Busted

Yesterday I was busted throwing away some of the 7 year old’s art work. I was busted by the 7 year old herself, who found her prized project in the garbage can. She was not amused, and I was not a little perplexed.

I was a lot perplexed. This is the same child who cannot find the jacket right in front of her, or the sock or the mitten. How is it that she can ferret out the one piece of artwork that her mother has secreted away inside the garbage can?

But she did. And I am now officially in trouble. Here’s the thing: I love her artwork. Her sister’s too. They are prolific artists. Their artwork is all over this place. But the line must be drawn somewhere or else we drown, in a sea of Crayola and Mod Podge. So for years I’ve been throwing art away on the sly. There are 2 things I do that make this terrible act better.

1)    I save the really great projects. Recently, one magazine suggested that you get a big, square, cardboard box. Roll up the artwork in scrolls and stand them up in the box. You can store 12 to 15 scrolls per box, with the top left off. It’s like a crate of wine only it’s a crate of kid creativity. Label it with the year, and you’re all set.

 

2)   I take photographs of the rest (well, some of the rest). This way we have a record of the piece (on the computer hard drive) but no paper to manage.  

The photograph approach is a tougher sell. The 7 year old doesn’t really believe a photograph of the project is as good as the real thing. It’s like trying to convince her that a dollar bill is as good as 100 pennies. She is skeptical and eyes me like I’m trying to get one past her. Who can blame her? I am the same woman who tried to smuggle a dozen art projects past her in the guise of garbage.

But I am unrepentant. Most mothers I know do this sort of thing regularly. I knew one gal who swept through the house each week throwing random toys and clutter in a giant bag. She would keep the bag in the basement for several weeks, waiting to see if her kids asked for any of the missing items. If they didn’t, the bag went to Goodwill. Think of it like a Master Cleanse for your house. The process is painful but the result is worth it.    

Here’s to keeping chaos at bay, guru girls and guys. Just don’t let the children see you do it!