The Pressure To Keep It All
If you’ve ever ended a homeschool week with piles of papers, projects, and notebooks — wondering what homeschool work to keep and what to toss — you’re not alone.
I used to feel guilty throwing my children’s work away. Every worksheet felt like a piece of their growth, their hard work (because it is hard work!). But over time, I realized peace, not piles, better reflects the kind of home I want to create. Is it really necessary to keep and store it all? How often will we actually look through these? I only have two books from my elementary grade years, and even though it is nice to look through them every now and then, I truthfully do not do it often.
Homeschooling isn’t about keeping every paper; it’s about keeping what matters — the lessons learned, the effort put in, the laughter had, relationships built, memories made, and the faith that grows in between.
“Physical clutter takes up mental space, which leads to stress and loss of peace”
-Inessa
Before You Decide What Homeschool Work to Keep or Toss : Know Your Local Laws
It’s important to check your local homeschool regulations, before deciding what homeschool work to keep or toss.
Some provinces or states require homeschool families to keep certain types of records — like attendance logs, test scores, or sample work — for a specific number of years. Others are more flexible.
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First look up your local homeschool association’s website or check the HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) for up-to-date record keeping requirements in your area.
I have a blog post Homeschooling 101 with a quick over view of state (USA) and provincial (Canada) requirements. This may give you an idea of what your records should look like.
Once you know what homeschool work to keep for your records, you can make confident, stress-free decisions about what you want to keep.
Why I Don’t Keep Everything
Early on, I tried saving quite a lot, not everything, but a lot — art projects, worksheets, handwriting pages — until the piles began appear, folders and drawers began to overflow. I realized that wasn’t sustainable (or peaceful).
Now, I ask myself a few guiding questions when deciding what homeschool work to keep:
If the answer is no, I toss it.
- Does this show real growth or effort?
- Will this be meaningful to look back on?
- Does keeping this serve a purpose (legal, emotional, educational)?
It’s freeing to know I don’t have to save everything and that most of the physical paperwork won’t matter years later.
What Homeschool Work to Keep, What to Toss, and How to Store It
Over the years, I’ve learned that keeping the right things — not everything — helps our homeschool stay meaningful, not messy or stressful. Here’s a simple guide to help you sort through it all with confidence.
What to Keep
- Tests & Quizzes – They show measurable progress and are great to review at the end of the year.
- Favorite Projects or Art – Especially those that reflect effort, creativity, or personal growth.
- Writing Samples – Keep a few from the beginning, middle, and end of the year to show development.
- Reading or Oral Presentation Videos – Short clips are a beautiful record of confidence and progress (you can also share vidoes with those who are sceptical of homeschooling and that like to quiz your kids).
- Keepsakes – Things like handprint art, “first story” pages, or special holiday crafts.
- Attendance Logs or Lesson Plans – Helpful for personal reflection or if required by law.
*Tip: If something is important to your child, keep a folder or bin of their favorites, and review often, asking if they still want to hold on to items. That folder or bin can have a limit. This will help them feel that their work is seen & appreciated (imagine watching your own hard work being tossed at the end of the day), and also helps them learn
What to Toss (Guilt-Free!)
- Daily Worksheets – Once the concept is mastered, you don’t need to keep every page.
- Practice Sheets or Duplicates
- Extra handwriting or math pages can go.
- Crafts That Don’t Hold Meaning – It’s okay to take a photo before tossing!
- Old Lesson Notes – If you teach multiple kids, just keep the reusable guides.
Storage Ideas That Grow With You
Start Simple (Preschool to Early Elementary)
- Use magazine file boxes (I used Ikea but here is another option) to hold spiral-bound tests, small art projects, and flat papers.
- Label each box by grade or child’s name and store on a bookshelf for easy access.
Then When They Outgrow Those:
- Move to a file box or with folders labeled by year, subject, or child.
- Keep tests, favorite work, and reading logs in separate folders.
Finally Have a Keepsake Storage:
- Store handprint art, crafts, or other bulky keepsakes in a clear plastic bin (one per child).
- Add a small label or photo on the front — you’ll thank yourself later!
*You can find my bin here.
Digital Tip:
Take photos or scans of oversized or fragile artwork, then store them in a shared family drive by year.
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You want to set a limit of how much homeschool work to keep. Without a limit you are giving yourself permission to keep it all. A container, box, bin, magazine holder does exactly that, puts a limit.
My Step-by-Step Approach: What I Keep and How I Organize It
I’ve found these steps keep our homeschool low clutter but still keeping what matters and staying organized.
- Toss daily work at the end of each day. This keeps things manageable and prevents pile-ups.
- Keep tests and important assignments. I store these in a spiral binder and then place them in an IKEA magazine file box that fits perfectly on our bookshelf.
- Save favorite projects and creative work. These go into their memory box — the fun things like art, stories, or special reports the kids are proud of.
- End-of-year sort and bind. When the year wraps up, I go through all the tests again, keeping only the favorites, and bind those together for a clean keepsake.
- Record reading throughout the year. I take short video clips of my children reading aloud — this is one of my favorite ways to track growth and confidence. I keep a digital folder for each child by year
- Optional: Use a file box per child. Many families keep a labeled file box with folders by year. I haven’t started that yet, since this is our first official year of record keeping.
Tip:
For K4 and K5 there is not any legal requirement in any state or province, so I only kept a copy or two of their handwriting, 1 math page, and a couple crafts/projects, as well as their favorite work. All of it is kept in a small folder, one per child per year. I will continue to go through those once a year, and toss what is no longer meaningful.
About Abeka’s Accredited Program (Optional Record-Keeping Help)
If you use Abeka Homeschool, you have the option to enroll in their accredited program, where you submit your child’s tests and paperwork directly to them.
Abeka then keeps official records and grades for you, which can be especially helpful if you’re concerned about transcripts, long-term documentation, or state compliance.
This can be a wonderful way to outsource the administrative side, if you find paperwork stressful.
Other benefits:
- Keeps your home low clutter.
- Protects paperwork from getting lost when moving/ traveling.
Tips for Finding a System That Fits Your Family
- Start small: You don’t need a perfect system right away — begin with one binder or one bin.
- Include your kids: Let them pick a few favorite pieces to keep.
- Keep it simple: One file box, one folder per child per year is enough.
- Pray for peace over perfection: The goal is peace, not Pinterest-perfect organization.
FINAL THOUGHT
You don’t have to save every worksheet to prove you care about your children and their hardwork, in fact caring is more reflected in guarding the peace of your home.
You are already creating a legacy — built on faith, love, and learning that lasts longer than any paper trail.
So take a deep breath, toss that math page, and remember:
- God’s keeping track of the things that truly matter.
- If you include your children in the decision making progress there will be no hard feelings.
- You, yourself, do not have very much from school days and hold no grudge against your parents (hopefully).
- Time wasted on organizing trash is life wasted.
What are your favorite storage hacks for homeschool records?
Let me know in the comments what homeschool work to keep and what to toss!
OTHER BLOG POSTS TO CHECK OUT
How to Start Homeschooling 101: When you have know idea what you are doing
The Summer Learning Slide: How to Keep Young Minds Learning All Summer Long
12 Homeschool Myths that I Do Not Subscribe to
The Last Day of Homeschool: 10 Ways to Celebrate
10 Tips For Homeschooling With Babies and Toddlers
Boosting Learning & Focus Through Exercise: A Homeschool Guide
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