Hand me down items-HELP!

[deliarose]

I have a 6 year old nephew that gave all his toys and books to us when my dd was born. He had tons of toys. I have 4 or 5 boxes in the attic that I have not even opened yet. Most of the toys are plastic (not my favorite) and very boyish. My sil is pretty vague about what I should do with them. She has given me lots of baby things on "loan", but never answers when I ask if she wants it back. They are not having any more kids. What do I do? My dd has enough toys and gets more every holiday/birthday, etc. If I could afford the shipping, I would send them to orphanages in the ukraine, but still uncertain at to if my sil wants them...hmmm.
TIA!

[klondikesky]

I would do one of two things, depending on my relationship with sil...

1) Box up everything I'm done with or don't need and truck it back to her house. Kindly. Say we have more than we need, thank you for your generosity, it was especially helpful in the beginning, etc... No longer my problem and non-confrontational.

2) Box up everything I'm done with or don't need and give her a window to come and get it or go through it (say 1 or 2 weeks) with a definite closing date. If she doesn't show by then, truck it to the Salvation Army or your favorite local charity (battered women's shelter or children's home like Buckner's, perhaps?) The cost of shipping it anywhere will probably be prohibitive. I would just donate what I would have spent on shipping to the Ukrainian orphanage, then they can buy what they need most. Everybody wins.

Good luck!

[Alkenny]

I would outright tell your SIL that your child doesn't play with them and that you don't want them to 'go to waste', ask if she wants them back. Don't settle for a vague answer, tell her you need a Yes or No because you're 'spring' cleaning or something.

If she doesn't want them back, I'd donate them locally like the PP said.

[ekblad9]

Definately ask if she wants them back and if not then donate them. I have started asking people right when they give us stuff if they want it back. Usually they don't and then I feel free to take what we need/will use and donate the rest.