I throw away my kids' art. And it feels SO good. There, I said it.
I know it may sound somewhat insensitive, perhaps even a bit evil, but let's face it, parents, kids are mass producing this crap!
Yes, my wife and I are supportive and encourage our kids to explore their full creative potential. But there is only so much room on the proverbial refrigerator door and not all of those glittery Picassos are going to get a magneted spot. Yup, welcome to the real world, kid. Space constraints. Deal with it.
Once or twice I've been caught throwing away my children's artwork in the kitchen trash. "Daddy, why is my pretty-finger-painted-rainbow-pony in the garbage?" I'm not going to lie to you, that doesn't feel good. After a few sloppy encounters I developed a few ground rules, which I recommend all self-respecting parents consider when discarding their children's beloved objects:
1. Only purge once the little ones are fast asleep.
2. Dump in the outside trash can -- what they don't see can't hurt them.
3. If your kid ever asks -- deny, deny, deny.
4. Don't feel too guilty. Remember, it's your job to keep the home from turning into a kiddie-art junk yard. And if you save everything, nothing is special.
Armchair Idiot: Bumbling My Way Through Fatherhood
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About Me
- armchair idiot
- Born in the not-so-tough suburbs of Philadelphia, Light is a writer who specializes in creating TV pilots that will most likely never see the light of day (but oy is his mother proud). His crown achievement to date was selling the Handicapped Stall Etiquette episode to Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Light is married to his best friend from college. You know the story: hate-at-first-sight, then cue the wedding bells. His wife Sharon Brous is the Rabbi of an emergent community called IKAR www.ikar-la.org. While he relishes his role as Rebbitzir, the man behind the Rabbi, Light admits that it's a bit like having all the scrutiny of being a celebrity - with very little of the upside... David and Sharon have been blessed with three angelic ass-kicking kids.
10 comments:
If you suffer from guilt, just scan the art - then dispose awayyyy! (win/win)
Oh my goodness. This past week was "the great purge" at my house too....but only hwn the kids weren't around and then I still had to hear "where is the picture I made you from 1st grade..."
I was baffled when someone forwarded this to me... Anyone have any idea what this is? It's like someone put my blog through Babble Fish...
Amazing.
http://kids.quebecblogue.com/2009/04/12/armchair-idiot-the-purge/
Yeah, and the hyperlink on "my old lady" goes to "stoned easter bunny."
A friend of mine growing up, his parent's were really in to him expressing himself artistically. They encouraged him to draw, paint, use scissors, make collages, doodle, scribble, stain glass, tie dye, you name it they encouraged it. Two walls of his bedroom were decorated with collages him made from newspaper and magazine clippings. His parent's were so in to him expressing himself artistically they bought him one of those artists/architect desks and he had lots of supplies like wood pencils, led pencils, multi colored pencils, pens, markers, charcoal, rulers, protractors, etc. My friend could do it all; draw, sketch, cartoon, trace, make lines, etc. His room was a real masterpiece. Then he went to college and came home one day to find that his parent's decided to change his bedroom in to a guest room. They got rid of his collages, drawings, etchings and works of art and totally redecorated his room turning it in to something straight out of a Pottery Barn catalog.
I feel your pain, Anon. My parent's turned my bedroom into a guest room after by Thanksgiving of my freshman year!
We do this with old (and sometimes not so old) toys as well. If they're in decent condition they'll go to a charity instead of the trash bin, of course.
DavidWag,
Brilliant.
I am off to purge some toys.
DavidWag,
The toys have this way of becoming one giant mess of a toy with multiple parts that never work.
THANKS!
Hey, are you interested in selling this blog name?
If so, please contact me at howiehandles@gmail.com
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