Post by threegirls on Sept 29, 2015 15:01:58 GMT
When you give stuff away do you ask the intended recipient first if they want the item/s?
I never give someone something unless I ask them if they want it. When my oldest was born I had several people drop off trash bags full of old baby clothes. I had just received more than she would ever wear at baby showers and now I had bags and bags of more clothes.
Even though my girls are older we still occasionally get stuff dropped off. No asking or anything. Just bags left on the front porch while we are away or they drop it off at my mom's. My mom's neighbor is good for doing this. She has given mom (to give to me) a giant snow cone maker, old roller skates, dolls, boots and on and on. Now all this stuff is my problem. I've finally learned to just return it to the owner and let them know that I appreciate the offer but we have everything we need right now.
My mom also has friends (that I don't know) who also have grandchildren that are a little older than my my girls. They give her bags of clothes and toys to give to me. I have a hard time returning it to them because I don't know them and they live an hour away. I end up taking the stuff off mom's hands, driving it an hour to my house and then I have to call the Vets or Lupus Foundation to have them come pick it up.
My mother-in-law will sometimes send big boxes of stuff - kitchen gadgets, books and magazines, framed "art". I hate that she spends postage on this stuff and we really don't need it. We live in a really, really small house and I just can't take anymore stuff. I have (gently) told her not to send stuff without asking but she still does it every once in awhile.
My next door neighbor also gives our kids old toys without asking us first. She saved boxes of toys that her boys had hoping she could use them for grand kids. Both sons have moved out-of-town, are older and there are no grand kids in sight. When she sees one of the girls outside she gives them a toy from the box. It doesn't happen often but a few times a year adds up.
I want to stress that I appreciate all of the generous donations but our house is really small and whenever anything new comes in something has to go out. Our house would look like an episode of hoarders very quickly if I didn't constantly clean stuff out. Just ask me first and then if I can't use it ask someone else.
I never give someone something unless I ask them if they want it. When my oldest was born I had several people drop off trash bags full of old baby clothes. I had just received more than she would ever wear at baby showers and now I had bags and bags of more clothes.
Even though my girls are older we still occasionally get stuff dropped off. No asking or anything. Just bags left on the front porch while we are away or they drop it off at my mom's. My mom's neighbor is good for doing this. She has given mom (to give to me) a giant snow cone maker, old roller skates, dolls, boots and on and on. Now all this stuff is my problem. I've finally learned to just return it to the owner and let them know that I appreciate the offer but we have everything we need right now.
My mom also has friends (that I don't know) who also have grandchildren that are a little older than my my girls. They give her bags of clothes and toys to give to me. I have a hard time returning it to them because I don't know them and they live an hour away. I end up taking the stuff off mom's hands, driving it an hour to my house and then I have to call the Vets or Lupus Foundation to have them come pick it up.
My mother-in-law will sometimes send big boxes of stuff - kitchen gadgets, books and magazines, framed "art". I hate that she spends postage on this stuff and we really don't need it. We live in a really, really small house and I just can't take anymore stuff. I have (gently) told her not to send stuff without asking but she still does it every once in awhile.
My next door neighbor also gives our kids old toys without asking us first. She saved boxes of toys that her boys had hoping she could use them for grand kids. Both sons have moved out-of-town, are older and there are no grand kids in sight. When she sees one of the girls outside she gives them a toy from the box. It doesn't happen often but a few times a year adds up.
I want to stress that I appreciate all of the generous donations but our house is really small and whenever anything new comes in something has to go out. Our house would look like an episode of hoarders very quickly if I didn't constantly clean stuff out. Just ask me first and then if I can't use it ask someone else.
Sometimes DD will pick through and take something only to give it to me later and tell me to get rid of it, and other times she will just politely say, "No, thank you." LOL.
