Are/Were You Fine with 2nd Hand?

[charligirl]

Oh yes, in addition to the nursing chair we bought a new cot mattress as well

 

[Zoomer]

I buy most of my children's clothes from consignment shops. It's good deals on brand names for cheap.

 

[richkim7]

I was raised on hand-me-downs. And I don't have a problem with using them now.

I was raised on hand me downs too and I still love a bag of stuff to go through once in a while.

 

[bliz]

One of the great benefits of putting kids into hand-me-downs is that you are much more relaxed about their clothing and activities.

I had this fabulous dress for my daughter - we called it her lampshade dress - a thousand permanent pleats and a thin but indestructible, un-stainable fabric. And it had cost me all of 10 cents at a yard sale! I didn't care what she did while wearing that dress, or what she spilled on it or anything. Had I paid, say, $20 for that dress I would have been a very different mommy!

 

[Dorf]

We have two little boys that are almost three and almost four. There is only a pound differance between them so the clothes are deffinintely second hand. From time to time when mom needs a break, me and the boys will hit the garage sale circut for a couple of hours. We find more cool toys at garage sales than anyplace else. Best of all they are boys so they don't care if it is new and it saves me the trouble of getting the fifty zip ties off to get it out of a box. Garage sales rock!!!

 

[skipper]

When we first started foster care we furnished a nursery and two childrens rooms with second hand furniture I have totes full of second hand clothing in every size imaginable, because you may get a child at 2 in the morning and who wants to go to Walmart at that time to buy PJs. And you never know if a child will be staying one day or for the rest of thier childhood. I love hand me downs wearing some right now.

 

[Joykins]

I always feel it is a waste to buy too many new things for rough-playing kids, as long as the item is safe. Second hand is better, that way they can stain or break it and it's no big deal.

 

[CrystalBrooke]

the car seat, stroller, crib, bath tub and all that kind of stuff are new...but some of Emily's clothes are hand-me-downs from family friends...i see no point in going out and buying all the baby's clothes new because they outgrow them so quickly and then you're out a lot of money on outfits that the baby not have even gotten to wear. plus my mom loves yard sales when i was younger and i remember getting a lot of nice brand name clothes that looked new from yard sales, and i have no problem with them now, i just make sure i wash them very good before emily wears it.

 

[E-beth]

Whenever my friends bring me garbage bags full of clothes their kids have outgrown, I feel like it is Christmas! And it feels good to pass on our outgrown stuff too. I love to help people out from places like freecycle.

As a preschool teacher, I love seeing kids in regular old playclothes. I once had a boy whose mother bought everything at babygap or Gap for Kids and although he looked adorable in his outfits, she was morbidly afraid of them getting torn, dirty, touched, or breathed on. Eventually I changed his clothes as soon as he got to school and changed him back when he was ready to leave. He was a much happier boy.

Kids are kids and kids as a rule are little filth magnets. If you are ok with your daughter's twenty-buck lace bloomers getting mud on them, then more power to ya. She does look adorable in them.

 

[selune]

Our kids have all had hand-me-downs...The youngest is even wearing things (tshirts and onesies and jeans) his sister wore 9 years ago. They all get a few new things, but only a few and we are blessed to receive 2nd hand clothes from friends. We shop the Salvation Army store for many things as well.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

I understand the reasoning against having second hand mattresses and carseats for baby – but were you happy to accept or buy second-hand gear?

Most people I know seem to be turning their nose up at hand-me-downs from family and friends, and wouldn't dream about using an opportunity shop (Salvos, for example) to purchase things like clothes or furniture – whereas I think I could save a lot of money and could do really well with it – so long as the safety was still okay, and I washed everything thoroughly (which I'd do with brand new clothes anyway).

What are your feelings on second hand and hand-me-downs?

Sasch

I'm very happy with second hand. The only child in my family who gets new clothes is my eldest DD, because we don't really have anyone who hands down to her. A friend hands down to my elder son.

I buy my boys' school uniforms from the second hand shop, as they are so hard on their uniforms; I do get new uniforms for my girls though, as they seem to take care of them better.