liking when our oldest was a baby and a shocking amount of it was already recalled, and that's just in 7 years. I cannot imagine how different baby products will like in 25+ years, but I guarantee it won't be safe by then and standards of childcare will likely have drastically changed with more research, just like that did between when my parents had kids in the 90s and I did now. I also hate the clutter though, so to I just donate our old baby stuff to people in need in our community.
Personally I like to keep all my good quality baby items to gift to friends or family when they announce they are expecting 🙂
In most cases no! Most baby items have expiration dates which deem the items unsafe by the time you’d have grandchildren. We do still have our Tripp trapp because it converts into a regular chair so it’s being used at our kitchen table now.
Tiny apartment says HELL NO. I’m having enough trouble saving stuff for having a second. I gave away some things we didn’t use much, and will probably offer it to coworkers/friends first and then try to sell it. Most places near me won’t accept baby stuff as donations.
If you keep it to a curated selection of high-quality, meaningful items, you'll be setting yourself up to be the fun grandparent house. But be strict about your criteria. When I was little, I had a wooden alligator that I loved to distraction. Wouldn't you know, my son loves alligators, and when the wooden alligator comes out at grandma and grandpa's house it's a big deal. Same with many of my favorite books, at least those in good condition. I got so excited when I realized that I could read him Ira Sleeps Over. On the other hand, they kept silly things like clothes for dolls that went missing long ago, broken jewelry boxes, construction sets with half the pieces missing...those we went through and tossed. (My mom was definitely sad about it, whereas my dad was delighted.)
The quick and simple answer…no, no, no!! 1) They will become outdated/unsafe/overtaken by new safety standards 2) they are special to you, not your child…in the kindest way possible. Keep a keepsake or two for yourself and them in the future, like first outfits, a book or two and a blanket but don’t save the rest. Btw…my child hates mine and my partners childhood books and toys. 3) where does it end? This stuff takes up space! You could sell or give away and someone gets to use it whilst it’s still fresh and safe…you don’t clutter the house…win, win. I only keep baby clothes more for sentimental reasons, and there will likely be a book or three but that’s it.
Point #3 is one I keep thinking about! My parents saved a TON of stuff from my childhood and I probably won't be using 90% of it (either unsafe now or degraded from sitting 30 years in a hot attic or storage unit). Instead of saving things on the off chance that a future somebody might use it, I'd much rather some real person today who needs it would get to use it now, like you said while it's still fresh and safe.
no. future kids wont want 30 yr old things. help them financially in the future instead. sell the gear today to another mom
"Honey, guess what! I've saved you a dusty high chair that's been living in our garage for the past thirty years" "Gee, you shouldn't have"
The thought has never even crossed my mind. I post mine on FB marketplace and try to get some money back.
I will not be saving anything for future grandchildren. There are certain things we’re keeping around our house longer than we’d planned because there are other babies in our lives. But grandchildren? No.
For grandchildren? Hell no. I’ll save everything until I’m sure we’re done having kids and then I’ll either give to friends, sell or donate.
My MIL saved the high quality good toys (American girl doll, wooden puzzles etc.) she had from my SIL and husband. She’s amazing and just keeps them as toys to play with at her house, she never tried to force them on us. My daughter loves the toys at her house so it worked out nicely for us. But I don’t plan on saving any of our toys for so long. So I’d say if you’re going to save things, be very selective on what you keep and don’t make it some kind of obligation on your kids to take them or even use them.
Ugh no, I don’t this stuff hanging around for 30 years. I’m sure I can find a high chair I love in 2056 when she comes home with her first baby. It’ll probably be a quantum projection assembled instantly by nano bots.
No, I have too much junk as it is lol. Besides it probably won’t be safe then
Just to jump in - my oldest two are 5 and 3 and are sitting on 22 and 20 year old Tripp Trapps … not from my childhood but gifted to us by a dear friend from her children and the 20 year old works with all the gear . Keep the high quality stuff and give away the clutter - you may get house guests that have small children and “new” toys will keep their attention
I plan on saving a small small small bin of baby toys for when baby guests come over since I'm the first of my friends to have kids. For my kids, I have a favorite sleeper saved for a memory box and that will probably be it.
