Hand Me Downs

That's a tough one. We have always graciously accepted, but we have never asked. Some people like to hold garage sales and bring a little money into their household that they just don't get by providing hand me downs.

You could always say that you'll gladly give them back when done so they can choose what they want to do with them.

If you're not comfortable asking (which I am not), you could always visit Goodwill or a second hand store, garage sales, etc. I have many friends who get great clothes for next to nothing there.

Good luck.

By remembering your own childhood - say to the person,"I remember when I was a kid how much my parents loved it when I got hand me downs from my cousins. I wish someone would do that for me and my kids." Hopefully the person will reply with an offer of some hand me downs for you.

Since they are coming to visit for Thanksgiving, perhaps you could ask if she has a winter coat or cute Christmas clothes that her daughter has outgrown that she might let your daughter borrow and offer to return them when you are finished using them. Then she might just tell you to donate them. If she does give your daughter anything to use, I would send her a picture of your daughter wearing the clothes, then she might realize they are being worn as well. Good luck. We love hand me downs and we give them to others as well. I hate just just give away cute dresses and or jackets, so we usually offer them to someone at church. Enjoy your holidays!

It depends on whom you are asking. If you're asking friends and family, just as if there are any clothes their kids are done with that you could borrow.

Freecycle.org is great, you can post what you are looking for and if someone has them they let you know and usually just leave them on the porch for you to pick up.

I would just ask her. Some people don't think about using or giving hand me downs. If it is not in her mind to use them or send them on then it is up to you to put the idea there for her. Just call and ask if she has any clothes her girls have outgrown that you could borrow for the season and then return them. Good luck, Hand me downs are a huge blessing. My sister and I trade clothes for our kids all the time. I have a girl 4 and a boy 2 and she has a boy 3 and a girl 1. She buys boy clothes and I buy girl clothes and we trade for the others. It is a great way to save money.

I just tell family & friends that if they've got any clothes that their kids have outgrown I'd be more then happy to put them to use.

I would just ask her. Tell her you'd love to take some of the clothes off of her hands, if she doesn't mind. I would even tell her that you'll refund her the price of shipping or offer to pay a small amount for the clothes. She probably doesn't realize that you want them. I can't imagine someone getting offended if you ask them for their hand me downs. Plus, if they're just giving them away, they're not getting any money for them anyway.

I would ask her since she was coming for Thanksgiving if she had some clothes your neice had outgrown if she wouldn't mind bringing them? You would appreciate anything that she would bring you. Ask her now so she could pack them in the car so she won't forget. We have so many other things to bring for Thanksgiving sometimes we forget to do the small things that mean so much to each of us. After all Thanksgiving is the time of being thankful.

Just ask
Hey sis, I sure could use some clothes for the kids. Do you have any the kids have outgrown?

She may donate as she goes and may not have any at the present time, but then she would know to put some aside for you as well.

By the way Goodwill is a great place to shop and find good new and gently used clothes. You would be surprised at the bargins you can find!

you can say "i have all these clothes that my dghtr doesnt fit into anymore, what do you do with the clothes your kids grow out of?"......or "i am looking for a good 2nd hand store to buy my dghtrs clothes or if you would be interested in selling me your kids clothes when they grow out of them, i would love to take them off your hands"

What I've done in the past is said "I'm not sure what you do with Joe's clothes when he grows out of them, but if ever want to get them out of your hair, I would love to use them for Johnny"

Some people are funny about hand me downs. They are afraid they will offend you. Tell her you would love to go through what the kids have out grown and if it's the tax deduction tell her you will take them to good will and get the receipt for her. It maybe something he insist on. I never got anything from others for my youngest son partrly because he was so large but my oldest got more than he needed and I rarely ever bought him anything.
Is money tight not to be personal but maybe you could say to her how your shoppoing has changed since the bad economy. Your shopping at food pantrys and free stores.
I actually shop at them because I cannot even afford Goodwill. We have currently been living on $115 cash per month, free rent, anbd food stamps. While we are not going hungry we cannot afford to take baths and keep the heat low and burn up in the summer.

It depends on who you are asking.
You can say,
What do you do with the stuff he/she outgrows?
or
Do you share your outgrown clothes with anyone?

Some save their stuff for future babies, and some take stuff to resale shops, and some share with cousins or friends.
You might ask if they want to trade clothes if the circumstances fit.
I was lucky because people offered me stuff.
My grown children trade among themselves for their children, and sometimes I offer to hold clothes for the next time it is used.

To whom are you asking? Keep in mind that if you are asking a friend or relative and its their first baby they may very well intending on keeping things for their next child that they are hoping to have a couple years down the road. If you know someone that has said (no more or I'm done) then by all means just say that you would welcome anything that they are willing to pass along.

When I was expecting my first I had several relatives and friend that gave me a lot of their old things. While I really needed and did appreciate all the thing I received, half of it was so worn and stained that I was too embarassed to give to Goodwill. Good Luck.

I have to ask is it a friend, neighbor, or family member you are wanting to request them from? In my family it was an automatic the oldest children's parents just automatically did it until one of the aunt's suggested going shopping with the parents to help them pick things out since her children would end up with the clothes and she didn't care for the other person's taste. They got cut out of the loop.
With friends it is a little easier, just ask what they do with outgrown clothes. If they aren't handing them down but taking them to goodwill or a resale shop. Since all you can get from Goodwill is a tax receipt and the return on items from consignment shops is very slight you might just say you would be glad if someone would hand clothes down to your children and see if they pick up on it.
The child I am raising has a cousin and half-uncle 3 years older than he is. I finally just asked if they had only clothes they could hand down to him. I do have to remind them periodically but it helped a lot especially when I lost my job.