Spring into Organization

Photo by Liz HenrySpring is in the air and I feel like I have come out from under a rock. And what do I notice?...clutter, clutter, everywhere. So now that my hibernation is coming to an end, organization is on my mind.  And boy am I getting the urge to sort, purge, and organize.

So today I decided to get caught up on organizing mounds of kids' school work.

I must say that I have a system of processing all the artwork, projects, grade cards, etc. that works pretty well.

1) Each day, backpack and tote bags are emptied and items reviewed.  Things worth keeping are labeled with initials and the date.

2) The best selection of artwork and 'pride' work is displayed on a magnetic bulletin board for all to see. Items are rotated depending on space on the board.

3) Items that do not make it to the bulletin board, but are worth keeping, are put into magazine files (one for each child) that I keep in the mini-office area of the kitchen. Work that is rotated off the bulletin board is filed here as well.

(Now, this is the point at which things got back logged. As the winter months drug on, the overflowing magazine holders became piles of paper on the shelf. I had acquired a pretty sizable pile that really needed my attention. So I today I got to completing the 'paper cycle'.)

4) From here the paper goes through another sort. Report cards, evaluations, testing, awards, performance programs, etc. obviously are saved.  But, for projects and artwork, I get pretty brutal. I really pick out only those truly memorable pieces. Here is what gets saved:

• Anything that makes reference to the family - letters to mom and dad, pictures or stories about our family life.
• Any artwork that was made from a handprint, footprint, thumbprint, or any other body part (you get the point).
• Any piece that has a photo of the child incorporated into it.
• A few examples of exemplary academic work (especially if it has teacher's comments on it).
• Anything that I just can't part with.

5) Now even after the final sort, there still is a sizable amount of stuff to 'archive'.

• I use sheet protectors and three-ring binders (one for each child) to file report cards, academic related materials, awards, and performance programs.  This allows for easy access and referencing if necessary.
• Artwork (legal size or smaller) is put into expanding file wallets (one for each child, labeled for each school year). These wallets are stored in a large plastic file box.
• Oversized artwork is kept in artwork portfolios like this one.
• Each child also has a file envelop for all school and team pictures.

6) Items that don't make the cut?  Well, I'll just say that I've gotten really creative on how I stack items in the recycling bin, so no feelings are hurt.

I have noticed that for my oldest child, there has been a steep reduction in the amount of paper bulk that is kept.  File wallets and art portfolios from her first few years of school are jammed packed.  But, by middle school most of what is kept pertains to academic or extracurricular accomplishments which nicely fits into binders.

I have read about parents who take digital pictures or scan school/art work to reduce the clutter.  I also have started scanning some items, but only those that I want to use in some project like our yearly family photo books.  After the scan I don't purge, instead I archive as usual.  I want my kids to have a carefully selected cross-section of their original work.  Already I have gotten positive feedback from the kids about my efforts.  The older two love to look through their 'old' stuff on occasion and recount their memories.

For some, spring brings on the need to clean, for me it brings on the urge to purge.  I not sure what is next, but I am sure I'll find something.  That, I think scares my family.  They may wish that I would just wash windows like a normal person.