Thank you for 'hand me downs'

Gold Member Joined: Jul 14 2009 Posts: 2094

Someone recently gave me like 2 boxes of their child's hand me downs for which I am really grateful for. I can't really reciprocate, as their child is older than mine. What is an appropriate way to show my appreciation? A "thanks", a card, a gift? TIA!

generally they just like to know that you got the clothing and are using them. ppl who give hand me downs are greatful to the takers who free up storage space for them (that's how I feel, anyway). a thank you is fine. don't go all out. if you want, you can send a pic of a kid in one of the outfits. I lend out my kids' outgrown clothing, and if I get a pic I can show it to my kids and turn it into a lesson about sharing things when we are done with them. my older daughter (4.5) likes to hang on to old clothes, and this helps her. if things went her way, she'd still be wearing a size 2t...

if you want to do more of a thank you card thing, you can take a pic of one of your kids and write a thank you note to the kid who outgrew the outfit. "dear sarala, thanks so much for the beautiful shabbos dress. see how pretty leah looks in it? she can't wait to be as big as you are!"

my kids love to see other kids wearing their outgrown stuff. "when I wore that skirt I was this tiny! but now I'm too big for it, so sarala can wear it. she looks so pretty, just like I did in that dress." I try to teach them that when we're done with anything we can give it to someone else to use. we also get hand-me-downs occasionally, and they have no issue wearing them. so it goes both ways.

Platinum Member Joined: May 07 2008 Posts: 8984

A thank-you note would be a lovely gesture. You'll never offend anyone by sending a thank=you note even if such a note is not usually expected. Verbal thanks are sufficient and a gift is absolutely not necessary. A little over the top, actually, since the person is giving you things she already used and has no more use for.

Gold Member Joined: Apr 19 2012 Posts: 1751

I think a verbal thank you would be appreciated b/c people like to know that the clothing they passed on to others will be put to good use!

I pass down all of my DD's clothes to a relative whose DD is just a bit smaller than mine...and it feels good that whenever I see her she mentions how much they appreciate the clothes, and how cute her DD looks in it, and how helpful it is, etc....Here and there I even see her in something familiar. I'm happy that they are able to use it.
_________________
Chayalle

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 28 2005 Posts: 4696

Sometimes Hashem helps!

My neighbor/friend has a son 2 years older than mine and her rest - up until a couple of weeks ago - were girls. So she gave me all her son's hand-me-downs which saved me a bundle (I am talking coats, bathing suits, shirts, pants, PJ's...the works!). b"H she just had her second boy after a bunch of girls and a bag of brand new baby boys' clothes - new with tags - literally fell into my lap. I am so thrilled to bring this over to her later when she returns my call Smile

. Hashem really helped me to show my hakaras hatov.