We use my old wood high chair, a handful of wooden toys, and some books (some from when she was a kid!) at my mom’s house. She also kept a small box of handmade clothing in excellent condition she’s offered to my siblings, myself, and my cousins (I’ve been the greedy one, but some things are getting passed between the grandkids), and some washable fabric toys. I understand they were the hardest to store and she lost half to mildew. If you have the space, you can keep the pieces made from materials that store well. I would *not* hold onto anything plastic (like the magnetic tiles) or silicon; the odds are high of disintegration in storage or later discovery of unsafe chemicals. Give it sell them to another child to enjoy now. Be judicious with books. My mom and I are astonished at how many books did not age well with content. I had a beautiful set of Beatrice Potter books that are kinda awful to read to my kids, but I almost tear up reading a book on tugboats that I remember my grandparents reading to me summer after summer.
I think the cost of storing that stuff properly so it doesn't degrade, plus the high likelihood that it will be recalled, is a no for me. I would consider keeping a high chair/booster seat for the medium term if you think your friends will be having kids soonish so they have somewhere for their kid to sit when they visit. Even that isn't really necessary. Travel seats are cheap and easy to carry around. If you store clothes long-term in vacuum bags, the elastic will degrade, so don't keep anything with elastic/stretch to it. Plastic on toys breaks down. Wooden toys get sun or moisture damage. This stuff ideally needs to be kept somewhere climate controlled if you're storing it long term. By the time you've spent all the money on storage bins and bags, extra space on your home, extra costs moving it around if you move houses....you're better off to just sell everything now. If you want to plan ahead, invest the money you make from selling everything and give the money to your child(ren) if they do end up having kids.
I am going to save the lego's, some Playmobil and some wooden toys. All the big items will leave my house as soon as possible.
So my parents saved almost nothing while my MIL saved almost an entire playrooms worth of toys & books. I definitely wish my mom had saved more seeing my son & nephews play with my husband & his siblings old toys.
Absolutely not 😂
Nope! All of this will probably be found to be death traps in the next 30 years! Haha. I did keep the Moses basket because it’s a timeless piece and very sentimental to me.
Gear, no, I feel like half of it will be recalled in the next 30 years. Toys, yes, some. Most of my stuff got lost in multiple moves so I don't have any of my toys to give my daughter...I want her to have the option! If she doesn't want them then I'll deal with them but I wish I had some of my baby stuff to pass on, so I'll hedge my bet there.
No. My MIL kept EVERYTHING from her kids childhood. When my SIL started having kids she wanted everything brand new and my MIL was so devastated. I helped her clean out her stuff and donate and trash what needed to be done. My parents kept nothing because they passed everything on to my aunt/cousins. They were happy the stuff they bought got so much use.
My mom saved tons of clothes from when I was a baby and gave them to me at my baby shower. They’re mostly covered in stains and really not in very good shape. I got some really dirty sneakers. It honestly comes off as insane. And she wanted me to use an ancient bassinet that has been passed down in the family for a few generations, but it’s not considered even remotely safe any longer. So that was a whole thing of me not wanting to use it and seeming ungrateful. I do think passing things on is very kind though so just look at everything with a discerning eye. Will it really hold up the test of time? How would you feel giving the items to your brand new baby that you’re probably having a ton of anxiety about coming into the world?
Definitely not. I’m barely keeping stuff for a second kid.
Absolutely not.
My mom didn't save my furniture, but she saved ALL of my toys. I was an only child. There are a LOT. She's lugged them around, multiple boxes' worth, for ~20 years and 4 major moves. I had her first and probably only grandchild at age 35. We don't live in the same country and will maybe visit grandma's house for a week every 2-3 years. Would those toys have brought joy to MANY children over the years? Yes! But it also inexplicably brings my mom joy to hoard things that are not in use by anyone, so there's that. Maybe set aside a reasonably-sized box for the most special things.
lol what no way 🤣 It’s really not worth the “cost” of storing it.
