(heavy sigh of appreciation) Ok, I guess I can accommodate just one more. In fact, in this season of Thanksgiving, maybe I can even be thankful?
You know what a hand turkey is right?
Most children at some point in their lives will put their pudgy little hands on a piece of paper and then, with the precision of a garden hose in the hands of a 3 year old, will proceed to “trace” (I use the term loosely) their precious fingers and palm.
This is followed by carefully cutting it out (made more difficult by the use of children’s scissors that don’t actually cut), coloring with abandon, drawing a cute little turkey face, gluing it on an over-sized popsicle stick and Voila! Hand turkey.
I have 17 of these little gems. Not sure why I have so many, but I do have three children. And between numerous years of preschool, scouts, Sunday school and kindergarten, I have managed to amass quite a collection.
How about you? Do you have piles of drawings with your child’s name written in paint so large that by the time they get to the last couple of letters, there is no more room? I guess they figure we will know who they are.
How about drawers full of handmade dinosaurs, princesses and mugs? Do you have walls bursting with macaroni-decorated picture frames and shelves displaying carefully thought-out pipe cleaner creations?
I myself am the proud curator of a collection that includes a clay snowman with a head that falls off and rolls into the sink, each time I attempt to dust it. You think I’m getting rid of that guy? Think again.
I get it. Each one is a treasure.
Who can get rid of any of it? With each addition to the collection we are a jumble of emotions. On the one hand, how can we deny our little Rembrandts another piece of the kitchen wall for their self portraits? On the other hand, do we really need 12 of them?
Well art lovers, here’s the good and also sad news.
One day, all this will stop. The daily gifts of wall hangings and mementos will end. The stacks of crumpled newsprint paper paintings that you have no place for, will be a thing of the past.
You will breathe a sigh of relief and a wistful acceptance of the move to a new phase. But until you get there, here are a few tips to maintain sanity and keep your home from being taken over by these masterpieces.
Coach Me Quick Tips for the Art Enthusiast:
1. Take the time to frame a few pieces of art by each child and display them in your home.
Just about anything looks great in a frame.
2. Invest in a bin that fits under the bed for each child.
It should be able to fit flat pieces of art and the 3-dimensional creations that come home.
3. When your child is about 16 or 17, go through his or her bin with them.
Ask them to point out the art that they remember or has meaning for them. Decide which pieces to get rid of at that point and be sure to take a sampling from each “period” of your artist’s career.
4. When your child brings a piece of artwork home, Ask them to “tell you about it.”
They are expressing something and this is the best way they have, to do that. You are their best audience.
5. Remember to enjoy the time now, knowing that this will end and something new will take its place.
Keeping yourself organized and feeling like you are not being run over with “stuff,” will help you to enjoy the creativity young children bring.
Joyfully curating,
Jamee
Photo by bschmove 