As I strolled to my 3-year-old daughter Mia’s preschool today, I was directed to a cubby overflowing with her artistic creations. I tried hard not to roll my eyes at the teacher, who stood beaming with pride over the collection of colorful scribbles and paint splatters. I managed a smile, concealing my true feelings, and took the pile to my car, where I promptly disposed of it in the trash bin.
Am I a terrible parent? Not at all—just a realistic one.
Teachers seem to send home every single piece of paper my child touches with a crayon, as if to showcase the valuable time spent on “art.” I often feel like saying, “Listen, I appreciate your efforts, but I send my child to you for three hours of precious alone time. They could be staging a wrestling match on the playground for all I care, as long as I can sneak in a workout and grocery run without interruptions.” Honestly, I find it hard to see any real artistry in most of it. What even is this mess?
Or take this one titled: Mia’s Egg Painting… Is it meant to resemble an egg? Was it created using an egg? Is there any actual egg involved here? And then there’s the artwork where the teachers “assist.” Just look at this—there’s no way my little Mia, who can barely wield scissors, cut out these stars and taped them together. Last time she got hold of tape, it took me half an hour to unstick it from her hair!
Now, I’m no prude, but do we really need a rocket ship that resembles a certain anatomy part displayed on the fridge?
I’ve kept a small box of creations from each of my kids—just enough to appear as the proud parent when A&E comes calling for background shots in a future biopic about my little genius—or future troublemaker. I do cherish the Christmas ornaments with their tiny faces and the handprint crafts they make for Mother’s Day, but the rest? Straight to the trash. Little Mia certainly doesn’t care. I held up one of her paint splotches the other day and asked, “What is this art you made for Mommy?” She glanced at me while playing with her toy cars, shrugged, and went back to crashing them together. So yeah, that one isn’t exactly a masterpiece worth saving.
Now that my son Max is older, I’ve learned to handle his feelings a bit more carefully. Thankfully, his artwork has become easier to identify. I flip through it, offering the right amount of praise, before stashing it away in a cabinet until it’s forgotten. Eventually, that cabinet resembles an episode of a hoarding show, and I discreetly dispose of the contents while he’s at school.
A few times, he’s spotted his art in the trash and burst into tears. I’ve had to sit him down and explain, “Max, you are a fantastic artist, but I simply can’t keep everything you create. You need to evaluate your work and decide if it’s truly your best. If it is, I’ll display it; if not, it needs to go so you can focus on creating something new.” He thinks it over and usually agrees that it’s not his best work, tossing the picture away. (Score one for Mommy!)
To show him that I value his best pieces, I’ve created an “art wall” in our home to showcase their most impressive creations. We’re currently interpreting “impressive” rather broadly with Max, so as not to overwhelm his future therapist with too much material.
Remember, while your little Picassos may seem brilliant now, in 15 years, you’ll likely wonder what on earth that artwork was and why it’s still cluttering your home!
If you want to dive deeper into the topic of kids’ artwork, check out this insightful post on modern family blog.
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Summary
The struggle with endless kids’ artwork is a common plight for parents. While it’s important to appreciate their creativity, it’s equally vital to manage the sheer volume of art they produce. Balancing encouragement with practicality can help maintain a clutter-free home while celebrating your child’s best work.
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