10 Treasures Parents Save For The Kids That Adult Children Often Say They Do Not Want, And What To Do With Them Instead

Susan Parker

23 minutes ago

Almost every family has a cabinet, closet or basement shelf stuffed with things Mom and Dad swear are “for the kids someday.” The trouble is that the kids, now grown with homes of their own, are often politely dreading the day the boxes arrive.

A 2026 piece in Kiplinger, written by Bruce Horovitz, walks through 10 “treasures” that organizers and financial planners say adult children tend to turn down. Here they are, along with what each expert suggests you do before your own pile becomes somebody else’s problem.

Think of it as a friendly warning rather than a scolding. Nobody is saying your memories are worthless, only that the objects holding them may not be the ones your children want in their living rooms.

Mahogany Table And China Hutch Hardest To Rehome, Says Organizer

Kiplinger’s first item is living room and dining room furniture. Anna Novak says these are the hardest pieces to place, because “People don’t have formal dining rooms anymore,” which leaves large tables and china hutches with little appeal.

The practical move is to ask the kids before you keep the set for them, and then to plan on donating or selling it yourself. An excerpt from the book No Thanks Mom, shared on Next Avenue, adds that consignment on heavy dark furniture usually pays under a quarter of the purchase price, so donating and claiming a charitable deduction can make more sense.

Albums Of Relatives Nobody Recognizes Feel Like A Burden, Not A Gift

Kids want some family photos, but not stacks of albums filled with faces they cannot name. Nonnahs Driskill told Kiplinger, “When you give kids your stuff, it should feel like a gift, not a burden.”

Financial planner Marguerita Cheng recommends digital albums with a label for every person. Offer a handful of photos your children pick themselves and scan the rest.

Old Books, CDs, Records And Tapes Often Have No Place To Play

Driskill says your kids probably own the books they love already, old textbooks just take up room, and many have no way to play older media. That is a tough combination for the boxes in your basement.

Try a local library sale, a used bookstore or a donation drop-off, and keep the handful of titles with your handwriting inside.

Matching Bedroom Sets Are “So Uncool” To Younger Buyers

Professional organizer Julie Hall told Kiplinger, “These days, matching bedroom sets are so uncool.” Younger people tend to prefer simple platform beds.

Her tip is to offer a nightstand or two, because a single small piece is far more likely to be taken home than a full suite.

Stored Linens Need Starch And Ironing Few Young People Will Do

Hall says tablecloths and napkins in storage often go unwanted because they need starching and ironing. She adds that her own daughter “would just throw them out.”

The Next Avenue excerpt suggests offering linens to people who make handmade christening clothes or to theater costume shops, which turns a closet shelf into something useful.

Collectibles Once Sold As Valuable Keepsakes Now Look Like Clutter

Novak says items marketed years ago as valuable keepsakes are now often seen as clutter. That includes figurines and plates that came with a certificate and a promise.

The Next Avenue excerpt says porcelain figurines and collector plates have little market value and suggests donating them, or photographing a display and framing the picture as a keepsake.

Old Golf Clubs And Worn Treadmills Rarely Get A Second Life

Novak told Kiplinger, “Your kids want their own equipment, not yours.” Dated clubs and tired treadmills have little appeal, though she notes freestanding weights are an exception because they often still look good.

Sell or donate the rest while it still works, since equipment loses its appeal the longer it sits.

Your Wedding Dress Is Probably Not Wanted By Either Child

Driskill put it bluntly: “Someone might want your wedding dress, but neither of them.” A grandchild may someday care, though your own children usually will not.

If nobody in the family asks, Kiplinger says to consider donating it to charity, then keep a photograph.

Timeshares Come With Fees That Keep Climbing

Cheng cautions that adult children may not have the time or money for a timeshare, and maintenance fees keep rising. She notes, “People have different needs in different stages of their lives.”

Her advice is to ask your children first. If they do not want it, selling or giving up the timeshare now can spare them a bill later.

“If They Wanted It, They Would Have Taken It By Now” Applies To Childhood Keepsakes

Baseball cards, sports jerseys and school artwork can fill boxes that grown children never claimed. Novak says, “If they wanted it, they would have taken it by now.”

Check with your children before another decade of storage fees or garage space goes by, and let them pick a small box worth keeping.

The common thread across all 10 treasures is a conversation. Ask each child which two or three things they truly want, write down the stories that go with them, and let the rest go to people who will use them. Giving things away while you are around to see them enjoyed is the kindest legacy there is, and it leaves your family with memories instead of a to-do list.