Dear Kids,
I want to take a moment to express my love for each of you. You’re aware of this, I hope, but it’s worth repeating. One of you, who shall remain nameless, seems to have outgrown the little game where I whisper “I love you so much” in your ear. Your eye rolls say it all! However, I will continue to share my affection with you countless times a day. This will never become tiresome for me. Trust me, one day, when you have children of your own, you’ll do the same.
Now, let’s shift gears and talk about something important. I cherish everything you create with those wonderfully creative (and often messy) hands of yours. However, as we gear up for another school year—with one of you starting preschool and the other embarking on the adventure of kindergarten—I must request that we tone down the volume of artwork you bring home. I use the term “artwork” broadly, encompassing your drawings, paintings, craft projects, and those random doodles on Post-It notes and scraps of paper. You know the ones, right? Those barely marked papers that seem blank but really have just a few tiny lines on them.
Why the need to scale back, you ask? Well, the truth is, our fridge, walls, and nearly every available space in our home simply cannot accommodate every piece of art you produce. We lack the room to showcase everything, from the family trees to the bunnies and glittery creations.
Now, I know this may sound harsh, but not every single thing you create can be kept. Just look at those almost invisible markings on some of your papers. And yes, I may have discreetly disposed of a few of your drawings the other day. (I prefer to call it recycling.) Our trash can often serves as the most frequently used filing cabinet!
I promise, you’ll thank me later for this. No one wants to be burdened with mountains of artwork that take up space. When you grow older and establish your own home, I can assure you, the last thing you’ll want is a stack of boxes filled with your childhood creations. I remember my own experience when my dear grandmother saved all my artwork, and later begged me to take it all back. It took up far too much room! While it was fun to reminisce, I had no idea what to do with all those dusty papers.
Of course, some pieces of your art will be treasured forever. So, how about we create a plan moving forward? I understand the thought of me discarding your hard work is upsetting. So, I won’t throw things away without your awareness anymore. If there’s something you want to keep, let’s set up a regular review. Perhaps we can do this monthly, or maybe even just twice a year. If you still want to save a piece after its display time is up, I can take a photo of it. We can store these digitally on my computer, a CD, or a thumb drive—maybe even on our cloud! This way, we can recycle the physical creation while still keeping a record of your art that won’t fade or develop an unpleasant smell over time. If you’d like to get creative with those pictures later, that would be wonderful!
What do you think? Can we agree on this?
I’m excited to see all of your future masterpieces, but let’s be real, I won’t be able to save them all.
With all my love,
Mom