Conference moira::parenting_v3

    Those are nice ideas, but somehow I conceptualize the problem rather
    differently.  Through their years at two different pre-schools, my kids
    constantly brought home more special gifts and miscellaneous artwork
    than anyone could possibly keep!  The problem has been how long must
    one keep this stuff in order not to give offense!  The instructions
    (I'm thinking of Eric's current mode) are often highly specific: "This
    (collage) is for daddy's office, this (drawing) is for daddy's
    refrigerator, and this (sculpture) is for mommy's house."  Items for
    special occasions, such as father's day or Thanksgiving may appear in
    batches over a week or so ahead of the event; you're asking for major
    trouble if you make assumptions about their being forgotten before the
    special day arrives.  I just feel sorry for parents whose towns' don't
    have curbside recycling!.
    
    		- Bruce

    re .0 This year we decorated pine cones -> painted them, light coat of
    spray glue, and sprinkled different colored glitter over them. Then we
    glued them into those special candle holders for Christmas trees. We
    made some cookies and we pinch the wrapping paper together with these.
    
    re.1 having been "hurt" by my parents throwing out what I considered
    treasures I had made/given them, I quickly was faced with Bruce's
    dilemma...  One year, it was so overflowing, that I asked my daughter
    to choose her favorite things that we should keep.  To my absolute
    astonishment, she sorted things out sooooo well, that I had to sneak
    back and retrieve a few items I loved but she thought were only good
    for the dustbin !  I also have allocated one glass doored cabinet for
    her "art work", and a drawer (or two or three) for school souvenirs.
    When we visit "special" friends, I suggest she may want to give them
    something she has made... Sometimes she thinks they are worthy of it
    and sometimes not - but the choice is hers (so her feelings cannot get
    hurt !)

    Good points in .1 - that's why we've gone with "functional" gifts. 
    This depends heavily on giving it to the right people - one grandmother
    would use a custom-made notepad and another (in our family) would not. 
    The grandfather who got the t-shirt wears it all the time, the other
    would not!  Some people love ornaments and always remember where they
    came from and when, etc.  Others just don't want more "stuff" around.
    
    As for take-home artwork which will eventually take over your house,
    this is the best time of year for managing it away: make the paintings
    into wrapping paper!  

    Do I ever know what Bruce was talking about in .1!  I have twins and
    you wouldn't believe the amount of artwork and paperwork that comes
    home with them!  I three big boxes full from just this school year 
    alone!  That was a really good idea about having them sort out what
    to keep and what to get rid of.  I've been keeping everything in fear
    of hurting their feelings....
    

re: .2

As a variation on .2's idea, as all available kitchen cabinets and 
refrigerator door stuff is filled, we put retired stuff in a box.  When the 
box gets full, Gary and Lara go through the box and decide what to keep.
Stuff relating to a specific holiday or event stays up until the next holiday, 
then goes in the box.

As .2 mentions, the kids are pretty critical.  And "flighty" -- in the sense 
that items that had great significance to them only a week or so ago may be 
unimportant to them now.  And I think the fact that THEY choose (though we 
might impose limits on how much they can keep) helps also.

Clay

    and guess whose feeling were hurt today...???
    
    My daughter just gave away a "prize pottery pig" she made when she was
    - gad, I have forgotten ! - say about 4 or 5 that _I loved_... as a
    Christmas present to her school teacher (that we both love !).
    
    I am proud she gave a piece of herself, from the heart... She wrote :
    "to the best teacher in the whole world"...
    
    Maybe I need to put _my_ treasured gifts from her under lock and key !
    
    
    

    On a related topic -- I've noticed that much of the artwork I
    saved from Kat's grade school days, especially that made of
    construction paper, is starting to deteriorate rather badly.  The
    paper is fading or turning yellow and becoming brittle, glue is
    either failing to hold or soaking through and discoloring the
    paper, and tape just dies.  I've just been keeping it stacked in a
    closet. 
    
    I knew that paper deteriorated over time, but I didn't think that
    meant they wouldn't even last until she was out of high school!
    
    Anybody got any ideas for how to preserve the important stuff a
    little better?  I mean, we're talking about things like a
    watercolor that got displayed in a bank as part of her school's
    art exhibit.  Crucial to the future of world culture, not just her
    mother's sentiment! :)
    
    --bonnie

Speaking of making wrapping paper out of their artwork: Evan's gift
to us for Christmas was a pinecone that he had painted/dipped.  
The wrapping paper was much more special to us - it was white paper
with green and red HAND PRINTS on it.  He's just a little guy, 2 years old,
so those little handprints are especially precious.  Even when he is
much older, though, I would think that I would enjoy comparing what
they are like to what they were like and will be like.

     Carol

   re: preserving paper
   
   Yep, construction paper is not the greatest quality, but I thought
   it would have lasted a *little bit* longer.
   
   Anyway, there is a craft spray that I used years ago to preserve
   flowers and stuff - its a spray-on shellac, basically.  I suspect
   you could find it in many craft stores.  Would that help?
   
   Or, how about the glue that is sold for glueing jig-saw puzzles
   together - would that be useful here?
   
   - Tom
   

    Just saw this note, sorry to be so behind in reading, (the nerve of
    people asking me to give up my Notes to do real work!)
    
    re .7, two suggestions, at the Christmas Tree Shops they have a clear
    plexiglas frame 9x12" with two magnetic strips on the back.  It's designed 
    to hold a sheet of price artwork, and magnetizes to the fridge, cost was
    about $3.00.  The second idea I think has been addressed already, I'd
    suggest spraying what is precious with a clear laquer, or if it's a
    prized drawing, by all means *frame it!*
    
    I generally don't save the drawings that are just scribbles or have
    obviously been done primarily by the teacher, but some things I'll keep
    just because they are so precious.   My parents kept some of my special
    crafts in a glass front china cabinet, and I now have them back in my
    house, I refused to throw them away when we were breaking up their
    home.
    
    Pleasant memories!
    Lyn