Chris Pratt sparks debate over when parents should throw away childhood trophies

Chris Pratt has asked the question almost every parent wonders when raising their children: Is it okay to throw away childhood trophies?

The Guardians of the Galaxy star, 44, recently posed the question to his social media followers after he and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, came across all her childhood trophies kept by her parents, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver.

Pratt took to Instagram on 24 October, where he shared several photos of the children’s book author, 33, holding up some of her many childhood trophies - including “Problem Solving Super Star 4th Grade 2000” and “most improved two-year-old in swim class”.

In the lengthy caption, the Parks and Recreation alum explained that Schwarzenegger’s mother had been “storing special items” from her daughter’s childhood for years, which he noted was “so very thoughtful”.

“To see my darling wife beaming with sentiment as she opens these crates of meticulously organised keepsakes, remembering her cherished youth, makes me grateful for the efforts her folks put into archiving,” Pratt wrote. “I suppose that’s the payoff for the work it took to store this stuff, the smile on her face as she relives moments of her youth. To pray one day that your children will look back on their childhood with glee is a blessing. It is the hope of parenthood.”

However, as the couple - who have been married since 2019 - perused Schwarzenegger’s prized possessions, it got him thinking about how long he’s supposed to hold onto his own children’s mementos. Pratt shares an 11-year-old son, Jack, with ex-wife Anna Faris and two daughters - Lyla, three, and Eloise, one - with Schwarzenegger.

“Real talk,” Pratt said. “Once your kid goes through the stuff, is it okay to toss? I mean… do we need the ‘I was on a sports team trophy?’ Can they be donated? Repurposed? How many do we gotta keep? Not all of them right? Any of them? Is there a grading scale? Like, did you win? Were you a champion? Is there a specific sentimental connection? Help me out here. Do they go back in storage?”

His relatable question prompted many parents in the comments section to sound off on how long they’ve kept their children’s trophies. Some users admitted that they wished their own parents had held onto their accolades for so long.

“Wait this is amazing. I’ll be saving my children’s stuff for sure,” one person commented.

“Well, I have no keepsakes from childhood and I wish I did. So there is that,” another said.

“I had my boys go through their boxes and they kept what was special to them. I tossed the rest,” a third fan wrote. “FREEDOM!!!”

Others revealed what they did to cherish their children’s precious memories while still saving some room in the storage bin.

“I donated all my old trophies to an organisation that removes the labels and repurposes them for fun awards,” wrote one fan.

“For those sentimental ones, we peeled off the engraved part and kept it in a plastic pocket notebook and tossed the trophy part,” said someone else.

Another user suggested: “Give them out as prizes when your friends come over for game night.”

Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger joked that her husband was simply jealous she’s acquired so many trophies over the years. “Feels like someone is a litttlllee bit jealous of my natural athleticism from birth and ability to solve problems,” she commented.

Pratt’s mother-in-law also weighed in on the debate, as she applauded herself for saving almost every prized possession for her four children. “Omg I’m so happy,” Shriver commented. “Here’s to story trophies and school work and dresses and party outfits I feel vindicated.”

The Jurassic World star was married to Faris in 2009. The former couple announced their split in August 2017 and finalised their divorce in October 2018, four months after he began dating Schwarzenegger. He proposed to the author in January 2019 and they were married in June that year.

Pratt has often shared glimpses into his life as a father of three on social media. Most recently, he went viral when he posted a photo of the glittery makeover he received from his two daughters. He shared two photos of his new look, including one where his forehead was bedazzled with teal, purple, and silver gems. The other photo showed Pratt with pearl-like gems dotting his face, as well as a teal manicure.

“All I have to say is… Jack would never do this to me,” he captioned the post.