Like many parents, when my daughter was a baby, it felt like a rush to make sure she wore every piece of clothing before she grew out of it.  She grew quickly and as hard as I tried there were many outfits that just didn’t make it.  Since she was going to be my only child, a number of items were donated and even now five years later, I am shuffling around a bag of baby items I just don’t know if I want to part with yet.  So here it is… the big question….What should I keep?

Here are some things to consider:

1. Will this be used again?  It only makes sense that if you are planning to have more children then items such as cribs, clothing and toys might come in handy.  Be sure items such as cribs and car seats are still in good condition.  Car seats must still fall within their expiry dates.
2. Storage.  You may want to save your items for your next child, but do you have the room to store it?  It might be more ideal to hang on to small items such as baby carriers, clothing and smaller toys.
3. Can it be replaced?  Most times with our first child we purchase items and as they grow out of them we find they weren’t as useful as we expected.  Keep the items that were helpful, useful and you wouldn’t want to have to replace.  
4. Cost.  Some items we purchase or are given can be really expensive and may not be items we want to part with to avoid having to purchase again.

When you have decided what stays and what goes, you have a number of options for distribution.  For items that are in very good condition and almost like new or items that were expensive, your best option may be to consign to recover some of the cost originally spent.  Partner with a local, reliable consignment store to sell your used goods.  Items that might not qualify for consignment can be donated to your local Salvation Army, Thrift Store or Charity.