My confession...

[Traveller]

...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?

[HotI]

i have designated a wall in (DH's) shed to be the 'art' wall. my kids haven't even started kinder yet, but i know i don't want neverending 'art' pieces around so i am getting prepared.

[MLR1901]

I have seen collages made by scanning their art then creating a large photo out of them all. One or two from each year per child until they grow out of it.
At least then it's neat in a frame and still on display.

[Traveller]

that's what I tried to do, hence the garage wall and the kitchen being fair game. However I have now also had to designate a corner of my study for art and I know it's only a matter of time before they try to expand on that. I don't want to be mean, I love my kids, but I hate the drawings and cuttings that are not real art.

[Amity]

I re-use it for wrapping paper :blush:

[nothing2lose]

Box construction. I HATE box construction!!

Other people's recycling rubbish turned into art which cannot, under any circumstances, be thrown out

Sadly, DD loves it and we have 443456656788 home made horse stables, dog kennels, Barbie cars, etc.

[Nai]

I try to throw my kids stuff int he recycle bin and DD1 goes and gets it out asking how it got in there It has to be really special for me to keep it. Often I say I am taking it to work and I will put it on my wall there for a few weeks and then bin it to make room for the next one.

[Chrispe]

Traveller I know what you mean!
I can tell the difference when they put the effort in or when they just throw it together. I've started buying a scrapbook album for them to store the random stuff in and the nice stuff goes on the fridge.

Lol my kids have given up on box construction for a while as DS2 the 2yo loves to 'de-construct' what ever they bring home.

[nothing2lose]

I try to throw my kids stuff int he recycle bin and DD1 goes and gets it out asking how it got in there It has to be really special for me to keep it. Often I say I am taking it to work and I will put it on my wall there for a few weeks and then bin it to make room for the next one.

But then they go into your office and it's not there and they ask where it is

Dd cannot remember to put her socks on five minutes after I ask her but she can remember a loo roll she covered in glitter and tinsel five years later. I am resigned to my house looking like an episode of Hoarders. God forbid someone lights a match

[~clover~]

I usually leave mine on the bench/table for a few days, then bin it when noone's around. I love seeing the new bits & pieces they bring home, there's way too much to keep it all. Some of it will go on the fridge, but if it falls, it lands in the bin

Mum did the scrap book thing for us, & I started for DD1. But never actually got it together enough to fill it.

[LimeSlice]

I can bring myself to throw 99% of it out... I have a giant plastic tub on the top of the wardrobe that houses all the artwork (most of it!! LOL) that isn't displayable. The rest is on the fridge, the super special stuff is on the walls around my desk.

[Trillian]

We have a small pinboard in the office where some of the better stuff goes and some stuff goes on the fridge. I used to keep all of it, but quickly realised that I would end up with boxes of the stuff. Plus once they got to preschool, they give you a gorgeous little portfolio of all their best work to keep, which is much nicer, so I didn't worry about keeping anything after that. Same with school - each year they get a portfolio of all their worksamples (basically work they have been assessed on) and I know it's their best work so I'm cool with that. Although by the time they all finish preschool and primary school I will have 35 folders LOL, but they are only the plastic display folders anyway, not great big binder folders so it's not too bad. Mostly now I wait until they have had a chance to show DH and then bin it.

Trav, I don't think you're being mean for wanting them to give you a particular standard of work either. I think it will teach them to take pride in their work and to always put their best effort in instead of doing it half heartedly and hoping that it will do.

[RhiChiChi]

I can't stand to keep everything DD makes between kinder, creche & home.I had most of it in a cupboard in the hallway but I was having trouble closing the cupboard so in my nesting frenzy took it all out and told DD to pick her favourties, stuck it in a scrap book & the rest went in the recycling. At times I stick things on the fridge then it was going in the cupboard but I now (when DD is not home) put it in the recycling bin

[AnyDream]

I have a cork board in the hallway next to the kitchen where selected work gets displayed. Other (nice) pieces are stored in a lidded box on top of her cupboard. These 2 actions exonerate me from all the other instant art recycling that I do. LOL. But she's a bit of an artist so it often looks really good.

[Astrid]

I feel the same way Trav (BTW there is a good article on The Hoopla about kids and artwork)

I did start with using it for wrapping paper, but sadly most of it these days is too small and seems to have sticks or sand glued to it. So I have stopped. I now use a lot of it to start fires with The better stuff goes on the fridge for awhile and if it is quite good, a photo and posted to FB.

[Rouge]

Photograph it. Get yourself a digital photo frame and turn it on when they want to admire their works.

[Jennifer13]

Sadly, DD loves it and we have 443456656788 home made horse stables, dog kennels, Barbie cars, etc.

Oh, I hear you, sista!

We have a 'keeping box' for art and the rest gets thrown. She gets to choose which ones go in the box. Periodically, the box gets sorted and lots of drawings get posted to friends and relatives.

Only the best go up on the playroom wall.

[Arcadia]

I have a box in the shed full of artwork, but 50% gets recycled either into new artwork or recycle bin.

I want to make a scrapbook soon.