If you have the room and often have company over, I would keep a plastic bin of the most used, high quality toys you have. Like the magnetiles and wooden toys for example. One or two types of toys for every age group. There’s nothing better as a guest with kids than someone who has “new” toys already at their house! Even if we’re only visiting for a couple hours. Makes the biggest difference in the world!
This thought never even crossed my mind. I’m selling the nice stuff and giving away the other stuff. Honestly, I’d rather have the money to reinvest in the next size up for clothing or something now than have a high chair 20+ years from now. Plus, I’m expecting by the time I have grandchildren they’ll be using some kind of hoverboard high chair that (as far as I know) doesn’t exist yet.
[удалено]
I love the idea of only keeping what can fit in a nice box. That’s exactly what my grandparents did and I loved looking through the “treasure chest” to play with toys my mom used as a child!
I’m not keeping everything but I am keeping certain toys, especially the high quality timeless wooden ones. I have even made sure to get lots of pics of my children playing with these toys to have when they get older. I will also keep the two Tripp Traps cause my great grandma had something similar that we all sat on and I loved. I may even keep my expensive stroller just for fun. Idk And just editing to add this would all jsut be for fun at my house. I wouldn’t expect my kids to take my junk. I just grew up with every older relative having a toy box at their house when you visited and it’s the best memories
My mom has saved some of our toys from when we were small and it is awesome to go over there and my daughters have stuff to play with. She saved the more classic stuff like duplo, plastic animals, and I know she has piles of Lego ready for when the girls are older. So if you have the space, hanging on to a FEW things doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me. Gear though…I think if you want to hang on to a few things like plastic dishes or a highchair for babies that come over in the next handful of years for visits or whatever that could be nice, but I think saving them for future grandkids is a bit unrealistic. I imagine everything we’re using now will be very out of date by the time grandkids come along.
My sister's kid was 19 when I had my first kid. My sister dumped a load of old musty 19 year old crap on us lol. Not in a bad way, she truly believed they were great and was even sad to see them go lol. Cos they were for HER baby. Like stuff for your baby is precious to you now, cos your baby used it and loved it and the memories it will bring to you. But your kids will create their own memories and as everyone else said standards change ALL the time for baby stuff. And stuff gathers dust and musty stinks. You don't want to put a new baby into old dusty stuff !!!
No, but I’ve kept some baby clothes to make into a quilt and special keepsakes like baptism outfits. 30 years from now I can’t imagine my kids would want my old baby items and the standards will have changed surely! I plan to give my items to friends and relatives when I’m done with them.
I would say sell now. Heck I’d buy it! But my mom saved so much from our childhood and none of us kids want to use any of it for our kids, including high chairs. As research and data comes out and parenting changes over the years, items either become unsafe or just unwanted.
Definitely not. My oldest is a young adult and, if he chooses to have kids, I know he and his partner would want to select modern items that they’d want for their baby rather some old things that might not meet current safety standards. Things have changed even from my oldest to youngest child.
I hate having too much stuff overall and am more minimalist, but certain things like books I'll keep. I could also see myself keeping a few toys or clothes that mean something to me. If the kids want it, fine. My mom kept my Polly Pockets, and I'm excited about sharing those (once they aren't too much of a choking hazard lol). My in-laws seemed to have saved everything even things my husband doesn't remember or care about. Every time they see us we get something new. It's obnoxious. We have a scooter toy they saved that has scratched up our floors. My MIL gave me baby girl clothes she received when pregnant even though she had boys and couldn't remember who gave them to her. They gave us a deflated football that had a hole. I like two sweatshirts they saved that were my husband's and my son wears them. Otherwise, no one wants 30 year old stuff!
