Is it cruel to throw DCs 'artwork' away when having a clear up?

[mummymafia]

I'm having a good sort out of all the crafty/activity/make & do stuff at home as it is starting to take over. DS1 loves drawing & we have tons of drawings, paintings & stencils. Whilst I love them & want to encourage creativity, I can't stand keeping it all! Is it awful to chuck some of it out? His younger brother once found some in the recycling bin & was horrified - I had to LIE my way out of that one! I have put some in the wood burner so it isn't spotted but that makes me feel even worse! DSs = 6 & 9. Thoughts?

Of course it's not awful! YOu'd end up completely drowning in the stuff if you didn't have a 'filter' every now and then.

I do, I keep certain pictures that they are particularly proud of but the rest get put in the bin while they are at school.

God, NO! Throw it away! Yes keep a few to look back on but you can't possibly keep all of it.

If you must keep it, then put it in a scrap book or something.

No, take pictures of them and make up a photo album if you feel bad...

We photograph it all and make photobooks each year - take pic of them in uniform on first day of each year, pics of artwork and anything special through the year and put it all together when snapfish/photobox have a sale on little photo books.

Good god no! DD is so prolific that we'd be drowning in her artwork if I didn't regularly chuck most out (she's 6).

Special pieces get displayed for a while and I have a box where I keep a few things...

Yes just take photos of them.

I put the ones I like the most into frames and hang on the playroom wall and in his room but that's my weird thing. Photos are the way to go.

I know that guilt! Dd produces soooo much art work. I felt guilty about chucking away immediately so I now have a new 'system' it gets tucked beside our paperwork tidy folder thingy. If she hasn't asked for it or referred to it for a week or so it goes in the bin. I keep a selection of her best work in a folder and display some of the really nice pieces in the kitchen mounted on card (sad I know!) But it works for us. Yes dd once caught me chucking out something she had produced and was upset so the chucking out bit has to be done covertly!

At our house you can choose to display as much as you like on a particular cupboard door. You can choose to archive the Very Best Specialest Things Ever. You can choose to have things photographed and emailed to the adoring grandparents (including Lego/Brio constructions).

I'd say 99% of their artwork has now been recycled.

I'm loving the box, photos, photobook ideas. Have a box now with bits in & always have certificates & some artwork on one kitchen door. Also going to put bit up on their bedroom doors. Just like to have a little tiny corner of the house as a grown up area. I did frame some good stuff in cheapy ikea frames but DS1 took them to school to 'show & tell' & they got lost! Typical for the ones you want to keep! And we already do scrap booking on raining days. x

I kept a few of each of our dcs pictures and put them in their keepsake boxes along with a couple of their early school exercise books.
They have things in this box from birth right up to 21 birthday cards.
I still have ds1 box as he is renovating his first house and storage isn't complete yet

DS is only 2 but already quite prolific. I try to make things out of his scribbles artwork - chop them up for cards for grandparents etc. But Somewhere I absolutely LOVE your photobook idea. I'm stealing that one!