to throw most of DD's 'art' in the bin?

[SlightlyJaded]

Hello - am new here...
DD is 4 and in her first year of 'big school'. Most days she bounces out of class with her schoolbag bulging with 'things' for me to look at. I love her dearly and am very happy to look at all the things she has done but most of it is rubbish very basic. I do keep many of the lovely paintings she does and have even bought one of those big art folder thingies for them all, and we have framed some of her pics and hung them in the kitchen, but most of what she brings home is stuff she has done in 'free time' (rather than as part of class) and consists of things like un-decorated soap powder boxes with a kitchen roll tube attached with masking tape.... Having admired them once, I have started to chuck these things out as there just isn't and room (or reason?) in my opinion. DH says I am mean and would keep every last tissue she blew her nose on given half a chance. Any thoughts?

[SeaTrek]

YANBU! Of course not!
Most of my son's stuff gets recycled asap. I have kept a few key pieces over the years but, really, what is the point in keeping it all?!

[nigglewiggle]

Yes YABU, you should recycle them .

[ByTheSea]

YANBU. Just don't let her see you do it.

[SlightlyJaded]

Actually, I do recycle it all - but even that is tricky as DD is 'in charge' of paper/card recycle box, so I have to dismantle 'sculptures' so that they are unrecognisable as her art...

[PlumBumMum]

No your not mean, I felt this way too, but believe me I'm on dc3 and you can't keep everything,
My dcs have a folder each, and I try to keep the really special things/ something for every year.

I do have a folder of stories I wrote when I was 6 and they are very good and funny, I had one called my best friend and I am going photocopy it and gave it too her as she is still my best friend now

[meatntattypie]

ok, heres what you do:

wait till night time, you MUST do it under cover of night...

take out some choice peices, put those onto the fridge applying a magnet.

sneek out,
get dp/dh to check that the coast is clear
tip toe comando style to the recycle bins.,
open bin q u i e t l y...
then
gently place "art" in bin.

cover over with previous waste so that you will never ever be discovered.

sneek back into the house.

make a pact that you never tell her and never discuss it again.

[Cretaceous]

What a precious little princess she would truly be if you kept every scrap of her art...

... unless, of course, you think she might be a future Damien Hurst. In which case, her scribblings might appreciate in value and contribute towards your pension.

[foureleven]

I do the same. I only keep the bits that are 'milestones' for example the first person she drew with arms and legs etc in the right place (I date them and eithe rdisplay or put somewhere safe)As well as things shes made or drawn for an occassion like my birthday or mothers day.

You cant keep every bit of old tat and not sure it would do a blossoming ego any good to have every item she produced worshipped and displayed!! Nope, a simple 'thats nice darling, well done' and in the bin after ed time will suffice

[foureleven]

bed time

[KurriKurri]

No you're not mean, if you kept everything they'd make a channel five documentary about you 'when houses get filled with paper'.

I saved the best and kept them in folders as you do, and my now grown up children occasionally look at them and laugh. Your DD will not want to look at her every scribbling when she is older, but will be pleased you kept a few.

[gdizz]

YANBU.
OMG we'd be awash in glitter-strewn cereal boxes and loo rolls if I kept it all!
At ours, it lasts as long as the blue tack holding it to the wall does and is then quietly secreted in to the recycling bin.
You are doing a lovely job at celebrating her artistic feats (big art folder thingy = MUCH nicer than blue tack) so give yourself a break!

[Goingspare]

Keep a few representative pieces for posterity and quietly ditch the rest. My daughters churn out 'art' on an industrial scale at home; we'd have to build a gallery to accommodate a fraction of it.

[overmydeadbody]

of course YANBU


Just keep a few peices.


Follow meatntatty's instructions.

[overmydeadbody]

I bin half the stuff DS makes at school before we even get home. He has never noticed or cared and bins quite a bit of it himself.

[lotster]

I feel your pain. Today I got a cardboard tube with some yellow paint splattered on one side.

My motto is "keep the best, recycle the rest"!

Not when my husband's around though, he thinks it's cruel!!

[Macforme]

LOL I have four children... two of whom have done Btec Art at GSCE... mahoosive quantities of some pretty nice stuff..
But even now I only keep a couple of bits. Mine are old enough to keep their own work if they wish but when they were little I 'sent it to Granny' (aka recycle box!) They never noticed that Granny's walls weren't actually papered in their artwork...

I think saving stuff for a week and then disposing is fine..just keep 'firsts'

[hocuspontas]

Remind yourself that you are not throwing it in the bin but filing it in a special place...

[SlightlyJaded]

Whew thank you! Was starting to wonder if I was being a bit cold. Also have DS - 3 so no way we could accomodate everything but DD in particular is the maker of many things. It's just so hard when you have been told that the cereal box with a bit of tin foil stuck to it is actually a 'fairy computer'... Actually mentioned it to my mum tonight who reminded me that my dad used to regulary come home from the antique shop where he was a cabinet maker with 20p for me because some rich man who was spending ten-squillion quid on an antique dresser had taken a shine to one of my paintings and had 'bought it'... I suddenly remembered that alot of my school pics were 'sold' in that shop and I never gave a monkeys - just wanted the 20p!! Feel much less guilty now, thank you!

[lotster]

Slightlyjaded, that was imaginative of your folks!!