Oh, our little hoarding monster. I LOVE that he LOVES so many things. I LOVE that he understands the importance of keeping and valuing things....but *things* can become *idols* pretty quickly and we're trying hard to keep *things* as just *things*. But to a kid that wants to keep every single Sunday School paper, instructions, daddy's paper trash, receipts, paper inserts in DVDs or games, plastic baggies, you get the picture, we know it is going to be a struggle to balance appreciating the things we have and not making them a big deal by keeping and becoming attached to them. [Ok, I know some of you that are thinking I'm going totally overboard with this, but trust me....we come from a long history of hoarders. Not like the dirty TV show, more like the kind that keep 17 vacuum cleaners just "cuz". Gotta get this under control.] Aaaaanyway, so preschool has opened up a new chapter of hoarding opportunities. Treasures come home each day and EACH deserves fridge-honors, right? So, I had the crazy forward-thinking liberating idea of putting a cap on the keeping. I certainly didn't pitch it to him like that, more like this: "Hey! Lets decorate a special folder to keep your most special papers from preschool! Only your favorite and best work should be saved in this special folder, and other things, we'll just look at, learn from, and then let them go...." Thinking, hey!...not a bad idea. One folder for each year of school: 13 folders, 3 kids, this is manageable. Only problem is that it is the 6th week of school and the folder is already full. Love that kid.
Oh, our little hoarding monster. I LOVE that he LOVES so many things. I LOVE that he understands the importance of keeping and valuing things....but *things* can become *idols* pretty quickly and we're trying hard to keep *things* as just *things*. But to a kid that wants to keep every single Sunday School paper, instructions, daddy's paper trash, receipts, paper inserts in DVDs or games, plastic baggies, you get the picture, we know it is going to be a struggle to balance appreciating the things we have and not making them a big deal by keeping and becoming attached to them. [Ok, I know some of you that are thinking I'm going totally overboard with this, but trust me....we come from a long history of hoarders. Not like the dirty TV show, more like the kind that keep 17 vacuum cleaners just "cuz". Gotta get this under control.] Aaaaanyway, so preschool has opened up a new chapter of hoarding opportunities. Treasures come home each day and EACH deserves fridge-honors, right? So, I had the crazy forward-thinking liberating idea of putting a cap on the keeping. I certainly didn't pitch it to him like that, more like this: "Hey! Lets decorate a special folder to keep your most special papers from preschool! Only your favorite and best work should be saved in this special folder, and other things, we'll just look at, learn from, and then let them go...." Thinking, hey!...not a bad idea. One folder for each year of school: 13 folders, 3 kids, this is manageable. Only problem is that it is the 6th week of school and the folder is already full. Love that kid. 
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3 comments:
Have you seen the idea on pinterest where they took pictures of all the "favorite" papers and filled a big multi-slot picture frame with the pictures? The papers were more easily tossed because they were cherished in a picture frame and could be replaced often!
Sounds like my two oldest! One (my boy) keeps every scrap of paper (toy adds, the packaging to toys, happy meal boxes cut up) and the other likes all her favorite toys with her at all times. Her room actually gives me a twitch in my eye when I walk into it, shes so messy. Anyway, every few weeks I get them distracted downstairs and take a garbage bag and declutter :o)
Thank you for following my blog! I love your sidebar pictures! You have cute little guys :o)
I will be sending Titus to your house shortly to learn from you the secret to not hoarding papers, as he has no chance of learning this secret from his mother, who remains buried in paper clutter from the 80s and beyond. Sincerely, Jessica, the hopelessly disorganized packrat.
P.S. I may sneak along to eavesdrop on the lesson.
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