Jump to content

Menu

I'm decluttering, but I can't get myself to purge...


Hannah
 Share

Recommended Posts

....the bin of Story of the World 1 crafts that we did more than 15 years ago!

We've got a large chest containing 50-pocket display files for each year of homeschooling as well. Originally created for potential audits by the Department of Education, I just can't bring myself to throw those out either - the kids will have to do it themselves!  All of our old curriculum has been sold or donated.

We also have a few bins of quality picture and read-aloud books.  I'm so sentimental about those.

What are the things you are hanging on to?

 

 

Edited by Hannah
Spacing
  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So many kids books Daughter didn't get time to read. 

She, at the grand old age of 16, just laughed her way through the Enid Blyton 'Malory Towers' books and agreed that her children will never want to read them. They went to the op shop, but she's now reading through the 'Chalet School' books that I was going to donate, and is insisting I keep them.

What do I do with the 1986 Childcraft encyclopaedias?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

What do I do with the 1986 Childcraft encyclopaedias?

We have those too!! Ours is a softcover set printed in 1993.  We also have a softcover Young Scientist set from 1994!  Both sets are in pristine condition.

They were on a fantastic special and I bought them for DD's first birthday in 1999.  My mother in law thought I was completely crazy, and I reckoned Dd wouldn't remember what she got for her first birthday.

Edited by Hannah
  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, and then there's the 

43 minutes ago, knitgrl said:

Re: SOTW 1 projects. I've kept nearly everything, but did toss the mummy chicken. 😆

That one went here as well!  And our sheep's brain dissection for science.  We had a 'history club' and a 'science club' with friends where we rotated presenting the lessons of the week.  My one friend was big on the gory stuff.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Laughing that last week, I was going to go thru my 500 remaining kids' books to purge (down from 1200) more, until my friend said she was BUYING more books to share with her grandkids when they visit.
That sealed the deal.  I'm keeping them all!

(I find it's VERY fun to re-read my homeschool notes/daily journal.)

I'm a strong declutter/organizer now (after 3 years of an Empty Nest), but I"m holding onto the sentimental treasures!
 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have really struggled with getting rid of some things. I try to remind myself that paperbacks won't last forever. Sometimes that works.

I have held onto some homeschooling curriculum with the idea my kids might want it one day (All about Spelling) but as it is, now all the tiles are an electronic app and who knows what the rest of it will be like by the time they have kids? I don't even know that my kids will live close to us, or that they will have kids.  

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

So many kids books Daughter didn't get time to read. 

She, at the grand old age of 16, just laughed her way through the Enid Blyton 'Malory Towers' books and agreed that her children will never want to read them. They went to the op shop, but she's now reading through the 'Chalet School' books that I was going to donate, and is insisting I keep them.

What do I do with the 1986 Childcraft encyclopaedias?

Hangs head.  Sighs.  I still have my old Golden Book children’s encyclopedias from like 1960 or something.  That’s where I learned about chickle, doncha know.  And also ‘A Picturesque tale of Progress’ series.

Edited by Carol in Cal.
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Hangs head.  Sighs.  I still have my old Golden Book children’s encyclopedias from like 1960 or something.  That’s where I learned about chickle, doncha know.  And also ‘A Picturesque tale of Progress’ series.

I don't think I can part with some of these things that were so dear to me. I may want to read them in my 90s.

Seriously, though, the way things are going, I wonder if it wouldn't be helpful to hang on to core items: graded readers, math manipulatives, my Lial math workbooks for pre-algebra through algebra ii, the great history resources, timeless children's lit, the Ralph Moody series, STOW, nature guides and other treasures. Sigh.

A former colleague's daughter is raising her two in such a wonderful way, meeting the 1000 hours outside challenge, hiking frequently, raising explorers and nature lovers. I wish mine had caught a bit of that from me, but they never seemed interested. Sigh.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Two first edition Apologia Elementary series books (the first two, Astronomy and Botany). We just did an activity or two from them and never did them fully. Yet, they were the first things I bought. Those and the Singapore Math US edition (and 3rd edition) textbooks.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had digital files of work the kiddos had done, test scores, book lists, pictures of art.  We had a drive failure and lost it.  I cried, the kids (some were adults at the time) didn't care.  Their favorites were physically kept by them in a designated under bed bin or trunk.

When we went through my mother's belongings she had kept a salt dough map of Nebraska my sister had done in 5th grade.  The thing was 40 years old and had survived multiple moves.  My sister tossed it into the trash.  

I'd buy a reasonably sized bin for each child and let them choose their favorites from your files.  Then the bin lives with them and the chest can hold your favorite picture books in style.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just packed up 3 boxes of children’s books and curricula to send to my homeschooling sister who has children the appropriate age. Somehow it feels better that it’s going to family, even though I have no expectation that she must keep them. I can at least pretend they are not gone forever.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kids’ books. My kids did better having things strewn rather going to the library and browsing.

Toys, though we really did get rid of TONS. My parents kept quality stuff from when we were little, and the grandkids loved it (and I played with some of my parents’ toys too). 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have all their comb-bound books I made with their SOTW coloring pages, maps, and narrations. Their nature study book. A bunch of notes they wrote through the years, invitations to tea parties and warnings that no one should read this notebook, lol. 

We have some favorite curricula, some I didn't want to get rid of and some they didn't want to get rid of. 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/10/2024 at 2:24 PM, Harriet Vane said:

I used to love those books!! 😍

Me too, as a child and a mom (different editions!)

 

On 2/10/2024 at 2:02 PM, Hannah said:

What are the things you are hanging on to?

Everything.  I'm over it.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still have all the SOTW books and audio CD's. I did get rid of the activity books.  However, I still have binders full of my dc's illustrated narrations and the Lego siege tower my oldest built after learning about them in SOTW.  I also have many, many bookcases full of books I have not yet managed to purge.  I may, or I may not.  I'm waiting to see if any of my dc have their own dc.  I'd like to host "library day at Grandma's house."  

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been able to part with most of it but still have a big box of adorable lap books. Just can’t trash them. As I do my Swedish Death cleaning I’m putting things like that in tubs with each child’s name in it. They can trash if they want but the decision will be up to them. 
 

FWIW I don’t think I have much trouble tossing most things when it’s time, but perhaps I misjudge myself!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I grew up in a small apartment and my home is also a small condo. So for reading, we did most of them at the library, Borders (long closed) and Barnes & Nobles. I have many photographs of them happily reading there. We asked them to choose the story books they want to keep and then donated the rest to the library for their book sales.

I’m waiting for my DS19 to graduate from college before purging his homeschooling stuff. He would want to keep some anyway. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...