When you have your first child, and you are trying your best to navigate your way through those first few weeks of learning how to care for a newborn baby, it feels as though time stands still. You wonder if and when you will ever have a moment for yourself again. The reality is that, before you know it, your little one will be all grown up and leading a life of their own!
When this happens, you’ll find that you cherish those wonderful memories all the more – it helps if you have found clever ways in which to preserve them, though. Here are some ideas.
Memory blankets
Be sure to hold onto your children’s old t-shirts even after they have long grown out of them. These days, it is possible to use them to create gorgeous memory blankets that make for a wonderful gift for yourself or for your kids themselves. These blankets look like quilts, with each square being an old t-shirt sewn together to craft a snuggly creation that will keep the lucky recipient warm and comforted for many years to come.
Record family interviews
A picture is worth a thousand words – but can it tell an actual story from start to finish without skipping a single important detail? Probably not. Do something different and opt to record family interviews alongside the pictures that you take at special events or when away on vacation. It is a good idea to record funny family stories and moments so that everyone can look back and laugh at family gatherings. Alternatively, you can record the interviews on a rotational basis and encourage each interviewer to think of a few interesting questions to ask the interviewee.
Create a time capsule
Almost all kids made and buried their own time capsule back at school in the 90s. Now is the time to revive this tradition – the only difference is that you won’t bury it. Instead, you’ll keep it stashed away in the attic (or anywhere else that’s safe) and open it 10 – 20 years from the time that you make it. Encourage each family member to contribute something special to the capsule, such as favorite photographs or a letter to their future selves. It is also a lovely idea to get the kids to write down what they want to be and do when they grow up. It will be a wonderful experience to crack the capsule open and see how many of those dreams and ambitions actually came true.
Start scrapbooking
Not only will scrapbooking allow you to preserve special memories, but it is also a relaxing pastime great for managing stress. You can get as creative as you want with the resources that you have or head online to shop for scrapbooking kits to fit in with your chosen theme. Why not get the children involved, too?
While it is important to live in the moment, the whole point of life is to savor experiences that you will enjoy both at the time and looking back many years into the future. Now you know how to capture them to perfection!