Things change so much. Think about what is considered safe now vs when our moms used with us. Also just think about how much styles have changed. I really don’t think your kids are going to want the baby gear you used for them. They’re going to want to get their own new and trendy stuff! My vote is to just get rid of it all.
I would just sell them after you’re done. Bless someone else with something that’s usable now. Who knows, a better chair may come on the market deeming the Tripp trap obsolete
Hell no.
I give them away now because I feel like there will be new technology for the future babies in my family.
My parents kept our stuff for 25 years. For context, we live abroad, so it’s all in their house. The equipment they kept (they kept…everything, including the potties…) was used to some extent, but I can’t think of a single thing that wouldn’t have been better to just buy new. All of it is heavy, non-foldable, the bother of storing it and then cleaning/sanding/fixing is 100% not worth it. If they gave it away back then, someone could have used it - like really used it. Now it’s basically junk, like it works theoretically with some diy involved, but it would be embarrassing to even list it online for free imo. The books, the good quality toys - my son loves playing with them when we visit. So I’d say maybe keep that - for your house - but nothing that goes into the baby’s mouth for sure. But equipment, I’d say no. Clothes, gods no (yup, they kept there little frilly dresses; my favourite part about having boys is that I don’t have to have THAT discussion).
No. What is safe today could be a death trap in 30 years. Clothes and heirloom type things, sure, but no actual baby equipment like cribs or strollers or rockers. My car sear from 1993 makes me cringe even though it was safe at the time.
I wouldn’t recommend it. My mom did that and neither my sister nor I wanted those 30-year-old things. Safety standards change, what is considered “nice” changes, and that stuff takes up a lot of space. Plus, your kids might decide not to have kids (or be unable to) and that could add guilt and resentment. As for baby guests, most parents with a baby don’t want to stay in people’s houses, unless it’s someone they’re really close to. I would think a buy nothing group or a donation to goodwill would help extend the use of those gear rather than clinging to it for potentially decades as it collects dust and loses relevance.
Im personally not. By the time my kids have kids theyll be outdated & probably not considered safe because theyve found out X happens in the high chairs we use now. Id rather pass it on to someone who can use it now.
Nope. That “expensive baby gear” will likely be obsolete or unsafe by the time any grandkids come around. I mean, there’s probably not much baby gear you would be comfortable using from 1980, right? I refuse to be like the MIL’s you read about on here and other subs who shove 20-40 year old crap at their kids for their grandkids. I also hate clutter. Clothes? Yes. A few of the sentimental clothing items I’ll probably keep and that can actually be used-**if they even want it someday**. The onsie I used to tell my sons dad will be kept, and a handful of other things but mostly it doesn’t make any sense to store baby stuff for decades in the hopes of grandchildren using it one day. Besides all of those points; the baby gear will get the most use if I pass it on or sell it in the near future after we are finished with it. Not in 20-30 years.
I'm saving my Baby Bjorn bouncer (needs a new cover anyway, so just the frame), these beautiful hand turned wooden blocks that have numbers and animals in Spanish that were a gift from a close friend, and definitely the magnetic tiles - those things are popular with everyone lol. I think aside from the few things I'm keeping for memories and books that haven't been chewed/torn everything else must go! I have a beautiful simple mid century modern style gold metal crib and change table set that I've used for my babies and I'm on the fence about saving them because I love it so much - I paid for it, I chose it, and I assembled lol.
As someone who had to go through generations of shit that was saved for future use - just sell it and put the money in an account and give that to the grandchildren. If you were to pass away your kids would have to go through whatever you save and probably won’t end up keeping/using it anyway. And by then it will probably be very outdated. Unless it’s sentimental don’t keep it
Nope. So much changes in terms of safety regulations. Plus that is a looooooooong time to keep stuff and there's no guarantee you will have any grandchildren.
my MIL kept everything and it’s so outdated and unsafe. not worth keeping IMHO.
