For many parents, the hardest part of watching their children grow up isn’t the empty bedrooms; it’s realizing those rooms never actually became empty. Years after moving out, closets, attics, basements, and garages are often still filled with boxes that no one has opened in ages.
A recent Talker Research survey commissioned by CubeSmart found that 46% of Americans still keep belongings at their parents’ house, with the average person storing about nine boxes. While many parents are happy to help, most would love for their adult children to finally decide what to keep, what to donate, and what to let go.
Here are some of the things parents quietly hope their children will eventually take home.
Old Clothing
Closets filled with high school sweatshirts, winter coats, prom dresses, and shoes are surprisingly common. If they haven’t been worn in years, it’s probably time to either take them home or pass them along.
College Textbooks
Many parents still have shelves filled with textbooks that haven’t been opened since graduation. While they were once expensive, most eventually become outdated and take up valuable storage space.
Furniture From Childhood Bedrooms
Old desks, dressers, nightstands, and bookshelves often stay exactly where they were left. Parents may be happy to keep them for a while, but eventually they’d like the extra space back.
Collections
Whether it’s baseball cards, comic books, dolls, model cars, or vinyl records, collections often remain stored in parents’ homes because they’re difficult to part with.
If they still matter, parents would love to see them appreciated rather than forgotten.
Holiday Decorations
Homemade ornaments, childhood crafts, and holiday keepsakes often remain packed away with the family’s decorations. Many parents hope their children will eventually start their own traditions using these special items.
Musical Instruments
Guitars, violins, keyboards, and band instruments frequently collect dust in spare bedrooms or garages. If they’re no longer being played, it may be time to decide whether to keep, sell, or donate them.
Boxes of Random Memorabilia
Ticket stubs, yearbooks, notebooks, awards, and souvenirs often end up mixed together in storage boxes that haven’t been opened for years.
Parents usually don’t want to throw them away, but they also don’t want to make those decisions for someone else.
Old Electronics
Outdated laptops, gaming systems, DVD players, flip phones, and tangled chargers tend to accumulate over time. Many parents are left wondering whether these items are being saved intentionally or simply forgotten.
Related: 12 Old Electronics That Are Now Considered Vintage
Sports Equipment
Old baseball gloves, hockey gear, bicycles, tennis rackets, and camping equipment often outlive the hobbies for which they were purchased. If they aren’t being used anymore, someone else could benefit from them.
Items With Family History
Some belongings are really worth keeping, but parents often hope they’ll be taken home while they can still tell their stories.
Whether it’s Grandma’s quilt, Dad’s pocket watch, or a piece of family furniture, passing these items along during life gives families the chance to share the memories that make them meaningful.
