I am the semi-neurotic mother of three kids, ages 18, 8 and 5. My oldest is off to college and my youngest just started school. I’ve been the single mom, divorced mom, married mom, young mom, old mom, career mom, and attends school-at-night mom. I’ve worked in the IT world for almost two decades, but still shy from programming cell phones. I have no free time, but when I do…I write or read or plan our next vacation or holler at whomever to give me some PEACE AND QUIET.
Art
No, not our plumber, art as in ‘artwork’. I’m sooooo glad my children are mini-Salvador Dalis, but I have had it up to HERE with their art in every crevice, nook and surface of our home. We have a collection of crayons that would astound the entire Crayola corporation (yet, not one black crayon). There’s paint on our ceiling, construction paper (orange or green) stuffed in the cabinets, dried up clay where my cookbooks used to be, and used glue sticks scattered in every drawer. My kids’ artwork is sucked up into the vacuum at the car wash, it’s balled up with the remains of a lunch in backpacks, put into books as bookmarks, and even sometimes used as emergency-tissues. The up-to-snuff artwork is affixed to our fridge with 8.35 billion magnets. When my teenager opens the fridge (8.35 billion times a day) artwork falls to the floor like a tickertape parade.
Every day they bring home even more of the stuff. You name it, my kids have colored, painted or glued macaroni on it. Hell, even the dog was painted and glittered once.
I do what any reasonable parent would do; I toss it! I’m not completely heartless, I first investigate each item to make sure it’s not babybook-worthy, or it isn’t a form that I was supposed to return to school eight weeks ago. After a cursory (might I add ‘perfected’ after years of art reviews) glance, 98% of my little Georgia O’Keefes’ output gets put into the recycle bin. Well, not just in the recycling bin; I take great care to bury it under at least two weeks of newspapers, inside an unmarked paper bag with food stains on it, or take it directly to the curb and hope to God it’s recycle day.
You can imagine my surprise when we arrive home the other day, and entering the house via the garage I hear a pained cry from my youngest:
“MOMMMMAAAA!!!!!! I MADE THAT FOR YOU…and YOU (finger pointed accusingly at me, face turned red) THREW IT AWAY!!!!”
I had to retrieve the smelly artwork from bin, and put it with everything else on the fridge. That sacred piece of paper with the letter ‘M’ on it is still on the fridge today. It fell to the floor when I made dinner, but I quickly put it back up before anyone noticed. Only 3 more days until trash day!
Art.
I have this problem with only one child but everyday she comes home with a piece of artwork that her father deems magical and that it should not be thrown out. So I came up with a solution. I painted one wall in my kitchen white. I put confetti like circles and squares and other shapes in fun paint and that is the only place artwork can go. When it’s full we have to take stuff down. I put it in a drawer until she forgets about it (and a cooling off period for me) and then I throw it out.
Comment by BrightMommy — January 7, 2009 @ 4:13 pmAnother very cool suggestion I am going to start doing it take a digital picture of the art work. After you upload it and make sure it looks good and realistic you can pitch it, but then use an online photo album maker and make a picture book or your kids artwork. Truly an awesome coffee table book to be proud of!!
=) Diana