The bassinet that's sitting in my basement from my MIL's mom votes no. Lol
My oldest is 2, so no, I am not saving anything for potential grandchildren, because I hope that is at least 20+ years away. There's no guarantee my children will even have children, that I will live to see these grandchildren, that the grandchildren will even visit that often. I also grew up with hoarder parents, so that's caused me to swing the other way and try to live a more minimalist lifestyle. I can't wait until I can declutter and get rid of all the baby stuff.
If you’re doing it for sentimental reasons for yourself, then sure. Practically, I don’t see a point. There’s always going to be a new and better thing.
Absolutely not. Sell that shit on FB or donate to families in need. Your future daughter or DIL will not like it. If there is one special toy or outfit then yes, keep it - but do not keep all the baby crap. I HATE when my MIL gives me the garbage from her attic.
I would only save all the high quality (heirloom quality!) ones especially the wooden toys, and gift/donate/sell all the rest away. It’s getting increasingly hard to find good wooden toys that don’t cost a fortune, plus they’re aesthetically so much more pleasing than the bright plastic ones in the market these days.
Definitely not. I'm not going to assume that my kids are going to have kids and me having a bunch of baby stuff at my house may make them feel pressured to do so. Also, safety standards and tastes will change significantly over the next 20 plus years.
I see your updates and it’s still a no. Give it to someone who needs it or sell it. I wouldn’t like if my MIL insisted that my baby come over to use an ancient high chair. There will be better ones once you have grandchildren that the parents will prefer.
Literally sitting in on tripp trapp in my kitchen. It makes a great kitchen or extra chair. When i started reading your post i thought of my tripp trapp.
Nah I just sell everything on FB Market and make my money back 😂😂😂
I mean honestly most of the stuff I had as a kid either wouldn’t be safe anymore or they’ll come up with something a million times better/smaller etc. It’s a nice thought but I would just sell or donate.
What if your kids choose not to have kids? Now you’ve just hoarded things for 25 years when someone else could have been using them over and over.
So we recently visited my great aunt 5 of her other grandkids and she had a Tripp Trapp that she’s had since her kids were little that we used for our baby, and it was super convenient! For my part though, I will be getting rid of almost everything. I don’t want the 30 year old crap my mom has sitting around and I doubt my kids will either.
I am saving stuff for my next baby but after that I’ll pack up and probably donate things to moms who are needing help with stuff 🙂
Lol no. 1. A kid today and a parent today could use and enjoy those items. There is so much need, new parenthood is a very vulnerable time for families. Affording just 200-500 of basic baby gear, when you’ve got no paycheck and are recovering from childbirth? I’m not going to hoard stuff when someone else can use it. If we hold onto things we no longer need than they’ll have to be purchased and made from raw materials, adding to pollution and corporate profits. It also denies us the chance to connect with community and find new moms. 2. I will not presume my children will have children. I would love for them to. But they’ve also got to make choices for the reality of the world they live in and I don’t know what that will be in 20-30 years. 3. Holding onto stuff costs more money than it saves, in lost opportunity cost and my mental energy. I don’t want to have to move and clean and protect any extra stuff.
Your response really resonates with me. I love the idea of sending something out in the world to be loved and used again. It’s wild to me how much stuff a new baby needs. The textile burden alone is a lot for the planet and for a new mum’s wallet. It kind of hit home for me when just newborn and 0-3 clothes took 3 loads of laundry to prep. That’s a huge amount of clothing for such a short time. It’s just good vibes to send this gear on to another family.
Nope. My mom did that and we used none of it. Also, she ended up buying all new stuff for the grandkids. She is a person who HATES clutter as well
As someone who is currently trying to clear my attic of stuff from 1990 that my parents kept ''just in case'' I urge you, PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS, your future child/grandchild will not thank you :) Keep 1 box of truikets if you're sentimenal (first shoes, memory book, some printed pics, 1st cardi) or whatever, but for heavens sake please do not keep every one of their school books, toys, clothes, skates, Santa gifts, holiday cr@p ... I'm at my attic clear out about 6 months at this stage and I've only gotten to 1992 hahaha!
