Kid’s Artwork: How’s It Hanging?
By Christa TerryNow that my daughter is getting older, I’m starting to understand the kid’s artwork conundrum. I remember when this NY Times article and this post in the San Francisco Chronicle’s Mommy Files attracted a lot of attention, both supportive and derisive, because the authors admitted to throwing out the majority of their kids’ artwork. Where do I stand? On the one hand, there’s a part of me that would like to save every little everything that La Paloma does so I have a perfect picture of her childhood. On the other hand, our house is only so big and like all kids, she tends to draw two lines on the paper before demanding a fresh piece.
If nothing else, it's the cheapest art around!
I think if you’re going to toss your precious creation’s precious creations – and I am not ashamed to admit I’ve recycled a few early masterpieces myself – why not highlight the best of the best of your kid’s artwork by actually framing it and then hanging it somewhere prominent in your home? Admittedly, it’s not a look that will please the aesthete in everyone, but parents tend to look at kid’s artwork through rosy glasses and if it happens that your little darling puts out a few pieces that coordinate with your decor, all the better!
What do you do with your kid’s artwork? Save it all? Snap digital pics and then stealth it out to the recycling bin? Or maybe save the best and toss the rest?
April 5th, 2011 at 7:38 am
We have his first finger painting on the front of our refrigerator. It’s actually very lovely and I’d like to have it framed and hang it in his new room when it’s done. And we designated one side of our refrigerator as “kid art corner” so it can be prominently displayed where most everyone will see it. I also have a manilla envelope that I keep some of the artwork in so we can look back at it and be dewy over days gone by in later years. I date just about everything on the back so we know when it was done. And my favorite thing is to use it as his personal “thank you” notes for gifts people give him for his birthday and Christmas. People love to get kid art in the mail.
April 7th, 2011 at 5:32 am
My oldest daughter is so prolific in her production that we cannot, cannot possibly save it all, though we have several paper bags full of her artwork in the (unfinished) basement. Every now and again we go through it together and she decides which half to keep.
I like the idea of framing some of the best of it — one of my best friends had a wall in their (finished) basement, where the family spent most of their time, on which she hung framed artwork from her boys. They got to see it all the time, but it wasn’t in the general guest-reception areas of the house on the first floor.
Our second has started generating artwork, now, too, and I don’t know what we’re going to do with it all.
April 11th, 2011 at 7:52 am
I don’t have kids myself but if you like the look there’s plenty of artwork on Etsy that looks like a kid made it lol!