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sunny
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| Posted: June 10 2009 at 7:54am | IP Logged
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Have you ever been concerned about dc using too much paper? I do not want to quelch their enthusiasm! Wondering if anyone employs some simple "paper rules"?
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kristina
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| Posted: June 10 2009 at 9:54am | IP Logged
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Sunny,
I felt that way for a bit, too.
When are doing an activity together, I provide the paper specific to the activity. Otherwise...
For "free" paper to write whatever they such as.. coloring, game scores, etc.. My husband brought home discarded printouts from his work. They were from those big printers with perforated two color sheets. The typing was only on the top half of one side, so we just used the other side. His company did not recycle them  , so he would bring them home for the children.
When the company was sold recently and my "recycled paper" source dried up, I bought a ream of inexpensive printer paper for $2-3.
Before the warm weather arrived, our daughter went through tons of paper. I encouraged her to use both sides. I want her to be creative, but not unnecessarily wasteful.
Another thought is to keep your eye out for paper that would work for your kids to have free access. I remember finding a legal ream at Staples for only $1.50. I have found bags of cards and small tablets grouped together at yard sales and thrift stores for about $1. Those are fun for playing 'waiter/waitress'.
The key is providing materials that are available to them whenever. For us, it is cheap paper and crayolas purchased in Aug/Sept. when they are really inexpensive for back to school. If I didn't provide supplies that are always available, they would "find" their own supplies and materials and the "good stuff" would be wasted and unavailable for when we need it.
Blessings,
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kristina
yesterthoughts
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jenk
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| Posted: June 10 2009 at 10:42am | IP Logged
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We have "special paper" (tracing, water color, etc...) that isn't free-for-all but a mistaken purchase led to something that works well for us. I accidentally bought a box of computer paper from Office Depot 5 or 6 years ago thinking it was printer paper. The box cost between $10 and $15 but ended up being the type of computer paper that is all linked together with perforation between pages and perforated side strips. I couldn't use it in my printer so it became our project paper. The kids have pretty much free access to it (I only have 2 boys but they both like to draw, paint, etc...) and we still have 1/2 a box left. It's an enormous amount of paper. I like it when I make that kind of mistake
I also found construction paper on clearance for .42 for a large pack at Target and bought several packages and I'm trying to get over my miserly attitude about construction paper- I used to dole it out by project.
One other thought, my oldest was pulling notebook paper like crazy to write stories. I want him to write but I don't like loose paper left all over... and he was using A LOT. I ended up buying him a pack of spiral notebooks (5/.99) during the back to school sales last year and when he wants to write stories, ideas or whatever, he uses one of his notebooks instead of going to the cache of notebook paper. He hasn't filled them up yet.
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Jen
with 2 boys, 14 and 8, and a girl expected 1/09
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SeaStar
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| Posted: June 10 2009 at 11:39am | IP Logged
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. I accidentally bought a box of computer paper from Office Depot 5 or 6 years ago thinking it was printer paper. The box cost between $10 and $15 but ended up being the type of computer paper that is all linked together with perforation between pages and perforated side strips. I couldn't use it in my printer so it became our project paper. The kids have pretty much free access to it (I only have 2 boys but they both like to draw, paint, etc...) and we still have 1/2 a box left. It's an enormous amount of paper. I like it when I make that kind of mistake
I inherited a box of paper like that from my dad's office when he retired.
That thing lasted YEARS!!! My dh kept saying it was the bottomless box. I used to invite my mom over to help me remove the side strips and separate the pages. The kids would play with the strips- it was like a paper party... 
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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LucyP
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| Posted: June 10 2009 at 1:41pm | IP Logged
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We have the same paper as Melinda and Jen! Actually three boxes inherited from my dad - and I have given away two boxes to home educating families already. It seems to last forever.
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LLMom
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| Posted: June 10 2009 at 1:48pm | IP Logged
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We use the back of paper from dh work for those quick projects and good paper for special keepsake items.
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Lisa
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homeschooling ideas
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Tami
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| Posted: June 10 2009 at 2:11pm | IP Logged
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I contacted a printer, once, who gave me **tons** of free paper. Told them I was a hs'er, looking for ends of rolls, etc.
I got rolls, card stock, 18x24 super glossy paper, etc, etc.
I had so much, I donated some to our local Christian school for their art department, where a friend of mine taught.
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God bless,
Tami
When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. (Nouwen)
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helene
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| Posted: June 10 2009 at 2:50pm | IP Logged
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Wow, Tami, that's the best situation!
We keep our paper in a tray on top of the fridge. The child who goes to the trouble to get or ask for a piece is usually pretty serious about using it well. We encourage using both sides and one piece at a time. I have about seven active artists and this seems to work well for us. I don't feel we are wasteful, but maybe I'll try contacting a printer, too!
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Karen T
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| Posted: June 11 2009 at 7:58am | IP Logged
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We, too, have a bottomless box of that old dot-matrix computer paper. My mom used to buy it by the ream back in the early to mid-90's when those types of printers were more common, and when she passed away I found 2 full boxes at her house. I've just left it all connected, though, and the kids are lazy about having to remove the side strips and tear it apart, so they will sneak the "good" printer paper if I'm not looking. Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and separate it all myself for them? I thought leaving it together was a good idea for when they needed a longer piece of paper for something but it never gets used like that.
Karen
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: June 11 2009 at 9:27am | IP Logged
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Karen T wrote:
| Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and separate it all myself for them? |
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A couple years ago, this was an 8-months-pregnant-dh-gone-do-while-watching-a-chick-flick-pr oject.  
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Suzanne in ID
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 11 2009 at 9:44am | IP Logged
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SuzanneG wrote:
Karen T wrote:
| Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and separate it all myself for them? |
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A couple years ago, this was an 8-months-pregnant-dh-gone-do-while-watching-a-chick-flick-pr oject. |
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Jen Mackintosh
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Topic: using too much paper
