The artful toddler

Last month, Phil came home from day care with an art project of sorts. It was basically a couple of crayon marks on a piece of paper. When Mommy declared herself unmoved by this particular abstraction, Phil crumpled it up and put it in the wastebasket.

A few days ago he brought home another piece, this one with a Valentine’s Day theme. Mommy, seeming eager to atone for her previous harshness, pronounced it a masterpiece and hung it on the fridge. Phil pointed at it and beamed with apparent pride. A couple of days passed, and he was still pointing and beaming.

What all this means is anyone’s guess. I suppose that, in general, Phil can sense when we approve of something and when we don’t. But he can’t possibly understand that the refrigerator door is a spot of honor, can he?

4 responses

  1. CharlieM Avatar
    CharlieM

    As a proud papa of an adorable 2-year-old girl who routinely comes home from playgroup with masterpieces that ALL go up on the fridge, I think your policy is a good one. I just don't have the heart to tell my princess which ones shouldn't make the cut. I guess I'm setting her up for a difficult future in the real world…

    Reply
  2. Beverly Avatar
    Beverly

    To be sure, what better place for easily changed exhibits than a fridge door? An excellent display canvas, frequently and happily visited. My fridge door IS the place of honor. If you're my friend, your photo is up there. Though you may live far away, I see you every day. All of you–Greg, Phil and Liz–are on my fridge door.

    Reply
  3. Bob Langenbach Avatar
    Bob Langenbach

    The last fridge we got was stainless steel (non-magnetic), so no pictures, no nothing on it. We miss all the pictures and notes, so the next one WILL NOT be stainless.

    Reply
  4. Sally Bergesen Avatar
    Sally Bergesen

    Perhaps LP will take after his father and want to share his artistic achievements via the blogosphere. When he's ready, he can post at The Blog Weemade, a blog for sharing kids' art. Personally, I just love the name.http://theblog.weemade.com/

    Reply

Leave a reply to Bob Langenbach Cancel reply