Great Tip For Your Child's School Art Work - WFMW # 4
School is back in session for most of our kids and it's back to pulling several papers out of our child's backpack on a daily basis.
When Sporty started kindergarten, I was adamant about keeping and storing EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF ARTWORK OR SCHOOL WORK HE DID!!! Yes, call me crazy, I just couldn't bring myself to part with it. He put his whole heart into these masterpieces, how could I hang them on the refrigerator for a week and then throw them in the trash can? I couldn't. So I saved them. Each and every one.
Then 1st grade! No big deal. A new Rubbermaid storage container, or maybe two, and I was set. He'd bring them home, I'd display them proudly and then tuck them away in the bin marked "Sporty - 1st Grade".
Then Peenee started kindergarten. His papers were just as important ... so I started saving his from kindergarten, and Sporty's from 2nd grade. As you can imagine, I found myself with MANY Rubbermaid storage containers filled with papers. There were so many, I could never see anyone wanting to even sift through them those precious memories years from now. Then I had an idea ...
Scheduling a Sunday afternoon with Sporty, I asked to have him all to myself. He agreed, not knowing why. When we sat down that day, I pulled out the 5 bins full of his school work from kindergarten to the then present. We made 3 piles and sorted each piece of work into the pile we both agreed on:
- # 1 - An absolute treasure - have to keep the original.
- # 2 - Something We Like - but don't necessarily need to keep the original.
- # 3 - Paper That He Did - but there is no reason at all to keep.
We take pile #3, as hard as it is, and throw it away into the recycle bin. We take pile #1 and store it back away into the storage container (should not even take up one container). Then, we take pile #2 and take digital pictures of each piece of work. We place the photos on a disk labeled, "Sporty's Kindergarten School Work". We then take pile #2 and place it with pile #3 in the recycle bin.
This system alleviates A LOT of paperwork, however, some of the things that are important to one of you, yet not important enough to have to keep the original, are stored on a disk for easy viewing and/or printing whenever you'd like.
This works for us ... and I hope it works for you all too! For more great tips, head on over to see Rocks In My Dryer!
Have a great WFMW!
Labels: Organization, Parenting, WFMW
This is a TOTAL space saver for me also.. though I confess I doubt we've kept a single original.. BAD Mommy!
Posted by
Julie Julie Bo Boolie |
8/30/2006 8:48 AM
I love this idea! It does get to be soooo much paper after awhile- I love that the kids can participate in what to keep and what to throw!
Great idea!
Cheri
Posted by
Cheri |
8/30/2006 9:31 AM
good idea! my son is only 3 but i have a pile of easel painting adding up i will need to remember this so him and i can do it together when he is older and that pile has gotten way big....lol
Posted by
Shannon |
8/30/2006 9:51 AM
Sounds like our system. I am so grateful for digital cameras!
Posted by
Pieces |
8/30/2006 10:09 AM
THIS IS GREAT! I will pass this on to my sister-in-law! and use it when I get the chance!
Posted by
The Roaming Southerner |
8/30/2006 10:22 AM
I love it... I've been keeping everything, too, and after just three weeks with a Kindergartner, I can already tell I'm going to have to do something to avoid the big boxes full of school papers like my mom ended up with. When I got married, my mother (sweet thing that she is) passed down to me ALL the boxes with my school papers in them. Wasn't that nice? Yeah, I ended up tossing most of it. It just had no special place in my heart and I don't even remember doing most of it.
Posted by
MamaTeeThree |
8/30/2006 10:58 AM
I have a lot of things preserved but for some of the larger things that I couldn't bring when I moved I took pictures. It was heartbreaking but when moving choices have to be made. Thanks!
Posted by
Ms. Kathleen |
8/30/2006 11:08 AM
This is a great idea. How many rubbermaids were you down to when you were through?
Posted by
PastormacsAnn |
8/30/2006 11:25 AM
GREAT idea! I don't keep as much as some moms, but being a homeschooler and having six children, I'm drowning in paperwork. I'll try this out.
Posted by
Full Contact, Savior-centric Livin |
8/30/2006 11:51 AM
I've heard of the idea of digitally archiving childhood masterpieces and intend to do some of this when the time is right. I never thought of storing the really important ones in a plastic container. Great tip! I also plan to have some of Snuggle Bug's masterpieces framed and hung throughout our house. :)
Thanks for your comment on my WFMW creating blogging categories post.
If you're so inclined, stop by this coming Friday and participate in my Five Ingredient Friday recipe exchange! :)
Posted by
Overwhelmed! |
8/30/2006 12:27 PM
Fantastic idea!
Thanks for commenting on my WFMW - how to get your kids to buy into 30 Days of Nothing.
Home of Pass the Torch Tuesday
Posted by
Kelly Curtis |
8/30/2006 12:53 PM
I love this idea! Thankfully I have a toddler so I can start this in advance. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by
Anonymous |
8/30/2006 2:12 PM
I did the same thing when my two started school. We decided to just keep a few originals (this was like 7 yrs ago)
I do scan the highly prized ones and then print them to make scrapbook pages.
Thanks for visiting my blog and have a happy Wed!
Posted by
Unknown |
8/30/2006 3:05 PM
I am finding it hard to throw away papers, too, but I love organizing. Thanks for the tip!
Posted by
Shawna |
8/30/2006 10:47 PM
Thanks for the tip! I will keep this in mind when my little embryo starts school! :)
Posted by
Casey |
8/31/2006 11:26 AM
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