The fridge, an appliance everybody can appreciate and the pinnacle of a child's efforts in school. I remember the pride that would well within me every time my parents attached my work to the fridge. Before children enter school their artwork is displayed for all to see, in elementary school the art becomes interspersed with rudimentary essays and poster projects. Eventually unit exams make their way onto that magnetic surface, and finally SAT scores, still lifes and college acceptance letters grace the metal doors.
I believe that the act of placing a child's work on the refrigerator is more crucial to their development than at first glance. Certainly, placing a child's work up for display anywhere is a wonderful gesture, but the fridge has a certain importance. Family members, friends and guests all see the fridge, and are told "I am proud enough of my child's efforts that I want everybody to see it." Most importantly, however, is the reminder for that child every time they go to get a snack. A visual display of their good efforts reinforces their beliefs that they are hard workers who can succeed.
One might think "But why not frame the artwork and put it on the wall? Certainly that has more significance!" True, framing work is definitely a display of parental approval, but it also has a sense of permanence, which I believe can be detrimental. Good work that is placed on the fridge never stays there forever, it is always replace by something newer and better. This continuous change helps show the child that they can continue to do well and work hard, and they can do even better on projects in the future. Simply framing good artwork or binding an essay lets the work stagnate instead of inspiring the child to move on to better things. It also lets the child rest on his or her laurels, so to speak. By placing permanence on one piece of work, we subtly show the child that this is good enough, because it is not replaceable. Letting all work be transient gives him or her a sense of continual growth and change, that they can still achieve beyond their current level.
Of course framing or binding work is a great boost to a child's self esteem, but I believe that placing work on the fridge must come first. Beyond the creation of a drive to replace old work on the fridge, this practice is important because it puts the child's work in a communal, comfortable area. The kitchen is a family place, where people feel at home and at ease. The environment in which the work is placed, can (I feel) affect a child's feelings about their work. Artwork hanging in a stark, rarely used room has a different emotional impact than that on the fridge. A bound essay on the coffee table is more formal and distant than that of one casually placed on the kitchen counter. People may interact more with a child's work when it is in such a comfortable space, and foster even more pride in said child when friends and relatives read, view and comment on their work.
When instilled early and often, this ritual can last throughout a person's life. I haven't lived with my parents in five years, and yet I still put work I am proud of on the fridge. It may not seem important, and most of us wouldn't even think about it, but I believe displaying a child's work on the fridge instills within them a positive work ethic that permeates through the years.
