I’ve often wondered what happens to baby things after your last child has graduated beyond their beloved babyhood toys and gear. If you’re in a time of your life when your friends are still having kids, maybe you can pass some gently used things along to them (if they’re willing to accept them), but if not… where do these items go?
We really didn’t want to just dump everything off at Goodwill because while I believe that that’s a useful service, so many items that are given to Goodwill just end up in the landfill because their locations just get totally overwhelmed with donations. We wanted to be sure that the items that we loved so much (that still had many years left in them!) found good homes or that we disposed of them responsibly.
Now that Chloe is in the “taby” stage (in between toddler and baby), we no longer need many of her infant / newborn baby gear and toys… I thought it might be helpful to share some of the resources we’ve used to pass most of our things along:
For gently used gear that isn’t expired (bassinets, cribs, car seats, changing pads, bottles), I recommend finding a local social service program for families in need.
If you’re local to the Seattle area, we’ve had really wonderful experiences with KidVantage Northwest. You can see their list of accepted items (and what items they need!) here.
…
For the more special clothing pieces, I resell them on Poshmark. I also like to shop on Mercari when I need to broaden my search for making purchases, but haven’t expanded my sales there. I highly recommend using secondhand retail sites for these types of items because they can still find life beyond your family!
…
For the clothes and linens that don’t qualify for resale or donations (due to set-in stains, holes, etc.), we utilize For Days to responsibly recycle the fabrics.
…
Every year Target provides this excellent service for recycling expired car seats. You can trade them in for a discount on select items in the store, but more importantly, it’s a responsible way to recycle any car seats that should be taken out of circulation.
…
Sometimes well-meaning friends and family gift items that we either already have (such as specific books / toys) or don’t need (thinking specifically of stuffed animals… which accumulate FAST!). It’s super unrealistic to expect everyone to keep track of our daughters’ “inventory” before gifting us things so duplicates are bound to happen!
In these instances, we often contribute duplicate books to local Free Little Libraries and give duplicate / lightly-used (or never used!) stuffies to Stuffed Animals For Emergencies (SAFE) where they can really do some good.
…
Lastly, our favorite subscription toy brand, Lovevery, is now offering a resale program for their toys that are in good shape, but are no longer needed. I think this model is particularly spectacular for a few reasons:
— No scams: Purchases and payments are secure and protected. Listings are verified by the platform for authenticity and accuracy.
— Replacement parts: If your product is incomplete, the buyer can reach out to the Lovevery Customer Experience team for a replacement part at subscriber rates.
— Donations: You can donate your playthings and our non-profit partner, ParentChild+, will distribute them directly to families living in communities with high levels of poverty and limited access to early childhood opportunities.
(^ bullet points are direct quotes from Lovevery’s website)
The large majority of our girls’ toys are from Lovevery and we’ve absolutely adored every single thing we’ve ever received from the brand. I am so happy to pass these amazing items along to families that need them.
I want to note that while I am extremely grateful that our girls are graduating to new chapters and I’m very happy that we’re able to find good homes for all of our much-loved items, it’s still hard to give them away — especially if you know that you’re done having babies. Two kids is the perfect number of children for our family and we feel absolutely complete with our girls, but there is a tiny part of me that mourns the fact that this is our last baby (it feels so… final?).
I know that I can be both overjoyed with our complete family and still feel sad that I won’t get to experience it all again — I’m just processing through my feelings. If you’re in a similar mental & emotional place I just want you to know that those feelings are perfectly normal and you’re not alone.
Sending HUGE hugs —
xx, Natalie
Leave a comment...