...I hate all the crappy art my kids bring home from school. Normally I just leave it in the car until I'm certain they have forgotten about it, then I can chuck it. The really good stuff I will put up in the garage or the kitchen but I don't want it in the rest of the house.

This week I cleared out the kids playroom and created a space for myself to study in, as well as a spare room in preparation for any visitors we might have. It is a lovely space, with photographs of my kids and pieces of art I love. Today DS2 came home from school with a piece of paper glued to itself in the middle, a sculpture of a house he said, for my study. I felt so bad but a) there's nowhere to put it and b) he hasn't put any effort in. It's not coloured, it doesn't look like a house, it's still got the words on it from the workbook it was made out of. I said it couldn't come in.

So the kids decided to make me some art for my study so DS1 started by cutting out some bits of paper (not painted, not coloured) and stuck them together saying it was a flower. I said it cannot come into the study unless it is special, so he has painted it. I feel cruel, they are trying to do something nice for me but at the same time they are doing it half heartedly when I know they could do better.

Am I being too tiger mom about this, that I only want art they have put time and effort into displayed in the house? Does anyone else long for the day no more random pieces of paper are brought home and expected to be displayed for all eternity?