Are glory boxes still a thing? Cost of living has parents divided

Years ago, leaving home meant taking cupboards full of fancy linen and crockery thanks to the bank of mum and dad. Now, many young adults have no choice but to go to Kmart. 

When many think of glory boxes, an image of daintily embroidered bedspreads and towels in a ripe shade of peach immediately come to mind.

For generations following World War I, the glory box - or hope chest - was a wooden box found in most Australian family homes when mothers would begin preparing their offspring (usually daughters) for when they left the nest - which for many meant getting married.  It was typically filled with aforementioned bed linen and towels, as well as aprons and crockery.

With children leaving home far later than they used to, and parents struggling to pay day-to-day bills, let alone buy items that potentially won’t be touched for several years, this tradition appears to be one that is rarely seen in recent times. Or is it?

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Do people still give glory boxes / dowries? 

When an anonymous member of a mums’ Facebook group asked if glory boxes - which were first used all the way back to the 15th century - are still being collected, or are even a good idea anymore, the internet delivered some very surprising results.

Several mums in the group were still very proactively carrying on the tradition and even took it even further.

“I did it for my daughter,” Nadine wrote. “It was a coffee table that opened up at the top and had draws I filled with tea towels, dishcloths, cutlery, plates, bowls, vase etc … she moved out a year ago.”

Glory boxes usually looked like this. Image: iStock

She added to Kidspot: “I had a glory box when I left home that my grandmother gave me and I still have it. Today it stores all our old trophies etc for my daughter and I wanted to give her a more practical glory box, hence the coffee table with draws and an open top. It takes pride of place in her lounge room, she is only 20.

"My grandmother passed away when my daughter was just six months, so it was a great way of remembering her and telling my daughter about what was in my glory box. Not much has changed with what is in the box but it was great to do it for my daughter and hopefully one day she will do the same for her daughter (if she has children) and share the stories I shared with her.”

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Source: Facebook

Another mum, Kellie, echoed the same thoughts.

“I had one started for my kids,” she said. “When they started work they also started to buy one or two things a month for when they move out. Like a set of dishes and some cutlery etc.”

“I did it for my older children and still do at Christmas,” Lisa wrote. “They've long since moved out, but every year they get clothes detergent, dish detergent, toilet paper, spray cleaner, tea towels, bath towels, cream cleaner, soap or body wash. I never got the kitchen or bedding as each has individual tastes in those, different size beds, colour scheme etc.”

Source: Facebook

Mum, Liz, agrees the tradition deserves to be carried on.

“I have a glory box for my daughter - it is something my Nan did for me. It’s not a huge glory box but it is something that I don’t want to break the tradition.”

For Karissa, it makes perfect financial sense in helping her teenager prepare for the future.

“My 16yo has one started, with the Coles freebies you get with flybuys. Knives and some baking dishes,” she wrote. “She loves it.”

And yes, many mums also said they were doing it for their sons, not just their daughters.

“I do it for my girls , I even got stuff for my boys when they moved out,” commented Kylie.

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Not everyone is a fan 

For various reasons, not everyone agreed glory boxes were still worthwhile and preferred to help their kids in other ways.

“Nah, fashion changes so much I’d prefer just to help them out when they move out than have stuff hanging around I have to store,” Naomi said.

“I have established a bank account for the kids instead,” added Suzi. “One set of grandparents gifts money every birthday, as well as a present. It's a high interest rate so it should be a good amount when they are 18/21.” She added to Kidspot: “Home decor styles are changing so quickly, and what is modern today is not likely to be fashionable in the future. Generally people don't use these types of things nowadays. And lastly youth are moving out of home later in life nowadays due to the rising costs, so why not better support them on saving for the move and they can make their own decisions on what to fill it with.”

Mum, Taleen, balanced her traditional beliefs with a generous monetary approach.

“We gifted our kids $15k for furniture for their home, so a bank account, and l also bought smaller things for them from about 15 onwards,” she commented on the post. “My daughter got hers at 17 when she left home for university.”

In this cost of living crisis, any child being able to afford to leave home with more than the clothes on their backs in the future will be lucky, regardless.

Originally published as Are glory boxes still a thing? Cost of living has parents divided