Admittedly, I haven’t yet built up a mass of my kid’s artwork but I can see down that road. Her closet is already bursting at the seams with old clothes and old toys and it’s just a matter of time before her artwork gets stored there, too. And, believe it or not, I’m the tosser in the family. Yep.
I’m known for chucking things willy nilly, though in my defense it’s never willy nilly. I’m just not sentimentally attached to things for the most part. Of course, that was before having a child who makes the most adorable things, like scribbles and scratches.
I can see that staying completely clutter free is not an option. However, there are some inventive ways to keep said mementos and still have breathing room in your house.
Being a photographer, my favorite option is to take a picture of the “project” (which is inevitably an early indication of her intelligence) and then toss it. I love the idea of keeping all sorts of her arts and crafts projects neatly tucked away in a box of photos, to be pored over at a later date.
You can always put those photos in to a book or make a poster of a collection of the photos. I recently wrote a post on what to do with all your photos that pile up, so you can peruse that for good ideas on how to organize photos.
You can save the best and chuck the rest. A bathroom is a FANTASTIC place to exhibit kid art and dare I say it, it’s the most visited room in the house so all your family members and guests are sure to see each and every last work of art.
And why not involve your child – have him make the decision on what stays and what goes. Hey, I’m all for sharing the blame. (Blame? Did I say blame?)
Lastly, when your child grows up enough to have her own place and you’ve saved her artwork all the years from now until then, send it to her! It’d be a great reminder of her budding brilliance.
My thinking is this – if I decide now how to tackle this sticky wicket maybe I won’t be overrun with stuff in the coming years and then in a burst of a cleaning fit toss it all. Here’s to hoping.
photo credit: Childrens Book Review
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