It kills me that my little brother lives on the opposite coast. Each of us has two young daughters, so in a perfect world, they’d be growing up together, playing on teams, throwing fabulous tea parties and swapping sleepovers. Instead, we rely on Facetime and too-infrequent visits. But one surprising thing that helps make us feel connected is sharing our kids’ clothes.
Before becoming a mom, I’d always assumed hand-me-downs were just about economics. Kids grow so fast that it makes financial sense to pass barely-worn items on to other children who can use them. Now I realize there’s a lot more to hand-me-downs than just saving money.
Call me sentimental (an understatement), but my kids’ dresser drawers are treasure troves of special memories. Nearly every outfit reminds me of a vacation, a milestone, a picture day, or some other fleeting moment in time. I remember where we got it, and how it felt to pull it over a wriggling little body. The buttons that were terrible to fasten but worth it for the overall cuteness of the ensemble. The pajamas I had to wash nightly because they were the only pair soft enough. The torn and stained fairy dress I paid a tailor to reassemble because losing it would have been calamitous…
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