Decluttering

I have so few items that remind me of my childhood ( my mum wasn’t one for keeping things) so I treasure the few things I have. So it saddens me that my children don’t seem interested in anything from their childhood. It makes me feel that it was a part of their life that means nothing to them. My DIL’s family seem to revere such things because they lost their mum at a relatively young age.

I am not sure about taking it personally?

I am possibly many years younger than you.
On this site, I often feel I am the next generation down from most posters.

When my dad died, there was very little I took to keep.
I dont regret that.
But I can still visit my childhood home, so perhaps that is a bit different scenario.

The clearance company came yesterday just to take anything they could sell.
They were very dismissive at first but then warmed to the job and filled their lorry.
I changed my mind a few times so they took the barometer and 8 curling stones.

I then bought down from the attic, wth my DSister and her DH help, paintings which I shall probably give away to anyone who wants them. They are mainly by local amateur artists bought at fairs, stuck in the attic since a room was redecorated and never been displayed since.

I should add that the attic here is an actual room with a staircase up so we weren't having to squeeze into a roof space Litterpicker.
Do be careful everyone.

Grammaretto, you can't keep it all, but the story can go with the thing. For the paintings you're giving away, a few words pencilled on the back (the fair, the year, the artist if you know) and whoever takes one gets the story too. Far better than the attic!

MayBee70, I think a lot of children only start caring about those things much later, so the stories are worth writing down now, even if nobody is asking yet.

Good idea Deudits
I can definitely write a few words about the paintings.
The frames and glass need a clean too.

3 have gone already to a friend. She's coming on Sunday with her adult son to help fill the skip.

I still have a cellar and 2 sheds to clear.

I am now attacking the thousands of photographs and videos we have taken over the years - shredding/ tearing or deleting them. Photographs that would mean nothing to my children.

I’m getting in on the act now, after many years of keeping things which have never seen the light of day! I have family WhatsApp groups of, first, my children, then the nieces and nephews on the relevant side of the family, & I text them with photos of what’s going out & ask if anyone wants it before it goes on Vinted/eBay/Facebook marketplace/to the charity shop. Several pieces of furniture and a sewing machine have gone that way in the last couple of weeks. But I understand that tastes change with each generation and the space to accommodate things also changes, so if no-one wants these things I can’t blame them - TEN boxes of china went to the charity shop this week, being dinner services inherited from parents & even grandparents & for which we have had no use or desire, so it would be a bit hypocritical of me if my family in turn didn’t want our thing.

I think I have been de-cluttering all day, I was only sorting my very many sewing patterns, refining those I am keeping and getting rid of any that are no longer suitable. I use mostly pdf patterns but printed, either copy shop or A4 sheets stuck together

I just let the excess paper go onto the floor, dining room and sewing room. I made new cataloging cards and have ended up with a very heavy ginormous paper potato sack full to the top with paper. That is a lot of space made in my sewing room

Amazing, it was energising and I have been at it all day, trouble is that I still feel hyper, when I need to wind down for bed

I’ve been away for four weeks and knew I was coming back to a mess but it’s even worse than I thought. I’ve just had my flu and covid jabs and my arms hurt to move, I’ve been bitten all over by a mozzie ( where did that come from?) and my knee and hands are hurting. So I’m just lying on the sofa with the dog just looking at it all. The antihistamine I’ve taken has made me drowsy, too, even though it’s supposed to be non drowsy. The warehouse in the next village that I had high hopes for just do house clearance and I would have to pay them although they split any profit if they sell anything over £50 which I don’t think any of it is worth. At least I’d know my stuff wasn’t going into landfill but I’d feel upset thinking of it sitting in a warehouse nearby. Still no idea what to do with everything in the garage though that needs clearing. Although maybe I could just get them to clear that?

Poor you MayBee If I were you I would concentrate on getting better. Forget the declutter until you are well.