How do you keep up with sorting kids clothes?

[kristie]

I fell like I had to do it every few months when she was younger. I got distracted while in nursing school and we have moved a few times since then. The job is overwhelming. She will never let me try stuff on her to see what fits. It isn't like I can just get rid of all one size, since size means nothing between different brands. And trying to guess what to save for next winter.... I don't do well sorting my own clothes, and I am the same size every year. And then there is the question of "what if we have another kid?" I don't know why this feels like the hardest job to me. Do you have any tips to make this easier? I am considering getting rid of everything and starting over (not really, but a girl can dream)

[tdk2]

I keep an empty diaper box going for the clothes too small. Ideally, I'd have labeled plastic bins like I do for the clothes she needs to grow into. (we buy way in advance at garage sales).

So, when I put something on her and I find it's getting too small, I try to remember to pull it from the wash next time and pop it into the empty diaper box. So, the smaller clothes are very loosely organized whereas the clothes she is going to grow into are much more organized. Not a perfect system, but how I've been doing it. Actually, that's one of the jobs I'm going to tackle while she's at my mom and dad's house this week.

I'll also hold up clothes to other ones I know are too small and sometimes make an educated guess that way.

I hate that job though. I'm happy she's growing, but it always makes me a little sad to weed out the clothes too small.


I currently can't wait to start w/ the spring clothes, but we still have winter weather here. Kid doesn't grow much, so she wears clothes for a LONNNNNNG time. (20lbs at almost 20 months.)

[textbookcase]

Ugh, I'm terrible at sorting the clothes. It's the bane of my existence. I try to keep them sorted according to size/season. I keep spring/summer clothes out all year because of our climate. I pack the winter clothes away when we don't need them. I am saving Bonnie's clothes for SIL in case she has a girl, so I throw them into a bag when she outgrows them. I gave all of her newborn clothes to a friend that had a baby girl in October. Keira's outgrown clothes go into bins in Bonnie's closet, and Cambria's go to Keira's. In theory. In reality, there are mountains of clothes everywhere in my house.

[Deleted]

As soon as I know it doesn't fit either (which is easy, they're the same weight and only .25 inches apart) I toss it in the closet.

After I do this maybe four times I go through their clothes, and I pretty much just take the sizes that don't fit without trying on specific items. I swap out for larger items.

I imagine this is harder when they're older, so I would maybe keep a hamper or tote in the closet to toss items in individually as she gets dressed.

[textbookcase]

Also, this tells you how bad it is - Keira could probably literally go at least 4-6 months without ever needing to wash clothes. She has an INSANE amount of clothes. She gets hand-me-downs from Cambria and cousins, and I can't stop buying for her. It's sick, man!

[kristie]

Yeah, I have mountains of clothes everywhere. I think it is one of the reasons I feel like my house is so chaotic right now. It isn't really that bad, except the clothes.... So I just keep stressing about it, and putting it off, and stressing about it.... So if I ever get this done, I will get a too small box in the laundry room. Smart

[papie]

I just put everything of the same size away twice a year when I change seasons.  I put them in their bed drawers, so the next year I can check in the drawers if last year's fit before buying new stuff.  But really, the only things fitting from one year to the other are some dresses, skirts, jackets...pants are a safe bet to put away.  Also, I used to keep everything for the next kid, but after a couple of years of kid #2, I have learnt that if I hated it the first time, I will hate it again, so I only keep the clothes I actually like and that are still in good condition. 

ETA: Oh and the bins go in the basement, except one bin of the next size up for Sophia upstairs, and one empty bin in each of their closets that I use to dump the stuff that I KNOW is too small. 

[speckledfrog]

Apr 3, 2013 15:03:58 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

I always keep stuff in her drawers even after I know it won't fit anymore, because for some reason I am hoping that it magically will. So by the time I finally put it away, there's no question just by looking that it is too small. lol

I used to keep stuff in the drawer because I was too lazy to put it away but then that was always the clothes H put him in on the days he dressed him.  Now I just take out the pieces here and there as I realize they don't fit.

[tdk2]

Apr 3, 2013 15:08:05 GMT -5 @rennido said:

I have a rubbermaid tote in his room and then I just throw the stuff that doesn't fit anymore in it. When it gets full (or if it's beyond the age range, like 24 months-2T) I wash it, fold it, and throw it in the basement.

I usually do it about once every three months.

OOoooh I like this.. b/c sometimes i forget by the time I do the laundry.   My only question would be stains setting in.  Oh, and the fact my kid knows how to work lids and likes to "help" sort things in bins.

Maybe I'll do something like this to toss them in as they get too small.

I had a pile of "slightly too big" on the top of her hutch thing once.   My dad got her dressed one day and was meeting us at the library for a music event.  I got there later as my  mom and I were out doing things.  I looked down at C, and couldn't stop laughing.   It was like when my dh gets her dressed.... I mean, it wasn't horrible, but it was pretty funny.  Her pants were falling down the whole time.  My dad took it pretty well.  He said after he got her dressed he figured maybe those were the clothes that were too big.  But lol, he didn't change her.

I try to just keep the next size up in her room. 

I have a box of summery clothes that are probably too small but that she only got a little wear out of at the end of last season, so we'll see how those fit once we actually get some warmth.

[litebright]

When the drawers start getting too full or I can't find enough clothes that fit, I go through them.

Of course, that only helps a little. Because inevitably some of DD1's stuff gets moved to DD2's drawers, and then DD2's drawers are crammed b/c she has all of DD1's hand-me-downs plus whatever we've bought for her. Anything stained, ripped or too worn gets tossed -- I used to keep some of it for messy play, but frankly we have too play clothes that could be used for that, to keep anything that isn't wearable outside the house.

I keep seasonal stuff that might get worn again in boxes under their beds -- like, if one of them is in a size in late spring that they might wear again in early fall. Or soccer gear and swim suits. I keep 1-2 bins of DD1's old clothes that are the next size for DD2 in the closet.

Then I have bins of completely outgrown clothes in the basement. I have such a hard time letting go of some of my favorite baby outfits, but I'm working on it. I go through those maybe every 6 months or so and either consign or donate stuff, and I'm slowly whittling them down.

[jenna]

I notice when E's shirts or pants get a little short or small.

I recently donated a handful of t-shirts. I held them up to each other, and got rid of the shortest ones.

I keep very few of his outgrown items of clothing.