throwing out kids schoolwork

luxor4t

After my sister had a house fire and had to throw away almost all of her possessions through smoke damage, I went through my house and got rid of loads of my stuff including 18th, 21st, wedding cards.
I wanted to choose to do it, iyswim.
I did the same with the children's stuff on the way through -
children don't want to hold on to things, so I just kept a few special bits and happily binned the rest.
Now I just have a problem with what want me to keep- large amounts of teenage hobby stuff!

Edinburghlass_2

About a year ago I got a box of paperwork, photos from the family home. My Dad's file contained all his certificates from school, scouts, army/war stuff, congratulation letters when he got his MBE, letters from his retiral up to letters/cards Mum got when he died. I shed many a tear going through these but I'm so glad I have them.

jakes-mum

DS is about to start secondary, DD to start primary.

I did start collecting DS's school books when he first started but after a few years realised I never looked at them so I chucked them all, and have done ever since, as soon as they come home and ive had a look at them all.

I keep the christmas tree ornaments they have both made at nursery, which get hung in pride of place on the tree, every mothers day, valentines day and christmas card they have both made is in a big box along with samples of their drawings through the years.

I also have a tape recorder that I bought when DS was born and on the tape is me stating the date and DS's age at monthly intervals and getting him to make sounds and then talk as he got older, up till he was about 2 1/2. Really regret not doing it for DD

balletshoes

ruby-roo wrote: »

Mine are just at the stage where they are starting to make all this lovely school work and art. Their bedroom walls are covered in their masterpieces . My fridge door is smothered in their achievement certificates etc.

I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to sort through it all and prepare to part with it.

You sound like a lovely mum who no doubt helped your kids do their homework and took great pleasure in seeing them achieve and produce all this lovely work. Its part of their childhoods isn't it. Another thing to gradually let go of as they grow up and become independant.

In answer to your question about how much to keep and how much to throw away, my advice is only part with what you are comfy with not having around. It could be stored in labelled boxes and put away in your loft. If your kids decide later on they dont want it, it would take hardly any effort on their part to clear it.

my DD is 10, has had 9 years of nursery/education so far. I've never kept all of the things she's done at nursery/school. when we was tiny little, I'd get her nursery stuff home once or twice a year, and sort through what i wanted to keep (it definitely wasn't it all). once she went to primary school, i got DD to do it when she got her project work home at the end of the school year. we only keep what she really really wants to keep. i don't keep school jotters at all, but do (and will) keep all her reports cards.

I burnt all of my school jotters/notes etc once I'd finished my last exam at high school - it was a great feeling !

eta - I don't keep cards anyone has sent me, including my DD, unless it was a hand-made one (I've kept them).

cherub1965

my sons school gave us all folders as they left nursery/reception then another as they left for 'big school'. they had all certificates achieved in,photos that had been taken at plays,school days out,special occaisions etc and a small pic of each years school portrait.,poems child had written,essays ......just a summary of what they had done each year. with a personal message and a copy of their reports in for each year. brilliant idea.
i have stuff my son made for mothers day,cards etc and xmas decs but the best are his 'news books'. like a diary. 2 or 3 times a week they would describe and draw what they had been doing.the pictures are excellent!! make me howl with laughing.
its the toys i find hard to part with. got rid of most to family which i doint mind but i cant part with the red and yellow box he used to take everywere with him containing his thomas the tank trains and figures.not worth a penny,well bashed upo but how can i chuck them out??hes 20 now

Kaz2904

I get rid of it all. The reason I do this is because my family and my Mil have loads of stuff stashed away. Every so often it gets offered to us and we can't think why on earth they've hung onto an illegible scribble for so many years!
My kids first school used to take photos of them to put in their school books. THey would then send these home. I have kept every single photo of them but everything else goes.

balletshoes

cherub1965 wrote: »

its the toys i find hard to part with. got rid of most to family which i doint mind but i cant part with the red and yellow box he used to take everywere with him containing his thomas the tank trains and figures.not worth a penny,well bashed upo but how can i chuck them out??hes 20 now

thats easy - you wait until the grandkids arrive and you get it out then .

kjmtidea

I have 4 boys who are 4,6,8 and 10 and I keep everything! It is all so precious to me, I have a lot of keepsake boxes full of playschool/school work, first shoes, umbilical cord clamps :eek::rotfl:, things they have made, blankies etc.

Yes it takes up space but I could never just get rid of it, I let the kids look through it recently and they loved seeing everything in there. I think it will be nice to show their children it too one day .

Four_leaf_clover_2

wolfehouse wrote: »

anyone else feel like this?
how much do you keep and how much do you just throw away?

Have a fun couple of hours going through it all and choose a few of your favourites to keep and clear the rest. You have years ahead of you to see your 3 kids making their way through life. All kinds of achievements and life milestones to come. See getting rid of some of their school stuff as making room for photos and momentos from their adult lives.

mumps

I remember when DD was doing A leve exams, I told a colleague that I was looking forward to throwing out all her school stuff. She was horrified. I am not a hoarder, throwing things out gives me great pleasure. I have kept a few (and I mean a few) things from each child but if you have four you can't keep it all. The precious things are all in my head and don't collect any dust.