is there a polite way to say thanks but no thanks

22mango22

Don't get me wrong I'm greatfull for my friends and family wanting to give me things they think will be helpful when LO#1 gets here, but we have a tiny house and the baby and myself will be sharing a closet (the only things of mine in it will be things that have no choice but to hang up). so is there a polite way for me to tell people that I wont have room for all of their hand me downs they plan on passing along,and is there any polite way to turn down good free stuff when you just know it will be a decision between storing the item or having a place to sit in the livingroom. I'm only 15 weeks right now and people are already wanting to give me bouncers and swings that their kids have out grown. much less what i will end up getting at my shower futher down the road.

MrsBernard

I'm in a similar situation.  I've been accepting the things I think would be remotely useful, and politely declining the other stuff.  I just tell people we're really having to pick and choose what we take because we really need things to be multi-purpose.  If the person is really insistent about giving us something, I figure I can always take it to a consignment/good will type store later on.

rhubarb123

Once you know what your are having it might be nice to pick and choose from things people want to give you.  Make sure they are actually GIVING it to you and are not just LOANING it.  If they are loaning the items I would not accept them.  Just tell them that at this time you have no room for anything else...but that them for the offer. 

BTW...I never hung up anything of the baby's in the closet.  Everything went in drawers.  lol

cmhicklin

22mango22:

Don't get me wrong I'm greatfull for my friends and family wanting to give me things they think will be helpful when LO#1 gets here, but we have a tiny house and the baby and myself will be sharing a closet (the only things of mine in it will be things that have no choice but to hang up). so is there a polite way for me to tell people that I wont have room for all of their hand me downs they plan on passing along,and is there any polite way to turn down good free stuff when you just know it will be a decision between storing the item or having a place to sit in the livingroom. I'm only 15 weeks right now and people are already wanting to give me bouncers and swings that their kids have out grown. much less what i will end up getting at my shower futher down the road.

Why not take some of those things after you know what you are having?  It will save you $$$ from having to buy them if you don't get them at your shower, and there are plenty of other things that people can buy you.

EastCoastBride

Estwd2:

"Thanks, but I don't think I have room for this right now. I'll let you know if I need it."

 This.  Or a "Oh- thanks.  i'm not sure yet what I'll need, so can I get back to you if I think I could use it?". 

ANything like that!  We lived in a very small house when DS was born and I absolutley had to say "no" to some stuff.

AND, personally, I have no problem w/ taking stuff that was loaned - it meant *I* didn't have to worry about getting rid of it, I could just give it back.    We borrowed a swing, for example, that DS never took to - so after a few weeks, we just gave it back.

1026pumpkin

Estwd2:

"Thanks, but I don't think I have room for this right now. I'll let you know if I need it."

This! 

ForeverEverAfter

We have space, but don't want it overwhelmed with baby gadgets. What has worked for us so far was researching the most multipurpose "must-have" gear and buying it (or procuring it secondhand) ourselves well ahead of time. Our close family (parents and siblings) have bought some big things as we went like our crib and newborn cloth diapers. This made it easier to turn down coworkers hand me downs because we could honestly say that we had it already, or were using something else instead. I still have a shower coming next month, but my friend and stepmom organizing it kept it small. I'm close to everyone going, so they know I'm not registered and either asked me or my stepmom what I needed or are making something special (one friend asked me to leave my back nursery wall blank). I guess it depends on your friends and family, ours told us really early if they wanted to do something big and that helped with planning.

22mango22

as for closet space i work a 7 on-7 off shift at a hospital so my cloths are mainly scrubs a few jeans and shirts and a dressy outfit and we will only have room in LO's room for a dresser, crib, and a glider/rocker which we already have so every thing else will have to go on shelves in the closet, the closet wont be used for cloths much