We have a 10-year-old son. Every time his clothes became too small, I always gave them away for free. I never sold them! And now, I regret my decision.
I think many parents, when sorting their children’s clothes, wonder: what to do with clothes that are no longer usable? Throwing them away seems wasteful, and selling used clothes – conscience often doesn’t allow it. The only solution is to give them away.
Over the course of 10 years, I have given away so many clothes that I can no longer count them – probably a whole truckload! There was a time when my nieces lived with us for six months. I sold their clothes too, buying new ones in return.
A month ago, I was sorting my son’s clothes again. In the end, I had a considerable amount of items. I turned the old sweaters into rags – we have two dogs, and sometimes they create a bit of a mess. We often use these rags for school cleaning. Very practical – we wipe with them and throw them away.
I set aside the clothes in relatively good condition that are still usable for home or garden use. There were also clothes that were almost new, only worn a few times. The same went for shoes. I put everything in bags, took photos, and posted them in “Giveaway” groups.
Before, I always specified that the clothes were for low-income, needy families. Over the 10 years, the clothes were taken by young women, modestly dressed, who came by bus, without a car, and sometimes we even delivered the items ourselves.
This time, Alexandra called and asked if she could pick up the clothes from the center because it was hard for her to get to our area. Her husband works at the center, so I told her to pick up the bags there. The next day, she went to pick them up. My husband was surprised that she didn’t even receive a little chocolate, as is usually the custom. Alexandra seemed well-dressed, and didn’t appear to be in need. I didn’t see her, but my husband handed her the clothes.
A few weeks ago, my son urgently needed a Christmas pajama. I looked on Ozon and Wildberries, but either the shipping was long, or the price was high. I remembered Avito, which I hadn’t checked in five years. I typed “children’s pajamas” into the search, and what do I see? Our old pajama in Alexandra’s ad! I was stunned. I went to her page, and there were many children’s clothes, shoes, and toys, including several of our clothes and my nephew’s shoes.
I didn’t call Alexandra – it would have been pointless, I avoid conflicts. But this incident taught me something. From now on, I will keep used clothes as rags, as I used to do. The good condition clothes I will give to the younger neighbor, who is two years younger than our son. Their family doesn’t live in poverty, but they don’t mind accepting clothes for home. I’ve already given them a few pairs of pants, and I know they won’t sell them.
This incident showed me that I need to be more careful in choosing who to give the clothes to.
