PARIS — Nikki Ring knows how fast children outgrow clothing. Her 14-month-old daughter, Olivia, has outgrown plenty, moving through half-a-dozen clothing sizes already.

“There were some outfits she only wore once,” Ring recalled. Often “she only gets a couple wears out of a onesie, then it’s done.” Some were never worn at all, leaving her with undersized baby clothes that still had store tags.

She figured other parents had the same problem.

So it made sense for her and her mother to start Play & Grow, a consignment shop for children’s clothing and other things parents need. Cathy Ring, a victim witness advocate at the Oxford County District Attorney’s office, owns the business, and her daughter Nikki runs it, with Olivia at her side all day in a playpen next to the cash register.

Parents can sign a contract with the store to sell baby clothing, cribs, playpens, maternity clothes and other parenting staples there. If they sell, the parents and the store each get a portion of the money.

Nikki said it was a chance to work while spending time with Olivia, rather than putting her in day care. She and her fiance each work, so taking their daughter to work is perfect. On Friday, Olivia was snoozing behind a curtain.

Business has been good. On opening day, Aug. 10, they had printed 12 contracts. They ran out that day. Now they keep dozens as new people come in with new and gently used baby paraphernalia. The store has large toys, picture frames, clothing and more, all from people in the community.

One item the store doesn’t take is car seats. Car seats expire six years after manufacture and should be destroyed. Drastic temperature changes in a car over the seasons, as well as crashes, can damage the plastic in ways that aren’t always visible but can make the seats brittle and unsafe.

Not all clothes are in good enough shape to put on the shelves, but the store will take them as donations. Cathy Ring said they’re working on keeping a donation box that churches and families who lose everything in a fire can go to.

The Ring family lost their home when Nikki was 3 years old, so they know how it can affect families.

“We lost everything,” Nikki said. “If it wasn’t for the community getting together and helping us, I don’t know what we would have done.”

She said when families lose their homes, it’s often the children’s and babies’ clothes that are hardest to replace. “It’s easier to get adult clothing donated than it is for kids.”

The store is at the Cornwall Shopping Center in Paris, between Curves and Save A Lot.

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