Hatrack River Forum: I absolutely love hand-me-downs.

This is topic I absolutely love hand-me-downs. in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

Since we have, like, almost no money, almost all of Emma's clothes and toys are either gifts or hand-me-downs. Many of them are really awesome, vintage 70's and 80's clothes. Today, for instance, she's wearing a little ruffled sunsuit with flowers, ladybugs, strawberries, and funky little winged caterpillars on it, circa 1979. Her favorite toys that are actually toys (as opposed to, like, kitchen utensils, boxes, trash, an old keyboard and stuff) seem to be the ones saved from my childhood, the simple, "classic" toys like wooden blocks and stacking rings, and the toys that have been given her by people in the ward whose kids have outgrown them.

I have always loved hand-me-downs myself; as much as it's cool to go shopping and get the perfect item of clothing, it's cooler when a friend or acquaintance gives you something that looks wonderful on you. About 3/4 of my current wardrobe is either hand-me-downs or thrift store finds (when I'm not just stealing my husband's clothes). As a result, it's better quality than I could afford otherwise, and there's a story to where everything came from. I love that.

It doesn't even stop there; as a child, we had "leftover night" every Friday, and it was my favorite night of the week. We got to choose among all the leftovers from the previous week what we would have for dinner! My mom tells the story of feeling really bad one night that we had to eat leftovers once a week to make the food budget stretch for the month, and thinking about it as she set the leftovers out for dinner. It was during Lent, a time when, in the church I grew up in, the children's Sunday School classes always had a "penny drive" and donated the money to feed starving children in Africa or something. I was about 7. We sat down and said grace, as usual, saying, "Thank you for the food," and "Please bless those who do not have any". I looked around at the many foods we had on our table, looked up at my mother, and said, "Isn't it great that we have all these different kinds of good foods to choose from when there are children that have none?" My mom started crying, and had to excuse herself for a minute. I never understood why until she told me the story from her point of view as an adult.

I've just never minded things being used before I got them; I'm just grateful that I have them. I don't really understand people who have more than enough, and yet want and want and want; my brother is one, and yet we were raised in the same environment.

I don't really know why this is on my mind; I guess I'm just talking for the sake of being heard. [Smile]

Thank you for listening, guys. (((hugs))) I'm grateful for Hatrack, too.

Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :

[Smile]

Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :

Wonderful post, kq. (Me, too. [Smile]

)

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :

I have a bag of hend-me-downs right here.

Hooray for them!

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

quote:
Never underestimate the power of intentional toys!

Oh, I'm perfectly happy to let her play with whatever she wants, as long as it's not dangerous, staining, or breakable. If there's not going to be permanant damage (or only minimal permanent damage), I go ahead and let her do it. [Smile]

I wasn't dissing playing with trash, just clarifying.

Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :

I love hand me downs too. We have been so spoiled that when we actually do have to buy a clothing item for one of the kids, my husband looks at me and says, "I thought you pulled all their clothing out of your butt".

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

My husband is the same way. [Big Grin]

I'll get out and wash and hang up some "new" hand-me-downs while he's gone, and then he'll go to pick out some clothes for her one day, and come out of the closet going, "Did she get new clothes again?" [Laugh]