Hannah Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I don't know if I should keep the picture books and early readers for the grandkids (for 20 years at least!!) or get rid of them. Given my family history, the chances are good that my children will end up living on a different continent anyway. Books are the one area where I just have no decluttering sense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyMSews Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 keep one or two favorites, and pass the rest along. Do you know a family with young children who could put them to good use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I'm no help - I kept all the ones I had from MY childhood, all of my favorites from the ones we collected when my children were little, all of their favorites..... I think I did get rid of SOME of them.....:lol: Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 keep one or two favorites, and pass the rest along. Do you know a family with young children who could put them to good use? :iagree: It's always easier for me to part with books when I know they'll be put to good use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HejKatt Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 (edited) It's a hard choice! I'd keep them all if I could, but it doesn't sound easy to keep books in good condition for that many years (unless you have lots of space in a climate-controlled environment). My plan is to keep: - dc's favorites: The ones I've easily read hundreds of times to them - Out of print - Sets/partial sets that would be expensive to collect piece-meal because even though the later books are still available, the earlier books are no longer published. I'd find it easiest to give/sell the mass market and early reader sets, if they don't stand out in literary quality and/or illustrations. For example, I'd keep "My Book House" set but I would let go of a "Tintin" chapter books set. ETA: PP has a good suggestion for giving/lending. If you have a local HS group, someone would likely be interested in what you've collected. Edited March 3, 2012 by leeyeewah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I'd keep those that are special (or really good) and pass on the others. even if you don't have grandkids around anytime soon - there will be friends who visit with little people . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalieclare Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 It's hard for me to say, since it looks like I run a Book Rescue in my home. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I've moved country twice (three countries, three continents), and moved house ... umm, lots of times ... since having children. I have come to deeply regret getting rid of many of my own books over the various moves. Last year I went through some sort of "healing process" (not to sound too silly about it, but that's how it felt) of re-buying some of these books. It's been a way of putting down roots here. In other words, I caution against throwing out all books, but I know that it's not practical to keep them all! It terms of children's books, I recommend purging slowly - go through and sort out the ones that have real meaning for you, then come back in a couple of years and do it again. I've just gone through my second purge of ds5's board books, and am down to about a dozen, about half of which are survivors from dd's baby days. This reminds me, I really need to buy some more bookshelves...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Get rid of them -books don't store well unless they are kept in climate control. Someone just gave us a box of really old kids books and I tossed them -they were full of bugs and yellow and falling apart and very dated in content (not in a good way). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Keep the favorites. My mom recently passed on some of my old favorites, but I would have been overwhelmed if she gave me more than ten, frankly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trlt Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I have mine from when I was little and now I have more from my kids. I keep the loved ones and the ones that they didn't care for I pass on. I have tons of books and it's really hard for me to part with them! I loved going to my parents house and looking through the bookshelf of my old books and when my mom gave me some of them I was so touched. Those books hold a lot of memories for me. One day I hope my own children look upon their books in the same way!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 :iagree: It's always easier for me to part with books when I know they'll be put to good use. Me too. I let my kids pick their favorites......and then I slowly pass on the rest to neighbors, friends, nephews etc. It feels nice for my kids to share books they liked.....only thing is, neighbors, friends and nephews pass books back this way.... We are drowning in books....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I'm no help - I kept all the ones I had from MY childhood, all of my favorites from the ones we collected when my children were little, all of their favorites..... I think I did get rid of SOME of them.....:lol: Anne Me too. I gave away very few books from when my kids were little, and now I am so glad! Grandchildren used to seem very far away for me, too. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jessica* Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I would only keep a few favorites and a list of the others you want to share with the grandchildren. Then when each grandchild arrives you can buy them a few from the list. That's my plan, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Ask each kid to pick one or two titles that they would like to have for their kids someday - the rest either give to a local preschool or daycare or to a family that needs them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I kept about 10 picture books that we use when my dd babysits. Purge the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Before I say this, know that I feel your pain :). We are bookaholics. We have about 3500 books currently cataloged NOT including any of the kid books, homeschool books or cookbooks---I have 3 6-ft bookcases full of homeschool books for my one child and sometimes they overflow ;). My husband and I both still have some special books from our childhoods. My daughter has used some of them, but, honestly, has not been interested in most of them. We've kept a handful of her younger books but not a lot. Purging the picture books might have been the hardest, as we are both suckers for beautifully illustrated picture books. Weed through the books, putting back to keep only those that are really special to you for some reason (quality of illustrations, special memories, etc). Next, go through the pile you are willing to give up and sort for the ones a local used bookstore might buy or that you think might sell at a used curriculum sale (the season is approaching). Try selling them and use that money (or credit at the used bookstore) to fund new books :D. My daughter how has her own trade credit account at the local used bookstore to fund her manga habit. Ones that aren't in salable