I received this question on Facebook this week. You’ll find my response to her below. However, I told her there is a wealth of information from the thousands of moms (and some dads!) who hang out here in the blog world. What suggestions would you have for Karen?
Hi Jill,
I was wondering if you might be able to make a suggestion to help me. I am a stay at home mom of four great kids, ages 8, 10, 13 & 15. I have accumulated a ton of school papers, artwork, etc over the years, as well as my children’s school pictures, and am wondering what to do with them all. I was wondering what YOU do with your children’s items that you have chosen to keep. I am so overwhelmed and could use a suggestion or two. I don’t know if I should compile an individual scrapbook for each of the kids with all their items inside, or put everything chronographically. I am lost…please help!
Thanks so very much!
Karen
***************
Dear Karen,
This is an issue I think EVERY mom deals with!
I’ve kept ONE medium sized Rubbermaid container for each child. I let the kids keep one or two items from each year of school in their “Keepsake box.” This becomes their box that they take with them into adulthood and they can decide to do with it what they want. (Right now my three older married kids Keepsake Boxes are in our attic because they all live in small apartments and don’t have a place to keep them. But when they get their own house, they will get their keepsake box.)
For the most part, I have tossed all school papers, unless there’s a really special project that they’ve work on very hard…then that goes in their Keepsake box.
I know some moms who take pictures of their kid’s special craft projects and then discard them. Others send some artwork to grandma and grandpa if they live far away.
For pictures…oh my goodness, I’m just about where you are. It is overwhelming. As far as school pictures go, I am working to make a small chronological school picture scrapbook for each of them so we can see their growth and change through the years. I know you can also buy a mat that goes in a 16×20 frame that allows you to put all of their school pictures into one frame on the wall.
Here’s the key Karen, though. I can tell you that I’m throwing away alot of stuff! I’m keeping small memories from over the years and carrying a lighter load these days.
Simplifying is freeing!
Jill
Now here’s your opportunity to help Karen and every other mom out there. What are YOU doing with all of the school papers and artwork coming into your home?
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11 Comments
Chris
on October 21, 2010 at 12:12 pm
I found this a couple weeks ago. Now I am just waiting for a little extra $ to do it.
My friend Jill did the following project, and I did a much-less-fancy version for each of my boys, and it's working SO well for keeping some papers from each boy through the school year:
We do give some artwork to grandparents, and I save my favorite art (that won't fit in their folders) in a Rubbermaid container in the basement.
One of my FAVORITE things growing up was the wall of Christmas decorations my mom would put up…and it was all our homemade Christmas crafts that she saved over the years. I have enough saved to start this year with my own kids!
Cathy W. Indiana
on October 21, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Being a homeschool mom, I have a big 3 ring binder filled with top loading sheet protectors. In this I place important papers. It may be a piece of homework that was superior, a story or article they wrote, a picture they drew, or a brochure from an outing. Be sure a date is on their work. I keep them all in chronological order. You may want to add a page that signifies a new calendar year or a new school year.
Cathy W. Indiana
on October 21, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Being a homeschool mom, I have a big 3 ring binder filled with top loading sheet protectors. In this I place important papers. It may be a piece of homework that was superior, a story or article they wrote, a picture they drew, or a brochure from an outing. Be sure a date is on their work. I keep them all in chronological order. You may want to add a page that signifies a new calendar year or a new school year.
Simplify Your Life Organizing
on October 21, 2010 at 2:30 pm
I TAKE PICTURES OF MY KIDS FAVORITE OR BEST PROJECTS. You can't keep everything! Clutter is not worth the stress of keeping projects that get broken, torn, or stored in the attic. A picture of the project as well as a picture with your kid next to their project will last FOREVER (as long as your computer doesn't crash)!!! The school work . . . I save everything til the end of the year. Then at the end of the year I weed out everything that isn't special or worth saving. If there's a test or paper that they are proud of, I make a note of it by telling the story on the back of the paper OR write it on a post it note. I save them in a 3 ring binder by subject. I clean out their Friday folders & file them away right away or it becauses a mountain. Each child has their own 3 ring binder. This might be helpful with studing for tests if they need past worksheets. Not that organized? Each child gets a pretty linen lined basket. When it gets too full its time to purge! I hope this helps someone 🙂 I blog daily about these similar family issues 🙂 at http://www.SimplifyYourLifeOrganizing.com & at http://www.simplifyyourlifeorganizing.blogspot.com
Anonymous
on October 21, 2010 at 2:31 pm
I do most of what everyone is posting. I use binders for papers that will fit in it…then the other 'special' items in a rubbermaid tote.
Try scanning all of their precious artwork (you know that stuff you feel so guilty for throwing away…at least for the first child or two) and go to a website like snapfish.com and upload your jpeg's and have them print the art work in a bound book. There are places to add text that will print right on the pages. The kids will have a great keepsake to look back at all of their old masterpieces. I think the first book I made was around $20 and now they send me "deal" e-mails all the time for cheaper items.
Stacy Hastings, MI
Farmer's Wife
on October 21, 2010 at 3:19 pm
I bought a School Memories book through Current. It was around $15 and it goes from preschool through 12th grade. It gives a place for their school picture, and each page is a folder that you can put in some of their school work from that year and I put in the report cards as well. It asks specific questions about each school year. . and each year has a place for them to write or print their name. It simplifies everything down into one box. I love it!! http://www.currentcatalog.com/342494.html?AS=1&keyword=school+memories+album Hope this helps!
