Storing School Papers

When the school year started, I would save a piece of work here and there from the kids. I keep mostly all of the art projects, but the writing, math and other worksheets (not to mention all of the coloring book pages) seemed like overkill. After my husband mandated that we save everything until the school year is over, my files are literally busting at the seams.

My kindergartner could literally paper the whole house with all the worksheets she is bringing home this year. Math, writing, religion, etc. The list goes on and on. Initially, I was keeping the papers that had a lot of her hand writing, mostly so that we had a comparison from the first part of the school year to the last. My husband said, “you are saving all of her papers, right?”

This would be the part where I say “yes,” while inside I’m thinking “Do you know how many papers that is you crazy man! Where should I put them all? Do you want me to store them with your stuff? Do you want to go through them at the end of the year and determine what is worth keeping? I mean, this is kindergarten. We have a lot of years to go.”

Not to mention of three-year-old is in preschool and then make something just about every single class meeting, which is twice a week. Sometimes it is just stamps on a page, but since I was saving all of one kid’s papers, I figured why not save all of the other’s?

So, I bought a Fold N File organizer from Thirty-One (by the by, you can order through me or host a party–online or in person. It’s double hostess credit for another few weeks). I filled it with some hanging folders and started loading paper from both sides, one for one daughter, the back for the other. About Christmas time, the Fold N File started bowing. I’m afraid to put anything else in there. Most of the papers are now piled on top.

Fail!

Each girl has a memory box. Basically, it’s a 9-gallon Rubbermaid Tote with special items in it. I need to make a semester switch and get the old stuff out to make way for the second part of the year. The secret is that I’m just too lazy. In fact, I’d apparently write about it rather than actually doing it.

So, when it comes to your children’s masterpieces or worksheets, do you save each and every one?

Veteran parents need to weigh in here! My thought is that it’s adorable right now, but in a few years, no one is going to care that she glued some squares to a sheet of paper.

Oh, and check back tomorrow to see what I did with some of the artwork. It’s a huge hit!

As an added bonus, if you host an online party with me for Thirty-One and close before January 28 with $200 in sales, you can get yourself a free Fold N File in your choice of print!