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:
- 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.
- 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!
- 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!