This is the time of year, that nearly EVERY large family mom despises. Most of us have bags or stashes of clothes for 0-3 mo. for each gender on up to a few sizes above our oldest. In large families, that is a LOT of clothes. If you are on a farm, there seems to be even more clothes, because each child has their work or play clothes and their good clothes and church clothes.
Right now there are bags of clothes all over the upstairs. There are piles of clothes all over the upstairs. I am making a HUGE donation to Goodwill because there are just too many clothes. My children really don’t need many good clothes. About 4 each long and short sleeved nice shirts, 3 nice jeans, 4 nice shorts, 8 each play/work shirt and longed sleeved, 6 play jeans, 6 play shorts, plus 4 winter church clothes (someday), and 5 summer church clothes each. They have many more than this, and one problem I am noticing is that nothing matches…GRR.
Here is the kicker for our family though. My kiddoes are not built alike. I have an average girl, a skinny girl and a chunky tall girl. I have a tall skinny boy, a chunky average boy and a skinny short boy. Guess what, I end up saving everything in hopes that it will someday fit a sibling, and then saving and saving, and buying to patch up where someone doesn’t have something and so forth. I loan out and borrow with friends, and we get hand me downs from friends.
So, if you don’t see me for awhile, I was eaten during the switch out and my Hot Guy is now maybe looking for a homeschool mom. 
Piles to go through
Piles ready to be put in drawers
Pile of already sorted
Part of the pile one child got into that was in 4 piles ready to go in bags and already sorted, no longer sorted.
My goal is to have this done by Monday…and maybe send the 3, 4 and 5 year olds with The Hot Guy for a few hours…
I hope to post after pictures. Because my house doesn’t normally look THAT bad. lol
Have you started the Great Clothing Switch Out? Am I the only one who ends up with a mess like this? What is your system?
So I loved the pictures. I usually have to start with my youngest and clean out the clothes that are small in order to make room so that when I start on the older girls closets I have a place to put the stuff. So far youngest is done, but nice weather is here and hate to be inside.
you do not have a chunky girl!!!!
If you’re not back in a few - I’ll come in after ya!
call of back-up!
kelli- AdventurezInChildRearing recently posted..Kids in the Kitchen- Cinnamon Rolls-8th Link-UP
Hi…I am really amazed with the post you have shared us here…I am actually starting with kids’ closet before mine…
Shirley Fai recently posted..Dealing With Panic Attacks
What a fabulous post! Inspiring, even! We are on a limited budget these days and buying clothes is definitely an extra.So nice to read your blog..
William C. Lepicew recently posted..Does Triactol Work
That looks like my bedroom! Haha. Right now, I’m in the middle of sorting my clothes. I’m trying to live with a smaller footprint, so I’m donating a bunch to the Salvation Army.
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I haven’t started switching yet. We are in the upper Pacific NW (Olympic Mts) and it won’t get warm enough to warrant a switch until maybe June. Until then - just rain, rain, rain, and maybe, the temps might get to the low 50′s. But - that great switch out will happen and then my house will look like yours for a while. I too struggle with my kids having too many clothes - and that might be part of the problem I have with too much laundry.
I always start with the youngest child’s closet & drawers. We clean out everything that does not fit or is ruined. The next age up, gets their closet & drawers cleaned out. Items that are too small, go to the youngest (if they are still too large, I have a chest of drawers in a closet to hold sizes that no one can fit in yet) And we go up the line with the eldest being last. That way, we have a place to put clothes. We also have a pile for goodwill (you only need so many t-shirts) & a garbage bags. We have a notebook & keep track of what everyone needs (underwear, socks, skirts, shirts, jammies, etc)
Then comes the shoes, coats & other winter gear, swimsuits, etc. We use the same method; youngest to oldest.
We just moved to GP and i got rid of alllllllll my bins full- i had boy/girl from NB- 16yo! Now i have one bin with special stuff that i know for sure will get worn. So much of what i had wasn’t loved, but it was good and serviceable, just in case. Now, there’s only what i love and would buy again in a thrift store, with no stains!
I appreciate your thoughts. I also appreciate your observation about just how different our kids’ builds can be. I have 5 boys and 1 girl. The girl is a no brainer-hand-me-downs or purchases (thankful my husband is in retail). The boys, though, are more complex. I have a nearly 17 year old down to an almost 4 year old. I have clothes from said 17 year old’s life just waiting for the other boys…being a good steward, right?! Well, boy #2 is nothing like firstborn. It does look like boys 3 & 4 may be similar to firstborn, so yay!
It is amazing the tasks as hand in a family of more than the ‘average bear’ family.
I love having a basement! Like Jenny S, I now have space to stack boxes so I use file boxes and off-brand Rubbermaids purchased just after Christmas when they go on sale. Plus we live in a climate with 4 true seasons which means we actually need all that stuff…layers, layers! Winter coats & pants, Spring & Fall jackets, Summer cottons.
Blessings…
We moved North nearly 6 years ago (originally from the Deep South) and bought our first basement, I mean house.
Anyway, thanks for sharing. I enjoy reading your blog and I loved seeing pics of you from TTD. My family went to that as well and had a blast. We were blessed that 5 families from our church drove from WI to attend. A great time had by us all.
I feel your pain! I need to start switching clothes, too. I’m so thankful that I finally have a large attic…I can keep my clothes in rubbermaid bins stacked in the attic…also sorted by size, gender, and season.
I used to do those space bags stacked in the closet. Anything to get them to take up less room!