What to Do with Your Child's Clothing that No Longer Fits

Baby clothes, especially the first outfits, have special emotional and economic significance for any mother. First of all, they’re products that parents buy with sacrifice. Second, they’re the first outfits that we use to dress our tiny new additions to the family.

When it comes to our first child, the apprehension about what to do with his or her clothing can be much greater. The reality is that, even when these clothes no longer fit, there are still many things we can do with it. What matters is understanding that the items are still useful, in every sense.

Balance between memories and utility

After the first months – or even the first two years – of our babies’ lives, there will be a lot of clothing we don’t know what to do with. We’ll be left a lot of items, and it’s important to decide what to do with them .

Of course, there are items we’ll want to remember forever – but the question is how we want to remember them. This will all depend on the sentimental value of each piece, its meaning, and our creativity.

At the same time, there will be other items that we can reuse in many different ways. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is organize all of the clothing by sentimental value, cost, and wear. This will help you better determine what to do with each piece.

There are some items you can never forget

Your baby’s first outfit, mittens and gloves are unforgettable. These are things that most mothers simply put away in a box. They may do the same with other iconic items that have special sentimental value, such as baptismal gowns, pacifiers, or hospital bracelets.

You should keep in mind that the idea is to save items that represent the essence of a new life that came into the world. Each mother will have her own particular vision as to what to do with these special items.

An excellent idea we’d like to suggest is preparing a memory box. For example, find a small sturdy box where you can place meaningful items from your baby’s first months or years. You can buy a decorated box, or decorate it yourself.

Besides clothing, you can also add baby teeth, the umbilical cord stub, photos, and any other sentimental items.

You can’t save everything

It goes without saying that you can’t hold on to every piece of clothing your baby ever wore. A selection of the most meaningful items will suffice to remind you of your little one’s early days in the future.

Truth be told, many items may be reusable. Some can serve for more practical purposes, while others a more creative one. For example, you can turn some onesies into t-shirts in order to prolong their usefulness. If you have items that are worn or stained, you can turn them into rags or burp cloths. 

You can also decide to be generous and allow other families to enjoy the items that your little one no longer needs.

Three ways to sell clothing that no longer fits

Besides the options we mentioned above, there are some clothing items that you can reinvest. The current market offers us three main ways to carry out this type of transaction. Of course, it’s best to sell items that have less of a sentimental value for you:

• Exchange in worn out items for discounts: There are many companies that allow us to recycle worn out and even stained clothing items in exchange for store discounts. In this case, you’ll need to look for companies that offer these services.
• Sell unused items: There are always those items that, for one reason or another, your child never even used. You can sell many of these items, as long as they’re attractive and in good condition. You can also sell many gently used items, either online or have a yard sale.
• Exchange your clothes for new-to-you items: With the existence of the internet, clothing exchange groups have become popular. You can participate in these groups and exchange out-of-use items for other useful articles. If you do the same among friends, even better!

Leave room for charity

You can also take clothing that no longer fits your baby and turn it into a donation. Keep in mind that there are always people with limited resources that may need the items more than you do.

In order to donate to charity, you can also look for a church or a family that can put the items to good use. You can also donate them to second-hand stores that use their earnings to help a cause. There are many institutions that also accept this type of donation: Hospitals, schools, NGOs, etc.

It’s important to classify the clothing that no longer fits your child and find a good use for each item. Remember that, after you decide what to save, reuse, sell or trade in, you should also be sure to donate items to charity as well. And, of course, be sure to set aside some special items and preserve them in a meaningful way.