‘I only buy second-hand stuff for my children’
Some mothers may raise their children a little differently, but make sure that everything runs smoothly. “I’m just a big proponent of a circular economy.”
Bregtje (37), single mother of two sons (9 and 5), has never bought anything new for her children.
It started out of necessity, she says. “I got pregnant from a one-night stand and didn’t have a penny to make. My oldest sister gave me all her baby stuff, I didn’t have to buy anything more. Of course I also got things from people around me when my oldest was born. Even the cloth diapers were gifts.”
Circular economy
The annoying thing about babies and small children is that they never take things long, says Bregtje. “Clothes fit for a few weeks, their development has outpaced their toys in a few months. But that’s my advantage: I’m the youngest of four kids at home, so I have a lot of nieces and nephews, and most of my friends already had kids when I had them. I just had to assume.”
Not that she is a profiteer, she emphasizes. “I’m just a big proponent of a circular economy. Why should I buy new toys or clothes for my boys if they are gathering dust in my loved ones attic?” In turn, she passes everything on to others, in most cases through thrift stores. “The father of my second son, from whom I divorced two years ago, is horrified. From him my youngest designer clothes and around the holidays get everything from the latest toy guide. So I give that to my oldest too, but via Marktplaats.”
Also read: ‘Some children have ‘extra’ stepparents; my daughter has a nanny’
Generous gifts
Even for other people’s birthdays, Bregtje prefers to give second-hand items. “It’s easy with friends of my oldest, they prefer money these days. But five-year-old boys are very happy with my presents, because because I buy them second-hand, they are often quite generous. Playstation games, for example, or a scooter that I conveniently scored via app and Facebook groups. Although of course I don’t give the latter during a random game of a classmate.”
Reuse
She has also furnished her house with purely second-hand items. “Even my laminate floor comes from someone else’s house. I don’t believe it will make my kids any worse. In fact, I make them aware of how much others waste. I want them to see their grandchildren grow up in a healthy climate. I think the reuse of stuff makes an important contribution to that.”
This article was previously published in Kek Mama.
