Mom to Mom

[RhondaRena]

My son who loves to COLLECT moved out of state to college. He did streamline some things and took a good bit but there is a lot left. I would love to hear from moms who worked through this process. My home is clean and organized. But the bonus room and playroom closets are rather full. My other teenage son at home is pretty organized and paired down. We will probably downsize in the next four years and I just do not want to keep a museum of memories although they were good. He did leave one of his keyboards behind and his basketball awards pictures that I will keep. I am just trying to decide because I know he will not want to do this Christmas break.

[Kachina624]

You may be a little premature in insisting he pare down his possessions at this point.  If he's a student his residence is not permanent and he has little if any storage space.  When he does, you can give him a date by which he must collect all the things in your house he wants to keep or they'll be trashed.  That's what my mother did.

[queendiva]

My sons are recent college grads. I lovingly refer to them as Felix and Oscar. 

They will accumulate more possesions during their college years. Let your DS thin down his things over winter break, which is usually several weeks long. Do Not get rid of anything now when he just left home. Bad idea. Plenty of time to start the process at a later date. It's transition time. I promise you that over time he will choose to lose clothes and collectibles as he matures. Patience.

[scotnovel]

Once we left home for school my mother packed up the vast majority of things that we did not take with us.  She also included childhood mementos of ours that she had saved like baby clothes, a special dance costume, report cards, and things like that.   She stored the boxes in their garage attic and once we moved into our first more permanent home she told us to plan on taking them the next time we visited.  If we didn't want or take them, she donated all  but those more personal items and those were tossed.  

[Imadickens]

If you get any good tips, I'd love to hear them! My dd married eleven years ago, still have some of her stuff! My ds married over a year ago and except his furniture is gone, you'd never know he moved out! His clothes, shoes, knock knacks and padywhacks are still in his room! I even loaded boxes with some of the good things I knew he wanted or needed! One box is still in my living room! My dh finall began wearing his clothing and using the top quality men's toiletries he'd accumulated over the years!

I think it may be his dw! I found some fine china at a yard sale that matched hers. I surprised her with it only to find out she doesn't feel comfortable using "used" dishes! (I did point out, to no avail, that we eat off them in restaurants!) Fortunately, they also matched my dishes!

[ROMARY]

Maybe your DS will be back home during the Summer; maybe he'l work all Summer and maybe he will store his belongings into plastic storage bins. If you have room, tell him to store the bins in your garage and/or outside of the side of your house, if there is a hidden, out-of-the-way area there.  Hopefully he will permanently return to his home area and have a career/job there; and he can take his belongings into his new, fairly nearby home/apt.  Anyway, good luck to him.  I wouldn't worry about anything now, though.  Voice your thoughts slightly before next Summer.  .......... p.s.  I wouldn't do it myself.  I'd see to it that he does it all.  It builds character, in the long run.

[CalminHeart]

I don't think I'd ask him to pare down yet.  He just moved.  He needs to feel welcome when he comes back to visit or stays for the summer.   I didn't box up my sons' rooms until they graduated and weren't going to be moving home again.  

[nun ya]

If he just started college, I would let his things be. He may move back home when he is finished. A lot can change in 4 yrs.