Article: Your Top 10 Objects Your Kids Don't Want

A few years ago, we went through everything with our daughter .. valuable china, silver, etc.
She chose a silver tray, glass dessert plates, a few cups & saucers. The rest, we donated to
Value Village, including a complete set of Royal Doulton dinnerware. I hope someone was
thrilled to purchase and enjoy it.

As for photo albums and school projects, we have a Rubbermaid container in the storage
locker, with daughter's work. We occasionally look through it with her, and she enjoys it.
 
I have never had any of that stuff ( apart from photos)... I think I'm probably classed as the kid that wouldn't have wanted any of it when it was being passed down...

However my DD (age 46.).. is not interested in anything in my house unless it's of high practical use.. like tools.. and more specifically electric tools.. She has everything she needs in the styles she likes.. she 's far from being a sentimentalist as well.. so she turns a complete deaf ear to my pleading for her to take her baby clothes, and school reports and certificates...
 
NorthernLight said:
I know what poverty is. But I think anyone who can afford a dishwasher has one!
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well that's not correct.. I can afford a dishwasher but I don't have one..not in this house.. I do have one in the Spanish house but only because it was there when we bought the property.. but I don't have space for a dishwasher in this house, and neither do most of my friends in their homes here .. either, who could very well afford to buy one if they had space for it.. or indeed if they wanted one
 
hollydolly said:
well that's not correct.. I can afford a dishwasher but I don't have one..not in this house.. I do have one in the Spanish house but only because it was there when we bought the property.. but I don't have space for a dishwasher in this house, and neither do most of my friends in their homes here .. either, who could very well afford to buy one if they had space for it.. or indeed if they wanted one
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Gah. Okay, I meant, Lots of people in the US and Canada, who can't afford a dishwasher or nice dinnerware, would love to have the latter and take good care of it. "Lots of people" being me.
 
I am precisely at these crossroads right now. I have boxes and boxes of china, crystal and other assorted glassware in the basement that I have been sorting through. Neither of my girls want any of it with the exception of a few Depression era pieces that were my Mother's. It's time to make the difficult decision of what to do the rest of it. Then I have boxes of the girls toys, art work and memorabilia that they aren't interested in because they went through all of it before and picked out what they wanted and left the rest. This tugs too strongly at my heartstrings. And lastly, there are maybe a half dozen or so pieces of jewelry I want them to have. All of it is deeply sentimental. They said they would decide which pieces they want and will let me know.
 
Some of the things that we have are curiosities like the bill of sale for the Chevrolet my father bought brand new in 1937 for $700.

We have my mother's high school science book vintage 1919. Timeless is the book of Rudyard Kipling stories of India.

Our son went to school for a semester in Costa Rica. We have things from there that are meaningful to him.
 
Our kids don’t want most of the stuff on that list. With a little initiative and elbow grease, they could take most of the furniture and redo it with paint and new knobs. There‘re a few people who have great businesses doing thing.

Come h*ll or high water they’d better travel across the country and get all my art and pottery.
 
Interesting subject. Like many people of my generation, I've managed to accumulate lots of "stuff" that my kids absolutely don't want; they are downsizing already themselves! And the grandkids live a much different life than we did. They move at the drop of a hat, sometimes across the country, and want to travel light.

I have a feeling that when the time comes, most of my stuff will be turned over to one of those estate sales companies.
 
Sunny said:
Interesting subject. Like many people of my generation, I've managed to accumulate lots of "stuff" that my kids absolutely don't want; they are downsizing already themselves! And the grandkids live a much different life than we did. They move at the drop of a hat, sometimes across the country, and want to travel light.

I have a feeling that when the time comes, most of my stuff will be turned over to one of those estate sales companies.
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Yes, it is interesting!

I don't have to worry what will happen to my stuff, because it already happened. I've spent my whole life moving and leaving things behind. I had to pawn some jewelry I'd inherited. I don't have any photos.

I do worry about who to leave my bank account and car to though. Mostly I see them as a burden -- a mess for someone to clean up. Not really worth anything.
 
In general, thirty-somethings and younger have no interest in family heirlooms. Collecting antiques and object d'art is a thing of the past. When my mom passed, I thought I'd make a fortune selling her antiques and collections of vintage china and glassware (you've probably seen my photos). I tried having lawn sales, and selling through local online sites like Marketplace, NextDoor and CraigsList without much luck. Auctioneers and antique shops don't want it either because they aren't selling. I have a beautiful large Eastlake style wall mirror, a piecrust tilt-top table and a Federal style mahogany dresser that my parents bought at auction in the 1970s. I don't know what they paid, but I started at $100 each online. When I didn't get any response, I dropped it to $50 and nothing. Then $25 and zippo. So there you go.
 
My children are deep in their thirties and already have plenty of practical and beautiful possessions, some of which came from my mother's home when when she died 8 years ago.

Perhaps my grandchildren will be starting their homes when it's time to purge mine. If not, my possessions will be sold off or donated somewhere, I'm sure. It's the way of the world. They're entitled to choose their lifestyles.

Just as I didn't feel obligated to take on my parents' or in-laws' possessions, neither would I burden my children or grandchildren with any guilt about keeping mine.
 


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