“Ugly” Art: Let them be Little

I ran across this little gem the other day when I decided to set out my fall decorations

He’s an ugly little fella. Based on the amount of pink paint, I know that my daughter made him.

He may be ugly but I sit him out every year because he reminds me of the precious young hands that made him.

Sadly, I wasn’t always a mom who would have let her kids make “ugly art”. No, I was “that mom” who had to micromanage my child so that every piece they made could be PERFECT.

But, in one day of stunning clarity, I realized that I was messing up! One of the kids teachers used to say, “Your art is your heart!” and it occurred to me that, by correcting their ugly art, I was also condemning their creativity…their persona.

Now that my kids are teenagers, I also realize that I was doing myself an injustice. You see, every time I see that ugly pumpkin, and all the other “ugly” art from my kids young years, I am transported back to a precious time that I can never get back again. Their “ugly art” was a heartfelt gift from them to me in their younger years and, though they don’t realize it, it’s an even better gift now.

So, if you have young kids take a piece of advice from a mom who is a little further down the road. Cherish the ugly art…it is their, and your, heart!

PS….if you want to improve their artistic activity pick up a crayon, scissors, and paint brush. They’re watching you Momma and they will learn by watching what you do!