Kristy Cammell Do you feel stuck when it comes to sorting out everything your children have accumulated from the last calendar year? Do you have big piles of papers and creations that you’re avoiding?
Then here are 5 tips that I think you’ll find helpful when it comes to sorting, filing and keeping those piles under control.
1) SWAP PAPER FOR BOOKS…
If your kids (like mine) are ALWAYS creating, first take a look at what they’re using. If it’s lots of paper, and you are able to transition them to an artbook or scrapbook of some sort – then do it! Even a few of those books per child to choose between on a given day is waaaay easier to store than hundreds of loose pages. At the very least, reminding kids to use these books can then help reduce the paper clutter a little.
2) ASK YOUR KIDS: KEEP OR GO?
If paper is where it’s at, that’s ok too (honestly, we use both!) But I recommend implementing a system, and a way of thinking, that ensures your children carefully consider whether or not they need to keep it ALL.
Now I know this isn’t always easy. But my point here is: don’t just keep it mindlessly. Discuss how much paper that adds up to, and encourage them to picture a room FULL of paper if they keep everything.
Then, instead, help them consider whether each piece is a “keep” or “go” kind of artwork. Anything they want to keep can then go in their…
3) PERSONAL CLEARFILE…
In their room, on a shelf or in a desk, each of my children have a clear file (or magazine file, or similar) that they can fill as they like with artwork they want to keep, but don’t quite deem to be of a standard to store in their “keep forever” file.
They know that the clear file (and their wall!) will only fit so much, and it makes them think a little harder about how much it matters to keep it all. Over the years this process has gradually become a bit quicker and easier as they’ve become accustomed to the thought process involved. And indeed, it’s a valuable skill for our kids to learn as they grow.
So much of the written or visual work they do is often about the process, and it’s ok not to keep everything – even if that, as parents, is our first inclination. Taking digital photos can help with this process of letting go, too. For them as well as you!
4) DISPLAY IT!
My kids know that there are spaces in the house and on our walls to display their work, and will often ask to put them up (or sometimes I pick). I try to keep a “one goes up, one comes down” rule most of the time, to help us keep on top of it.
We can’t display everything though, so when I come across a piece of art that I can see is a neat reflection of that particular season of artwork for one of my children (or that it’s particularly precious to them), I tuck it away in their…
5) “KEEP FOREVER” FILE…
For every year, we have a zip-up ring binder that I store all loose artwork or schoolwork in that we want to keep. A portfolio, as it were. Displayed 2D art generally goes straight into here (folded up if needed) when it comes down from the wall.
The folder itself isn’t where I store it throughout the year, though. We have A4 size (unlabelled) drawers that I slide these things into, along with anything of interest for that child during the year (such as certificates or memorabilia). The drawers are unlabelled because they’re for me, not my children… and if I let them be the ones who fill them, I know they’d be overflowing within the month!
At the end of each year, I just pull everything out of the drawer and dump it in the folder. Gently, that is! And some years (for example, with 2020 being like it was) we’ve even squeezed two years into the same folder. The bonus of a folder with a zip is that you can literally toss it all in and leave it at that – it’s such a time saver!
So, there you have it! Five tips from my home to yours.
Having tried SO many other ways of storing and filing away things, the above suggestions are some of my most successful attempts at tackling the clutter – and the piles – so far. These systems are still going strong 5-6 years on and counting! Keeping this side of things simple helps when it comes to planning for your homeschool, too.
I’d love to hear if this has helped you! And I’d also love to hear of some of your own tips and ideas that are working for you, when it comes to dealing with all the paper you accumulate in your house.
By the way, here’s a fun fact for you! This article came from a Facebook blogpost that I originally wrote in January 2021. Find the original article and check out the ideas and comments our community came up with, here: Do you feel stuck…?
If you’d like any more support or ideas, head to my Coaching page to see what I offer and arrange a 1-1 session to suit what you need most right now.
I love figuring out systems to suit different spaces and different families. There’s a solution for everything!
‘Til next time,
Kristy x
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