Put an End to Artwork Madness (as seen on CBS)

Last week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Erika VonTiehl from CBS3 where we talked about one of the most dreaded topics for parents of young children: “What do I do with all of their Artwork”?

One of my clients and good friend, Katie Welykoridko, graciously invited me (along with a news crew!) into her home where she and her 3 adorable kids Ainsley (11), Baird (9) and Maddie (5) talked about their routines before and after working with yours truly.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider these 3 tips:

1. Be Selective.  You don’t need to keep every piece of paper your child brings home, otherwise your home will be overrun with artwork before you know it. Selecting a few key pieces that reflect your child carry a greater value than holding onto a thousand pieces of paper with scribbles and cut outs.
2. Find a Storage System that works for you. Personally, I like binders for regular size pictures and then larger memorabilia boxes to store oversized items.  I slide each piece into a protective sheet to avoid having to hole punch each picture. It also keeps everything from getting damaged. Also, make sure that all pictures have dates and names on them!
3. Consider a paperless solution.  I love ArtKive App and wish that they had it when my kids were small.  Snap a photo of your child’s artwork with your smartphone and upload with the click of a button.  At the end of the school year you can print a book for yourself (it also makes for great gift for grandparents!) If you are too busy to do the work yourself, ArtKive is now  offering a concierge service that professional photographs and tags each picture for you!

Regardless of which option you choose, the most important message I can share is to get your kids involved in the process. Empowering them to make decisions will help them as they grow and mature.

Happy Organizing!