BALTIMORE: Parents throw out up to $4,000 worth of their child’s belongings when they leave home – and one in 12 declutter just a week after their offspring’s departure.
A survey found nearly two-thirds of young adults leave books, clothes or music collections behind, putting them all at risk of being disposed of by over-zealous parents.
But the desire to spring clean means an object’s monetary value can be overlooked – and one in eight children return home to find more than $1,000 worth has been thrown out or given away. The typical amount lost is around $500.
Three quarters of parents who clear out do so within a year, often because they are keen to reclaim space, with the average grace period around 187 days.
The poll also found that one in ten young people argue with their parents at least once a month about things they’ve left behind, with the average child having seven rows a year…