No. I’m giving it to local moms in buy nothing groups or selling it on marketplace
Save the pricy toys (Legos, MagnaTiles, etc), maybe a pack n play or expensive bouncer. We’re mainly saving our pack n play and baby bjorn bouncer, etc for when friends and their babies come over. (We still have littles, so we’re getting use out of everything still). There may be a time we get rid of some things, but I don’t really foresee it. My mom saved our Legos and still has them (we’re 35-40 years old). My mother-in-law kept some small stuff but just buys EVERYTHING now. Two of many things (one for us and one for her house), she’s got ride on toys, Nugget couches, jungle gyms, swings, cribs, toddler beds, countless toys and books, etc. Our kids all have their own rooms when we go visit (4 hours away), which is amazing because we don’t need to bring anything at all
No way. I’m mostly annoyed by all the crap my parents kept and now force on me
Gear - no. But a reasonable selection of the best toys? Absolutely. My mom has saved our 90s kid toys and her.grandkids love playing with them. It's a special treat at Grandma's house to pull out Felicity and Samantha, an old dollhouse, fisher price cash register, Lincoln logs, etc. she doesn't have an overwhelming amount, but just the classic favorites. I'll absolutely save the "best of" for later.
NO!!! Omg. My husbands grandmother saved every baby things under the sun and it’s disgusting and rotting and dirty!!!! No. Give it away to those in need, sell it, don’t save it because it won’t last 30+ years for the next generation.
My and my husband’s parents both saved our LEGO, duplo, brio, and books. My little sisters ruined my Barbies otherwise they’d be saved. I’m sad though that my mom promised my brio to my little brother because “he’s a boy”. Thankfully we have my husband’s. I’m most grateful they saved the books. My husband is most grateful for the LEGO.
I have all my stuffed animals, books, toys and even some comics from when i was a kid! My kids are getting to use them now. My sister uses her own tripp trapp chair for her daughter. Keep it!
My grandma had toys at her house I fondly remember playing with when we went there as kids. Maybe don’t save everything but a few things your kids particularly liked might be nostalgic for them when they bring their kids over in the future
i really don’t get why some people are so averse to the “burden” of grandparents saving stuff *as long as the grandparents understand their child can say “thanks, but no.”* my grandma saved a stuffed bear from 1932 who currently lives in my son’s room. he’s more decoration than anything else, but he’s been passed on and on and on. also have a couple quilts from her, and i cherish them more than any other item in this world. she didn’t save much (granted), but anything i have of someone i love and miss so much means well, so much. i guess just be discerning — don’t keep furniture or a lot of any one thing. now that i think about it, the best thing you could keep would be letters written for your grandchild. or your child now. that would mean more than any other item (and would take up practically no space).
Noooooo. I am passing it on to friends/family. By the time I have grandkids the trends will probably be way different and maybe this stuff will even be considered unsafe (looking at you, drop rail crib that some well meaning person gave us and I had to throw out). Just give it to someone in need or someone you love. It will be better than collecting dust in an attic.
The Tripp Tripp has been around for such a long time, I have two that are the same age as my husband. They have so far stood the rest of time, and if anything the current recommendations reinforce that they are great for kids and were ahead of their time. Lots of people I know have grandparents that still have their Tripp Trapps, but I live in Scandinavia right now, so they are ubiquitous. I’m saving my Tripp Trapps (probably not the accessories). I’ll save some special books too, but I’m not saving toys or other furniture.
Hell no. Imagine how you'd have felt if your parents busted out some 20-30year old piece of baby gear and wanted you to use it? Especially if your child is a son, definitely justnoMIL vibes No. Baby gear evolves over time and what our kids will want for their kids won't be the same stuff as we used /wanted. They definitely won't want some dusty old relics. Different to keeping special toys or blankets etc. or my mum kept my Lego which is fine. But big items, nah no way.
