Mommy tip: Hang your kids art

As a parent, and as your kids get older, one thing you will notice is how much STUFF your kids brings home from school, camp, etc. And a large portion of the STUFF, is their precious, hand made art. But over time, it piles up and just becomes clutter and that is sad.

Let's face it, some of it is just better than others. And reality is, you just can't keep it all. Even thought it was made by your precious angel, and they certainly treasure each one as if it were their greatest masterpiece (especially after they spot their beloved creations stuffed in the trashcan), there is no way to keep every. single. piece.

So how do you deal with it all?

Step  1. Be selective. Pick out the stuff they worked hard on and that you want to preserve for antiquities. If its something cute that you feel the need to keep, but it might not be frame worthy, stick it in a file, an expanding file folder works great to keep for each child. Be sure to note the year on the back of each one.

Step 2. Trash it. Wait until they aren't home to toss the rest.  Make sure you either take out the trash before they get home, or it's stuffed way down at the bottom. I know this sounds cruel, but it comes from a place of love :)

Step 3. HANG IT! Take the best of the best, buy cheap frames and frame that stuff! A great way to display it all, is to consolidate it on one gallery wall. The best part, is that you can keep adding to it. Other great places to hang kid creations is in their bathrooms, bedrooms and hallways near their bedrooms. My son did an awesome drawing of a dinosaur in a bathtub, its perfect right outside their shared bathroom. I couldn't have purchased a better piece if I tried.

I get tons of compliments for my kids art gallery wall. It makes my home even more eclectic than it already is, plus my kids get to feel a sense of pride every time they walk by. 

To homework or not to homework

Should children be assigned homework? Most people instantly would say "yes, of course." But there are differing opinions on how beneficial this is to children. The arguments against homework, are that it causes lots of stress, takes up family time and time for other activities. I have two school age children, a son who has nightly homework and a daughter who does not. I am experiencing the benefits and issues with both theories first hand.

My daughter, or the lucky one, is in a Montessori school, where they believe that work should be done at school. We are "encouraged" to continue working at home and helping them research topics they are interested in, but let's be honest - if it ain't assigned, I ain't gonna do it. I work under pressure, that's how I roll. I have to admit, I love the freedom of not having assigned work to do. She has plenty of time for ballet, cooking, yoga and tumbling too. It's nice to read a book with her for fun, not because someone told us to read it.

My son, a first grader, is experiencing homework for the first time now that he is enrolled in a traditional school. As challenging as this activity can be (focusing is not his strong suit), I am finding that I actually enjoy helping him learn and being a part of his education. He also craves lots of one-on-one attention, which this is providing. I like that it is given out on Monday and due on Friday. This gives us the week to get it done, so if we have a busy night (or he just cant get it done), we can make it up the next day. Flexibility is a word I love.

I will admit that I have taken the easy way out with my daughter. I honestly have no idea what math she is learning or any of her spelling words. Another reason I haven't gotten into working with her at home, is Montessori itself. I am unfamiliar with the different methods and lessons. I have seen the teaching materials used in demonstration, and was quite jealous that I did not get to learn this way, but overall I have no clue how it works. I know there are still so many things we could be working on, like working with money, telling time, and many, many other life skills. Her teacher suggested "practical life" homework. These are things like repotting a houseplant, helping with the dishes, donating clothes to charity. When I think about it, we call could have been exposed to more "practical" life experience before getting out there in the real world.

For now, one month into the new school year, I am leaning towards agreeing with the concept that kids should have homework. And I also feel we should spend more time fostering independence in kids. It's time for me to incorporate a balance of both traditional school work and practical life with BOTH my children. That makes us all the lucky ones.