My parenting confession

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I like to think that all parents do something they’re not proud of. Well okay, I’ve got quite a few. I shout. And not just because I want to get my point across, it’s usually because I’ve lost it. I lie. Nothing serious but Father Christmas definitely won’t be coming if they’re naughty in August. The children still think I can phone their ballet and swimming teacher on the palm of my hand. But none of those are my parenting confession. So here it is. Don’t hate me. I throw away my children’s artwork.

My parenting confession – I throw away my children’s artwork

Pretty much all of it. Actually, this post is about a picture frame called Articulate Gallery. They kindly sent me a double frame to put the girls’ artwork in. I spent a considerable amount of time finding something to put in it. I found something in the end. Lia’s is from Christmas and I think Libby’s is from about October.

But let’s be honest, it’s unusual for a three year old and a five year old to churn out a masterpiece. And if I kept every picture, painting and play dough model they lovingly created, I’d have to move house. So I tend to be ruthless. And bin them.

The Articulate Gallery

A few weeks ago, I upcycled a photo frame by letting the girls make a picture to go in it. It was incredibly basic because they did it all themselves. And yet when it was finished and in the frame, they were genuinely proud. The Articulate Gallery has the same effect. It is designed to hold children’s artwork in all its glory. Frames are available in a variety of sizes from keyrings to A3. You can choose a frame that holds one or multiple pictures.

We’ve got the A4 double gallery. This holds two pictures of A4 size and of any thickness. I don’t know about yours, but my children rarely come home with something that fits neatly into a normal photo frame. There are always bits stuck on that effectively make it a three dimensional monstrosity masterpiece. But as long as they are A4 or smaller, the pictures will always fit into the Articulate Gallery as there is nothing on the front to get in the way of sticky-out bits.

Through the keyhole

I know, you blog readers are a nosy bunch. There’s nothing better than seeing what it’s like inside someone else’s home. So, I thought I’d talk you through the priceless art that hangs on my walls.

First, we have ‘Batgirl Over the Manhattan Skyline’ by Libby Ray age 4 1/2. If you look carefully, you can see the slapdash brushstrokes that characterise the artist. Interestingly, the half-finished job of sticking windows onto skyscrapers indicates that Miss Ray takes after her father.

Next up is ‘Handprint in a Glitter Storm’ by Lia Ray age 2 3/4. A thorough examination of the details will lead you to spot the slightly creepy looking snowman faces on each finger of the handprint. This indicates that the picture is not a Ray original, but has in fact been largely created by one of her assistants.

Hang it on the wall

Joking aside, children take a lot of pride in seeing their work on the wall. Both girls remembered making the pictures I dragged out from months ago and were proud to see them hanging on the living room wall. If you don’t want them on the wall, the alternative is to hold it up to a camera and pull your very proudest face.

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