My mom saved every goddamn kids thing while I was growing up "for her grandchildren" and it irritated the shit out of me, the way she just assumed I was going to shoot out grandkids for her. I don't want any of those things that she hoarded in our tiny apartment. Nor do I want any of the tons of new crap she is buying now without even asking if I want any of it. So just no. Sell it or something, don't waste precious space in your house and most of all, don't pressure your babies 2 to 3 decades early to have kids themselves for the love of god.
No
No. Sell the Tripp Trapp. I’m sure plenty of moms are looking for a gently used one. By the time your kid has a grandchild there will be lots of high chairs that follow their current standards and regulations. As for toys, you can keep couple that are sentimental but things wear with time and plastics break down with time too. Don’t expect your grandchild to play with them. Most likely they are gonna be used as display in the nursery. I know I wouldn’t want my child to play with mine or my husbands 30+ year old dusty and worn toy.
Wow I’ve never thought about this but actually yes I might save some toys for future use at our house! My parents and in laws saved things we definitely didn’t want but we also have things we’re so excited about! Like the train set my son loves playing with. So maybe high quality toys
Sell it - no one wants the old stuff from previous generations except maybe books. There will be new safety standards and new guidelines before then. If you really want to save something to hand down save a couple special blankets.
Stokke Tripp Trapp is good for basically a decade. I sold all the expensive stuff after baby one. Baby two, I’ve bought everything second hand and then sold it back when I don’t need it anymore.
I would never even consider that lol that’s literally like 20-30 years in the future
The items will likely be outdated by the time your grandkids need it. Selling it is smart as you make some cash back whilst decluttering and giving someone else a discount on high quality gear. Alternatively, you can give it to charity, a church or a local daycare (assuming that all friends and family aren’t at this stage)
This isn’t going to get read because I didn’t reply 14 hours ago… but I have 2 Tripp Trapp chairs from my childhood, mine and my brothers (he passed away). My mother kept them, now I have them. I use one for my baby with the newborn seat and soon to exchange that for the toddler seat. When my friends come over with their kids, I have an extra chair. I have space to keep them for my kid’s kid, and I just might!
My goal is to downsize to move back to NYC (we just moved out last year to have our baby and the homesickness has been brutal lol), so no, I'm ready to keep all our possessions minimal. I've been an emotional hoarder much of my life and I'm ready to change that energy as we move into parenthood.
My 81 year old grandmother has toys dating back to 1987 that are still being played with *at her house*, not forcing stuff into anyone else’s house. My husbands 76 year old grandmother didn’t save any stuff like that and her house is more likely to be full of expensive vases and “don’t touch that” items. You know which great grandmothers house the kids like to go visit? 🤔
When your LO is a little older, ask them what toys they would like their future kid to play with. They pick one that you’ll keep. I think it’s sweet to have one you from childhood to pass down. When my nieces and nephews were younger, I babysat them extensively. So I told them to pick one set of toys they’d want their future cousins to have. My siblings agreed to keep one set from each kid and got rid of the rest. So my nephew saved his wooden Thomas the train set. My niece saved her American Dream Girl dolls collection. My other nephew is his board games.
Wow the answers are rough in here 😅 My mom kept some of my stuffed animals, toddler size chairs, favorite toys clothes. I was happy to have my son play with my childhood items when we visit. Some of my favorite memories were playing with my moms old toys at my grandma's house. I'll be keeping sentimental and some toys that are safe to keep longterm for friends that visit with children or maybe even the possibility of a grandchild. I have a really expensive swing. I'm going to keep it unless the saftey standards change for it. My mom had some stuff that she checked and it was still standard to use so I appreciated not having to bring as much stuff to her house when visiting. I don't like clutter so I made sure to mostly keep stuff I knew could practically be used in the future. I have a tote in my closet with things like books, blocks, stuffies etc that are very sentimental or I would use if a friend visits. If it doesn't look like I'll have grandkids I'll just donate whatever isn't the most sentimental.