Ahh, the age-old dilemma…how do you make enough space in your house to save all your children’s memories? Several years ago, my mom did a big round of de-cluttering and presented me with a huge bin of my childhood artwork. I enjoyed looking through it, but it held absolutely no sentimental value in my eyes, so I threw all but a couple pieces away.
That gave me a realization…most childhood artwork is for the parents, not the kids, but I understand that most people end up downsizing as empty-nesters and don’t have space to save everything. Mr. Handsome and I are trying to avoid filling our house with stuff from the get go (you may have heard about our minimalist challenge), so I came up with a way to save our children’s artwork while still saving space.
Every time Little Buddy draws a picture, I label it with his age and take a photo. If there’s a story behind the work, I jot that on the back and take a separate photo of it.
Every couple years, I plan to make a photo book of his masterpieces, with text to add sentimentality. I still might keep a few of my favorites (or his favorites), but I see no need to end up with a big bin full of artwork that I have no space for and he has no interest in.
What do you think of this idea?
I think that’s a Fantastic idea!!! I have done similar and taken pictures of some things that ended up not keeping, but for the most part I put everything that I keep from my boys in a storage bin in the garage. Mostly I hold onto ‘some’ of their schoolwork, I have a first grader and K kiddo and it is accumulating quite fast. I feel ruthless though too bcuz sometimes I just throw things out without thinking twice 🤣 I’m scattered- maybe it depends on my mood 🤷🏼♀️😂 or season of life I’m in at the moment. But either way, your idea is a great one!!!!
I wish my mom had kept more of my early artwork. She only kept a few. I love coming across an old book and seeing how I scribbled in it or practiced writing letters and my name. I also had this thing about coloring in eyes or letter O’s in a book. Funny to see now. The child in me remembers doing that, defacing my books.
Dynamic use of color and brushstrokes there, Little Buddy.
Totally agree! I am actually much more heartless/ less emotional. If I don’t really like the art, I don’t let it through the front door. Some art is so wonderful, I frame it and love it forever. Most is dross. The key is to literally chuck it before you come through the door from school…
It seems doing this could dishearten a child towards the endeavour of doing art at school. If the child thinks this will end in a cynical reception where it gets tossed before entering the home they must have an emotion. Disappointed, apathetic, afraid, shame are some that come to me.
I think children and their productions need to be accepted at home if they are to thrive at school.
I don’t think they know! I say it’s wonderful and then leave it in the car. Later, I chuck the rubbish ones… Some of their art is great but they totally phone it in some of the time.
Great idea! Your children will produce a tremendous amount of art and craft projects through the years and allowing these items to accumulate will only postpone the inevitable..Documenting some digitally and perhaps saving a few , sounds very wise.
It looks better than mr handsome’s work🤣🤣🤣❤️❤️❤️❤️
I would love to see some of Mr H’s recent artwork. I like it very much and think he is really talented!
Thank you! You’re very kind. It’s been a while since he’s painted, unfortunately.
I am sorry to hear that. But I enjoy all of Mr H’s projects, and so I look forward to reading what he is doing.
Is that because he keeps changing hobbies?
Do U know what my mother did she’d take a pic of our art projects, then she pic 1 of the most important keep that 1!!!! We had a Art Wall, behind The Kitchen Table, after a full wall, my Mother would throw out the most, only keeping the best 1s, then before the bolke hit the trash my Mother took a pic!!!!! There would then only have 3 pieces of art on the wall!!!!
Great idea! There are apps that let you add pictures to albums as you go then mail you the albums. Chatbooks is the first that comes to mind but there are others. I just put up an artwork “clothesline” on the kitchen wall and will hang artwork there for a few days. I’ll take a picture then it will either get thrown away or mailed to family members.
I think your plan is excellent. I did not keep everything; just special things. Occasionally, I would frame something and hang it on our wall. My girls loved seeing that!
This is a wonderful idea I love it!! Something the can that is easy to store and can be a nice keepsake!!
I Think thats a good idea to save just a few things from your kids childhood.
My mom saved some if are stuff tell we were in 7th grade. She put are stuff in a file cabinet but we didn’t make that many drawings.
I have “year boxes.” A small photo storage box for each year. I keep cards, letters, mementos, ticket stubs, theater programs, news clippings, calendar pages, etc. in each box. Just one box per year and that’s it. I’ve been doing this for 30 years. The kids can go through them someday and decide what to keep. Sometimes I’ll pull out an old box and go through it. Reading old letters from deceased loved ones is like being able to visit with them again. I like being sentimental. I like seeing things from my past. It makes time more real to me, the passing of time especially. Seeing those things really sparks my memory too. You’d be surprised how the years will start to blur if you don’t have reminders of how unique each one was. Life has no rules. You can do whatever suits you. Keep what you want and don’t let anyone tell you that you must throw everything away.
2:02 I loved your reply because I feel the same way.
It is a great idea! My mom has a box of things from when I was little. She plans to leave it to me when she is gone. I will look it over and throw it all away. I don’t have any sentimental feelings for things I made as a child. I gave my own kids some of their rewards and certificates that they received over the years and drawings. They only kept their baby books.
This is a terrific idea. I kept so much of each one of our kids art works. I had bins full. The kids did not want them except for a few things. By the time I let go of them, pictures, paint works, etc, had melted together from being moved into the garage where they got too hot. It would have been so much better to use your idea after displaying them in the house. I also kept important research projects, papers, and reports etc. i was sentimental about them but not the kids! We just gave away Lego to a non profit group from one of our sons who is now in his late 30s and did not want any of it! I have kept waaaay too much over the years and moved it all too many times! Lol
I can only speak for myself, but I am thankful that I kept LOTS of my childrens’ original artwork. Now that my two kids are in their late 20’s, having the originals instead of a photograph is even more precious. I cherish the art and even have framed a few.
I framed the one that won a national award. Pretty cool.
We enjoy them for a time and display them and then they get put in the bin. Only keep a couple of really special ones. I do take photos of the kids at times doing the art work or holding it up and taking a picture. Then I can email the grandparents!
My first thought was “M is for bunny? Rabbit?” Kids are smarter than I am, lol.
It’s a mask lol!
I do something similar, though less detailed. I ended up with a giant bag of my oldest’s art and finally decided to go through and photograph it all in groups, keep anything really special (handprints, something very well done) and throw out the rest. I wasn’t good about dates, but once I got the initial group sorted through, I did it every few months or so for both of my kids. I have a folder on my computer of photos I can look through someday. I have kept very few, but both kids have a bin of keepsakes–art, school pictures, a special blanket or outfit, or anything else my mom would have scrapbooked for me. I will say that I did get a set of four changeable frames (LTD Commodities sells them reasonably cheap) and anything that was cool “abstract” art or fun seasonal art, I stashed into the frames. They hang above our toy corner and I change them every few weeks with the seasons/holidays. Once the pictures are in order for when the seasons come up, I just move the front one to the back of the stack and have a new one ready to go. I probably have about 12-15 works in the rotation for each frame. They look cool in the black, white-matted frames and I love the variety.
My mom didn’t kept are artwork she just trow it away. We did care anyway. That why we didn’t have to worry about it went they died
The only think I kept was my stuffed animals.