Do you keep EVERYTHING?
I know I know- every swinging thing your kid brings home from art-time at school is a masterpiece. Every single paint splatter shows amazing potential. Its ‘abstract' you say to your friends and family as you point ala Vanna White to the artwork on your refrigerator. It's ‘Jackson Pollack-y' don't you think?'…your friends and family nod and smile. Everyone agrees these are great works of art. Until little Charlie comes home from school and asks why his art project is upside down on the fridge. Um,.. opps.
But as the year marches on the ‘masterpieces' pile up. You begin regretting supporting the PTA fundraiser to help get art instruction in the class. Really- a new piece to save every day? Every week? And then comes the sculpture. You know those glazed pieces of clay lumps. For the life of you- you don't know what they are. You try to let Charlie take the lead and give you a hint. "Oh yes, Charlie it is lovely. I have never seen a …..quite like it"…."A log cabin mom. It is a log cabin." …."Of course it is Charlie! And how you chose to paint it purple and red is so interesting!". Of course you love it. I mean your kid MADE it. And he loves it. But just how long should you KEEP it? Oh the dilemma. Will you lose your mommy-of-the-year candidacy if you (I dare to type it) THROW an art project OUT? Will that be the ONE project Charlie will ask for years from now? Will he even notice? Will he even care?
I have a few questions/guidelines to ask yourself when making the painfully tough decision:
Does it reflect a part of their emerging personality? Does the artwork show Charlie with his favorite pet? Is it a drawing of his favorite things? These are interesting pieces to keep. Because years from now Charlie and 
you can look back on these and see a little bit of what little-Charlie liked, and who little-Charlie was. These are the most precious pieces of artwork in my opinion.
Does it show actual talent? Look it is time to be objective. If you look at it and think-‘there is no way another kid his age could do this'…then keep it. And get that kid in extra art lessons and talk about art professions. You'd hate him to have to use his talents on graffiti ala Banksy years from now.
Is it frame-able? Children's art is the most welcoming thing in a home. Perhaps you could frame a piece or two for his room or your hallway. The pride from seeing your work behind glass is priceless for a child.
Do you have 9 million other versions? If Charlie is going through a rainbow phase- and every darn time the kid picks up crayons he draws a rainbow- I am saying it is okay to throw most of them. Keep the best one. Or keep the first one. But don't keep all of them.
- Banksy's Grafitti Art
And the single best way to make these decisions? Let Charlie decide. Save everything for a few months, and then pull it out and ask Charlie to decide what he wants to keep. Have him re-do it at the end of the year. Kids are really great at editing themselves. And besides- you will have NO GUILT. It will be his call…..and you are absolved of making the wrong decision. I am sure even Banksy's mom had this problem too….only she had to decide whether to PAINT over his work again and again and again…..
In the end photograph or scan anything you chose to throw out (or not) so you will always have that memory saved. And I like to photograph the artist with their art…reminds me who they were, how old they were when they made the creation. And I think we can all agree one CD full of images is a lot easier than having to rent a storage space near your home for the actual pieces!
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We hung two cute hooks on the wall in the playroom then tied a rope to them. Then, we put a set number of clothespins to hang the art. When a new piece is to be hung, an old one has to come off (and go in the trash) to make room. So far, so good.