It's finally happened

[klein]

My little girl who is seven has decided that she has outgrown her My Little Ponies. She has decided that she only wants to keep her MLP Build-a-Bears and some G3 ponyville figures, she still like the show and loves all of her MLP clothing but she wants to donate all the toys. I went through everything with her yesterday and she sorted out two bins of ponies, I'm going to put them in my storage unit for right now just in case she changes her mind. She had almost all of the G4 toys and I still have stuff stashed away I hadn't even given her yet UGH.

[Taffeta]

Definitely keep them a while to see if she does. It might be some kid has said something to her at school about them and so she's reacting to that with the toys. I put my ponies away (G1) when I was 11 or so and Mum told me to just put them in the attic rather than get rid of them, in case I felt differently later - and I have always been grateful for that. I was trying to be "grown up", but ultimately if I had lost them it would've been gutting.

[LadyMoondancer]

Putting them away for a while is a good idea.

That said, it does happen.  I collect MLPs now obviously, but the rest of my toys that I "outgrew" in middle school I really DID outgrow and don't really miss.

[scarletjul]

I agree; I would wait a little while and make certain she's outgrown them.

I kept a lot of my childhood toys but not all of them.  Some I outgrew; some I still collect and some I kept just for the memories.  It really just depended. 

[Leave a Whisper]

My daughter outgrew her ponies and I saved some for her, because they were gifts from relatives. She grew back into them and has since added to her g3s and fakies with g1s and g4s.

On the other hand, she outgrew her MH Dolls and didn't regret giving them away.

[SunbeamV]

Dang, seven? I was only just getting into ponies at seven.

I think it's really likely that other kids she's around have started the "toys are for baabiieessss" phase (other kids did that to me at around 9) and she's responding to that. I'd honestly try talking to her about what's made her suddenly want to get rid of a big collection of toys. You might be able to use it as a starter for a talk on peer pressure, if that's what's happening? And definitely don't get rid of them yet, just tuck them away deep in storage and wait a while to see if her decision lasts.

[Pokeyonekenobie]

Putting them away is a good idea.  I got my first pony when I was 5 and I loved playing with them until I was about 8 or 9.  I didn't get rid of them, though, because I had a lot of good memories with them and, as a military brat, I went through my toys every 2 years when we moved so any toys that made the cut had to be special. 

I'm glad I didn't get rid of them.  When I was around 12, I made a new friend who was about 6 years younger than me (age of my friends doesn't really matter to me, as long as we have fun and get along) and she was really into MLP so I pulled out my ponies and they got a second life.  She had a LOT that I hadn't even known existed, like the big brother line and the Sippin' Soda ponies.  Before I moved, we traded a special pony.  I gave her a Baby Glory (who is my favorite and I had 2) and she gave me a Baby Palm Tree that she had an extra of.  I still have it. 

After we moved away, mine ended up in a box again until I was in my 20s and I decided I wanted to collect them and attempt customizing on G3s.  I'm glad that I saved them because I have been able to give some to my niece, who is 9 and still into them.  I've told her mom that if she ever wants to get rid of them, I'll take them back and hold onto them for her, just in case she ever changes her mind like I did.

[Wardah]

I'm curious why she specifically said she wants to donate them instead of sell or get rid of them. Maybe it isn't so much that she lost interest as she has decided she feels bad for the kids who have no toys. Maybe there is a kid at her school who comes from a family who has financial troubles and can't afford to buy her many toys.

If it is truly lack of interest I think it's good to put them away. Even if she never gets interested in them again, if she ever decides to have children she will be able to share her childhood memories with her kids.

[Galactica]

I like that she is generous/altruistic enough to want to donate her toys- 

[zombienixon]

I'd put them in storage, myself. She may become interested again once she's a teenager.  If not, some of them could fetch some good money by then if they're in good enough condition.

[klein]

I've noticed that she hadn't really been playing with them as much recently but wasn't expecting this. It probably doesn't help that every time we have gone to the store recently there really hasn't been anything new or interesting MLP so I think it may just be "boring" to her now even though it used to be her favorite thing and what she was always most excited to look for in the store. She still watches the show every single day but it's always the first couple of seasons.

I don't think it's pressure from her friends/school kids as most of them are still very much obsessed with MLP and she still insists on wearing her Twilight Sparkle hoody with wings everywhere and if she was embarrassed by still liking MLP. I don't think she would willingly wear it everywhere even when it's really hot out if she did. Her best friend at school is a boy and he loves MLP.

She just seems to be very much focused on shopkins and chubby puppies/kitties at the moment, I don't really get the appeal of either. I don't want her to regret giving away the MLP especially since some of her's are overseas releases that daddy sent home when he was deployed in the military.

As far as donating goes, periodically her and I go through her room and sort out things that she has outgrown or doesn't play with anymore. It's always her choice, she picks out the toys I put aside the things that I think she might regret later on and anything else in good condition  gets donated (the like three random pieces of a puzzle and that type of stuff I just toss) normally after a week or two of grace period chilling in my car's trunk . The ponies were completely out of the blue she asked me to come in her room and help her sort through them they did take up a huge chunk of real estate in her room so it's possible she just got sick of them being there taking up space if she wasn't playing with them.

I thought about the angle of maybe she knew someone less privileged and wanted to gift the ponies specifically to someone but there really isn't anyone, I even asked and she said no she just wanted other kids to have them. She did sort out a few Applejacks specifically to give to me because she knows she is my favorite and she kept aside a few of the like My Little Pony baby doll type dolls to give to my best friend's daughter (she's a little younger). 

I think she was maybe 2 going on 3 when she got her first My Little Pony so I guess she had a good long run at least?

[Sunset]

OH, definitly don't get rid of the presents from dad.  That makes them especially special! That's the kind of thing that will be even more appreciated later in life.

[Wardah]

So it isn't even really outgrowing them so much as she changed interests to other toys targeted towards the same age range as MLP? That happens sometimes. Even as an adult collector my main focus tends to change back and forth, especially if something new and exciting catches my eye.

[Lucky_Ladybug]

OH, definitly don't get rid of the presents from dad.  That makes them especially special! That's the kind of thing that will be even more appreciated later in life.

Seconded! Those would be priceless no matter what grabs her interest at the moment.

[SkyCakes]

I have a daughter who is 6 and I think it would be devastating for me if she didn't like ponies anymore. She talks about them a lot. She loves my older more expensive ones. I probably would do what everyone would and store them away. I wish I would have enough sense to do that when I was a teenager.