Since moving into our home 2 years ago, I've been using the same system for papers. It's simple and has really helped to keep the school papers from taking over.
We currently have three children in school: 2nd grade, 1st grade, and preschool. This may not work for all ages or all kids, but I'm confident parts of our system will work for just about everyone.
First, the basics:
It's important to teach your children that it's not necessarily what they do, but what they learn in the process that matters. Which is why it is not necessary to keep everything. The product isn't what is important, the lesson is.
One way to reinforce this is to ask your children what they learned at school each day. Ask if something exciting happened, something silly, or ask about a specific class. Look at their papers and ask them to tell you more about the lesson.
I set aside time to talk to each kid individually about their day after they get home. My husband asks them about one thing they learned at school. The important thing is to focus on the experiences and things they learned, rather than actual school papers, projects, artwork, etc. This makes it easier to let those things go.
How we keep school papers from taking over:
- Tackle it right away, as soon as possible. Don't shove into a drawer.
- Empty backpacks right away. In the car line (if you drive) or when they walk in the door.
- Take a picture of important school papers and email to yourself, with subject line naming the document.
- Actually read it, then sort/toss.
Give praise for good work, ask questions, talk about what they learned. Show interest!
- Give kids ownership of your home, display work they are proud of, and replace often with new work.
I use clipboards, bulletin boards, or frame some artwork and hang it. Clothesline and clothespins are cute too. You can also take pictures of their artwork to save or print at a later date.
- Keep important items nearby.
I have a clipboard for each kid at our command center, collect items, and sort regularly. - Try to limit what you save to only the best work or favorites. Only things you'd want to look back on 10 years or so from now.
- Get your kids involved in what gets saved and ask them their favorites. Some kids may want to save almost everything. Don't be afraid to challenge them and ask why they need to save something. You might be surprised on how willing they are to let things go!
- Go through your saved items regularly, then sort out items for storage or recycling.
My Command Center:
To stay organized, I like having one dedicated supply station. I call this is my command center, it was made only with things I had on hand. It's not perfect or pinteresty, but it works!
Each kid has a clipboard which holds important papers: homework, extra worksheets, important papers, rules/procedures, login info for school. I try to sort through those monthly.
The bottom two drawers of this old dresser are for papers: one for school/art work and another for important papers. I add things to the drawer as I want to save them, then sort regularly into the recycling, storage, or our office.
To create a command center of your own, think of what you will need it for. I wanted storage and this dresser fit perfectly. We NEED a family calendar where everyone can see it. The bulletin board is for papers that hang around longer (school lunch calendar, etc). Having one place where everything goes helps everyone in the house to know where to find supplies they may need.
Some important things to remember when sorting:
- Recycle when you can.
- Keeping things won't keep them little.
- Be honest with your kids, tell them why.
It's more fun to draw than to look at a drawing.
- If you want to save some holiday artwork, it can go into holiday bins.
Write down name, date, age on the papers. - Hang the best items, then mail to grandparents or friends when ready to replace.
A facebook reader mentioned this and I thought it was SO GOOD! - There are so many creative ideas out there for preserving artwork and school papers. Photo books, flash drives, email addresses, large file systems, scrapbooks. BUT, if any of this stresses you out of will be daunting, it's not worth the hardship.
- Ask yourself if this was you, would you want a box of your work 10 years from now? 30 years? 50?
At the heart of it, we are discussing paper.
Paper is meant to record items and not all paper should be saved. Memories shouldn't cause stress.
Let things go and move forward. 🙂
Anthea musegula
When my children were younger I used to stick their artwork on the wall going up the stairs to our flat. We called it the art gallery. Every now and again I would take photos of all the art. When it got tatty it would be replaced by a more recent piece of art.
Susan
One thing to consider for older kids--it may be necessary to keep all of the papers for a grading period in order to confirm the proper grade is recorded. We have had to send papers back to teachers to dispute a grade that was recorded incorrectly . Once the report card comes home and the grade is correct, then we purge the papers we don't want to keep.
Ann Marie Heasley
Oh wow, thank goodness you saved them! Thank you for commenting, I didn't even think of this.
Melissa L Warner
Also as a homeschool mom, I save my daughter's school paperwork as a record that we have actually logged the appropriate hours of school work per day required by the state. To my knowledge, none of the homeschool families in my community have ever been audited, but it was recommended to me that I hang on to proof of our school hours. I also write in a school planner everything we do each day as a record.
Amy
Yep, I do this too. I keep them in a small box and then empty at the end of each quarter once we've received the report card.
Melissa L Warner
I enjoyed your post. I am a paper hog. I love paper and find it very hard to toss my 2 children's work or even a magazine article that I already read but found worthy of a second look someday. Paper can be an addiction. I get this addiction from my dad. He is just short of being a paper hoarder.
My kids are 2 and 4. I decided a while back that, although I couldn't bring my heart to toss too many of their coloring pages, I could mail them to other people. So, every time we send a birthday card, Christmas card, get well card, or just a note to say "hi" I put a piece of artwork in the envelope. I write the child's name on the papers as I collect them. I have a drawer in my office just for art work that will be mailed to someone else. It's funny how many people have responded to say they loved hanging my daughters' artwork on their fridge because they no longer have small kids to make pictures for them.
Ann Marie Heasley
I love this idea, Melissa! I'm going to have to try this. Thanks for sharing!
Laetitia Gerald
Great organizational ideas! I wish I had stuck with some form of organization when my children started pre-school. I think I have every piece of paper my first born ever brought home. He is a High school senior now. I kept almost as much for my second son. My youngest son will toss papers in the recycle all of the time saying "I don't need it mom". Now we are planning to relocate and I have tons of papers to sift thru I can't take it all with me. I think I will take pictures of the art work & have books printed. I like that idea.
Cindy Magee
Love the idea of using the clipboards for each kids' papers. i have a 2nd, 1st, and preK too and the paper is already starting to take over! Glad to have read this article. 🙂
Sharon
Great post! Simplifying makes for a happier home!
Addie
Each kid (we have 4) has a box and any time they get/make something special it goes in the box to keep - special birthday cards, or an art project, or a picture in the newspaper... only the ones that I feel like they will want when they are older or to show their own kids goes in the box.... that way, when they are older, I don't have to figure whose is whose and it takes up so much less space and the papers don't stay on the counter (they usually go in the trash)
(got the boxes at hobby lobby and michaels, each one is different and easily recognizable, most of them around about 11x14 so they can easily fit notebook sized papers without folding)