Q: How Much of My Child's Artwork Should I Save?

Most kids love art. Some love to draw or paint and if they are really passionate they can produce piles of artwork, even in a single sitting! So how much of it do you save? The answer is different for everyone, but having clear boundaries is important. We've worked with parents of both extremes, those who have never thrown anything their child has drawn on away, and those who have regrettably tossed it all. It can be important to you and to your child to save some of their history. If they like to draw and paint, then saving some of the artwork through the years is a good idea. However, it's also important to remember that if you keep too much, you can't find what's truly important. So don't overwhelm yourself by saving every little item. Personally, I like to save a file folder for each child in each grade. I put important papers in them as they come in and then whittle it down at the end of the year only saving a sampling of what was done during that year. Some of the best and some of the worst (which is sometimes even more fun to look back on!) There's also that oversized art paper that comes home and can't fit in any file--grrr. I keep an underbed size plastic box for the larger artwork, and someday I would like to incorporate all of the artwork into one of those beautiful art books from Artimus or another that I've written about TheLittlestAuthor. You ship the artwork to them and they create beautiful, high quality books. These books are a great way to keep the work out and visible in an organized way.