Anonymous
on October 21, 2010 at 5:54 pm
I have a "clothesline" attached to the wall in the playroom. When something new comes home, we hang it with tiny clothespins. When the line gets full of old creations, I take a picture of the wall, dispose of the old artwork (unless there is something I wish to place in a keepsake box or scrapbook) and then the line is ready to fill up again with new creations. By taking a picture, I can preserve the memories of the special event or masterpiece but I don't have to keep so many bulky papers.
bp
on October 21, 2010 at 6:55 pm
Great ideas, thanks for sharing these. It's a question I've had.
Karen
on October 23, 2010 at 3:30 am
I place my son's artwork and school papers in gallon Ziploc bags. At the end of the year, all papers, awards, and other memorabilia go into the backpack that he used all year long.
Anonymous
on October 31, 2010 at 4:16 am
I try and go through school papers and mail each week and dispose off unnecessary stuff then and there. At the end of each school year, I sort through the remaining stuff and separate out important art work, report cards and graded tests. I put these using sheet protectors into a binder. Each binder can hold up to 3 to 5 grades depending on how much you like to save. I have a photo book for class pictures and other pictures. I file away duplicate wallet pictures into a photo box. The 8 x10s are in the picture frames. When a new school picture comes home it goes into the frame right on top of the old ones. Hope this helps.
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I found this a couple weeks ago. Now I am just waiting for a little extra $ to do it.
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2009/07/school-years.html
Love this because it forces me to choose wisely, and the crates stack! Love it!!!
Its so hard finding the right solutions to these things, something different for everyone.
I do this to display artwork for a short time in our playroom:
http://heresthediehl.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/a-writing-follow-up/
My friend Jill did the following project, and I did a much-less-fancy version for each of my boys, and it's working SO well for keeping some papers from each boy through the school year:
http://www.haglerhappenings.com/2010/08/diy-containing-all-those-school-papers/
We do give some artwork to grandparents, and I save my favorite art (that won't fit in their folders) in a Rubbermaid container in the basement.
One of my FAVORITE things growing up was the wall of Christmas decorations my mom would put up…and it was all our homemade Christmas crafts that she saved over the years. I have enough saved to start this year with my own kids!
Being a homeschool mom, I have a big 3 ring binder filled with top loading sheet protectors. In this I place important papers. It may be a piece of homework that was superior, a story or article they wrote, a picture they drew, or a brochure from an outing. Be sure a date is on their work. I keep them all in chronological order. You may want to add a page that signifies a new calendar year or a new school year.
Being a homeschool mom, I have a big 3 ring binder filled with top loading sheet protectors. In this I place important papers. It may be a piece of homework that was superior, a story or article they wrote, a picture they drew, or a brochure from an outing. Be sure a date is on their work. I keep them all in chronological order. You may want to add a page that signifies a new calendar year or a new school year.
I TAKE PICTURES OF MY KIDS FAVORITE OR BEST PROJECTS. You can't keep everything! Clutter is not worth the stress of keeping projects that get broken, torn, or stored in the attic. A picture of the project as well as a picture with your kid next to their project will last FOREVER (as long as your computer doesn't crash)!!! The school work . . . I save everything til the end of the year. Then at the end of the year I weed out everything that isn't special or worth saving. If there's a test or paper that they are proud of, I make a note of it by telling the story on the back of the paper OR write it on a post it note. I save them in a 3 ring binder by subject. I clean out their Friday folders & file them away right away or it becauses a mountain. Each child has their own 3 ring binder. This might be helpful with studing for tests if they need past worksheets. Not that organized? Each child gets a pretty linen lined basket. When it gets too full its time to purge! I hope this helps someone 🙂 I blog daily about these similar family issues 🙂 at http://www.SimplifyYourLifeOrganizing.com & at http://www.simplifyyourlifeorganizing.blogspot.com
I do most of what everyone is posting. I use binders for papers that will fit in it…then the other 'special' items in a rubbermaid tote.
Try scanning all of their precious artwork (you know that stuff you feel so guilty for throwing away…at least for the first child or two) and go to a website like snapfish.com and upload your jpeg's and have them print the art work in a bound book. There are places to add text that will print right on the pages. The kids will have a great keepsake to look back at all of their old masterpieces. I think the first book I made was around $20 and now they send me "deal" e-mails all the time for cheaper items.
Stacy
Hastings, MI
I bought a School Memories book through Current. It was around $15 and it goes from preschool through 12th grade. It gives a place for their school picture, and each page is a folder that you can put in some of their school work from that year and I put in the report cards as well. It asks specific questions about each school year. . and each year has a place for them to write or print their name. It simplifies everything down into one box. I love it!! http://www.currentcatalog.com/342494.html?AS=1&keyword=school+memories+album Hope this helps!
I have a "clothesline" attached to the wall in the playroom. When something new comes home, we hang it with tiny clothespins. When the line gets full of old creations, I take a picture of the wall, dispose of the old artwork (unless there is something I wish to place in a keepsake box or scrapbook) and then the line is ready to fill up again with new creations. By taking a picture, I can preserve the memories of the special event or masterpiece but I don't have to keep so many bulky papers.
Great ideas, thanks for sharing these. It's a question I've had.
I place my son's artwork and school papers in gallon Ziploc bags. At the end of the year, all papers, awards, and other memorabilia go into the backpack that he used all year long.
I try and go through school papers and mail each week and dispose off unnecessary stuff then and there. At the end of each school year, I sort through the remaining stuff and separate out important art work, report cards and graded tests. I put these using sheet protectors into a binder. Each binder can hold up to 3 to 5 grades depending on how much you like to save. I have a photo book for class pictures and other pictures. I file away duplicate wallet pictures into a photo box. The 8 x10s are in the picture frames. When a new school picture comes home it goes into the frame right on top of the old ones. Hope this helps.