condition (ex-library, bit too loved on, etc) or that don't go at the store/sale, definitely pass on for others who might want them. Repeat this process fairly regularly, as your criteria for what to keep will likely change over time. I take a box pretty regularly to our homeschool group class day or park day and put them out for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Keep a few favorites for each child if you have room. Other than that, keep only as many as YOU are willing to store when grandkids arrive - in other words, don't plan on gifting new parents with box upon box of books. Same goes for toys, room decorations, and any sentimental items. If you have the space, sure, keep some stuff. But don't make your life difficult by keeping stuff you don't have room for, and don't make their life difficult by assuming they will be thrilled to have tons of their childhood stuff for their own kids. Building your own collection of toys, books, and clothes is one of the more fun aspects of being a parent :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I pulled several stacks off the bookshelves and told dc to go through them and put the ones they wanted to get rid of in a box. They had to agree to get get rid of them. When they were done I went back through the box, just to make sure a "special" book didn't get put in there. Actually they did a really good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 keep one or two favorites, and pass the rest along. Do you know a family with young children who could put them to good use? :iagree: Just yesterday I gave three boxes of books I'd purged from my 8 & 11 year old's rooms to a homeschooling mom with younger kids. She was beyond thrilled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I had them boxed up to get rid of, but the kids wouldn't let me. Seeing that my kids are now in their teens, I think they've reached an age where they're clearly hanging on to them because they have fond memories of these particular books that will stick with them. It's not just the whim of a 4 year old. And, really, those books are theirs, not mine. I shouldn't be getting rid of them. Once the kids have moved out, they can take them along. They can figure out where to store them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I am so thankful that my mom kept many of our picture books. I now read them to my kids. There are a lot of books that are out of print and hard to find. My vote is to keep. :) ETA: Readers I am not so attached to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I've kept some special picture books and board books. Early readers and easy chapter books haven't been saved. My kids burned through those so fast they didn't really form any attachments to them. It's hard for me to say, since it looks like I run a Book Rescue in my home. :D :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 My mom kept some of our books from when we were little. I loved reading them to my kids and my kids loved having my books. I have one storage container (medium size) with favorite books. I kept some picture books, some early readers , some early chapter books, etc. Just a few from each stage, their favorites or mine. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I passed them on to either family members or other homeschoolers-I did keep a few special/faves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I keep the good picture books, but get rid of the early reader type books. It's nice to have a shelf of picture books available when people with littles come over, and the rest are packed away for grandchildren. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Keep the favorites. My mom gave me my favorites when I had children. My children love them! So, I'll be keeping those and the books I read to them. It will probably equal one paper box size box. Early readers go. A lot of the reference books we have right now will eventually go as well. I'm weeding out classics that I think I will never teach/didn't like. I have an English Lit degree. I'm also thinking of getting rid of my very large Anne Rice collection. Just thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I've kept a few boxes of special books our kids loved. The rest go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 :bigear: Great question, I've been wondering too. It doesn't help that Sylvia just dragged out a bunch of books that I thought she'd outgrown... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I've moved country twice (three countries, three continents), and moved house ... umm, lots of times ... since having children. I have come to deeply regret getting rid of many of my own books over the various moves. Last year I went through some sort of "healing process" (not to sound too silly about it, but that's how it felt) of re-buying some of these books. It's been a way of putting down roots here. In other words, I caution against throwing out all books, but I know that it's not practical to keep them all! It terms of children's books, I recommend purging slowly - go through and sort out the ones that have real meaning for you, then come back in a couple of years and do it again. I've just gone through my second purge of ds5's board books, and am down to about a dozen, about half of which are survivors from dd's baby days. This reminds me, I really need to buy some more bookshelves...! This is exactly what I needed to read today. We're about to make our first international move and I've been mourning the loss of my books (or what's about to be the loss of my books, as I'm in the sorting piles all over the house stage at the moment ;)) I keep reassuring myself that being "lighter" is better and I can replace what I need to later, but it's hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 We've decided to keep the favourite picture books and store them in storage containers under dd's bed. The remaining picture books and early readers are being passed along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassoonaroo Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 We're slowly getting rid of books (both picture and homeschool) by bringing them to our co-op's freebie box. The other families are thrilled. What doesn't get picked up goes to the thrift store. Someone will enjoy those books, just like we did earlier. I'm keeping favorites, especially if they are out of print, hard to find, or otheriwse hard to get later. I also am keeping those that someone special (aunt, grandparent) has signed with a message. I have this small book case with two shelves of about eight inches each. My goal is to get the "Grandma Books" down to those shelves. I'm not there yet, but now and then, I find another box or bag to pass on. I figure that most books can be had from the library and probably dh and I will always be close to a library ... or Kindle. So, while the Dr. Seuss books are fun, I know that when I am a grandma anticipating a grandkid visit, I can always just pick up a few at the library. I figure things were meant to be used. If our books aren't being used, they need to go somewhere where they WILL be used. It's a slow process though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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