The Hand Me Down Chain - Give Kids Clothes a New Life
Shocking how kids grow, isn’t it? I remember going to Baby Gap after my daughter, Averill, was born, and telling the saleswoman that I needed to return a newborn baby gift as it was too big. The woman, a mother of three, laughed and told me that in a week or two my newborn would fit that 3-6 month romper just fine. It was hard to imagine, but she was right.
Now, my daughter Averill, is five, and I have a son, Hayden, who is three and they both grow like weeds. Three months zip by and suddenly, their clothes and shoes are too small. With the exception of my daughter’s favorite flowered pants, or my son’s garbage truck tee, my kids’ clothes are too short in the leg or sleeve but in pretty good shape! So once a growth spurt happens we have a system: a hand me down chain. We make a pile of the too small clothes and we have a line of girls in our life that we send them to - first Samara, then Petra, and then cousin Julia. Samara lives in L.A. so she class=”padded-image” doesn’t need the sweaters. Petra moved back East, so she needs heavier things, and Julia is smaller, so she will be next in line. Sometimes Samara sends a box of Averill’s things directly to Julia, when she’s outgrown the hand me downs. If we want them back for another little friend, we put our initials on the tags, or when our recipients have gone through their own growth spurts, they can keep passing on the clothes. My daughter feels so proud to share her things with her cousins and pals - all parts of our extended community, and I love giving a new life to clothes my kids wore. My heart always warms to see Samara wearing something Averill wore - reminding me of a now passed moment in my daughter’s life.
One particularly well-made Loden coat zig zagged back and forth between families across the country and beyond. My husband wore it in 1970! We decided that we needed to put a little tag in its lining to record the names of the children in our circle of friends and family who wore it and when. We are going to a wedding in London this spring, and plan to pack the Loden coat for the next lucky cousin.
There are other ways to recycle clothes if you don’t have a friend or family member with a smaller child. Donating to charity, of course, is an obvious choice. Selling on Craig’s List or e-Bay is another option. There also may be local consignment stores in your city that pay cash or trade clothes. Kristen Nelson, a Los Angeles mom, had a great idea when she founded the L.A. Kids Consignment Sale. For this fall and spring sale, Kristen gathers gently used items from families, sorts them, and then witnesses shoppers find fantastic bargains. Over two hundred and seventy families have sold clothes and goods through her. Moms can recoup some of what they spent on last year’s things by selling them to other families at affordable prices, and whatever is leftover goes to charity. Everybody wins.
Most baby gear is so short lived, and because so much of it is plastic, it will be on this planet for good. Highchairs, “play offices,” baby bathtubs all serve our children for what amounts to moments in the course of their lives and there is no need for every family to keep repeating the same purchases. So if you are a new mom, don’t be shy, ask around. Most moms with older kids will be delighted to unload. And if you are on the other end and your little angel has outgrown her bouncy seat, start looking for a way to give it a new life too. Like they say, what goes around comes around, so pass it around!
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Lee Rose Emery - Ecoist
Lee Rose Emery is a freelance writer and mom who lives in Los Angeles, with her husband and two kids. Her writing has appeared on stage, in print, and online. She is currently working on a children’s book with her daughter, Averill.
Tags: hand-me-downs, reusing kid clothes