Thrifting with Kids: How to Share Your Love for Secondhand Shopping
There’s nothing like the thrill of walking into a thrift store with no idea what charming, useful, bizarre, or outstanding things you’ll find. A strawberry-shaped cookie jar just like the one your grandmother had when you were growing up, an emerald green sweater that happens to look amazing on you, the rare book you’ve been searching for for years—the possibilities are endless!
But have you thought about how to share this love of thrifting with the next generation?
If you’re a parent, you know that one of the joys of parenthood is being able to share the things you love with your children. There’s a good chance that your current love of thrifting started when your parents took you to thrift stores when you were young.
At New Horizons Thrift Stores, we love to see parents thrifting with their children! Today, we’ll discuss the particular joy that comes from thrifting and the unique benefits of sharing that joy with your children.
The Joy of Thrifting
As a parent, you have a lot to do, and it may be challenging to find time for the things you love that bring you joy.
If you have groceries to buy, dinner to cook, and laundry to do, is there any point in stopping by the thrift store on your way home?
Of course, there are many practical benefits to thrift shopping. For example, your children are growing so quickly that buying clothing secondhand is much more economical. In fact, every time you find a useful item at a thrift store instead of buying it new, your paychecks stretch a little further.
But unlike other shopping experiences, thrifting is about so much more than marching down a list and getting out of there as soon as possible.
Where else will you be curiously looking through a shelf of miscellaneous objects, only to find a gorgeous hand-sculpted art piece that inspires you to re-decorate your living room around it? In what other location can you find a mug that’s so bizarre you know your sister will laugh herself silly when she gets it for Christmas, or a pair of patchwork shoes that you never would have bought if you’d seen them online, but trying them on in the store you find them astonishingly cute?
That’s the joy of thrifting.
Maybe it feels frivolous to take time out of your hectic day to pursue that joy, but it’s ultimately worth it. Not just because of the wonderful things you might find, but because it’s healthy to take time to do the things you enjoy. Your children should see this fun side of you, and experience the joy of joining in!
What will they find? A gauzy pink $2 curtain that, with a bit of hot glue and ingenuity, can be turned into a fluttering ballerina princess costume? A few incomplete Lego sets that can be combined to form a decked-out, ramshackle, multi-colored Lego spaceship?
Even if you just have a few minutes, it’s worth it to stop. Just for a moment. Just to see what you find.
Trust us.
Establishing a Good Relationship With “Stuff”
As wonderful as it is to let your children share in the joy of thrifting with you, there are other benefits to incorporating regular thrift store excursions into their lives. One of those benefits is helping them establish a good relationship with “stuff.”
Overconsumption is a huge problem in today’s world. It’s so easy to fill our homes with things we don’t need, with little regard for the resources and labor it took to bring us those items.
Thrift stores and other secondhand markets help fight overconsumption in two ways:
First, thrift stores disrupt the unsustainable system of buying new items and sending them to landfills when we no longer need them. They allow unwanted items a new life, and they give you a place to purchase things you need without contributing to the overconsumption machine.
The second thing is less obvious: thrift stores give you a way to make things yourself without breaking the bank.
You see, part of the problem with consumerism is the instant gratification aspect. We buy brand-new items and have no concept of the time and care it took to make those items.
A great way to combat that system is to learn to make things ourselves and teach our children to do so, too. But buying craft supplies is expensive, and if those supplies are brand-new, they also contribute to unsustainable overconsumption practices.
On the other hand, thrift stores are full of inexpensive yarn, fabric, knitting needles, sewing machines, patterns, buttons, notions, and spools of thread. They are brimming with clothing items that can be mended and altered, old sheets and curtains that can be turned into skirts and tablecloths, and scuffed furniture that can be given a new life with a coat of paint.
As you donate unwanted items to your thrift store and purchase new treasures, use it as an opportunity to explain to your children the principles of reducing, reusing, and re-purposing with creativity and ingenuity for a more sustainable future.
Establishing Good Spending Habits
Thrifting with your children can also be a fantastic opportunity to teach them good spending habits and the value of their money.
Even if you can’t afford to give your children much of an allowance, the reduced prices in thrift stores give them a low-stakes way to pick out items they can afford and make informed decisions about whether to buy a book or a new toy with their limited cash. Learning about budgeting isn’t so dry and boring when you’re getting a fun new puzzle or play tea set in the bargain!
Furthermore, purchasing from a thrift store is a great way to teach your children that where they spend their money actually makes a difference. Take the time to look up the charities that your thrift store supports, and explain to your children how the money they spend goes to help real needs.
Engaging Your Children in the Joy of the Hunt
Take a deep breath.
Remind yourself that a stop at a thrift store isn’t meant to be like a grocery store run. Sure, you’re probably looking for gloves and a new school uniform skirt. But the point isn’t to check off a list of items.
The point is to explore and see what you find.
Of course, thrift stores can be overwhelming, and having a list of things you’re looking for gives you a place to start. To engage your children in the thrifting process, it may help to give them something specific to look for.
This could be something they’re really interested in, such as Legos, dolls, or coloring books. In addition, asking them to search for items on your list can also feel like a fun treasure hunt!
To make the thrifting trip fun for everyone, be open to buying your children something small, even if it’s not what you would have chosen. If your daughter's eyes get big when she sees a tin with a picture of a tea party on it, encourage that feeling! What will she use her pretty new tin for? Buttons? Candy? The possibilities are endless, and it’s this very feeling that makes thrifting so delightful.
As your children reach the pre-teen and young teen stage, thrift stores become an inexpensive, low-stakes way for them to experiment with fashion. Maybe they want to try dressing in all black, paint their shoes neon colors, or experiment with vibrant costume jewelry. To the thrift store you go!
Your children are developing their own tastes and personalities, and as you foster their sense of wonder and creative choices, you’re instilling in them a love of thrifting that will last a lifetime.
Taking Kids to New Horizons
If you live in Colorado, take your children along for a fun day of thrifting at one of our New Horizons Thrift Stores! We have friendly staff and clean, convenient dressing rooms, and we love to see kids exploring the interesting second-hand items on our shelves.
You can find New Horizons Thrift Store locations in:
And if you’d like to read more thrifting tips and tricks, you may enjoy our other blog posts:
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Successful Thrift Shopping
- How to Score Great Deals at Thrift Stores Without Losing Your Mind!
- Quality on a Budget: Building a Thoughtful Wardrobe with Thrift Finds
Our stores are clean, well-organized, and full of great deals! And besides all that, the money earned from these thrift stores goes to support New Horizons Ministries, as well as other local charities.
We love to see little ones in our stores, and we hope you’ll stop by and see us soon!