Being a parent is full of lip-biting, hair-raising and heart-fluttering moments that will have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief more times than you change nappies, but nothing is better than being there for those little and large first times. Picking out their first shoes, going on your first cinema trip, first visit to the zoo or Coral Island, first day of school, driving test, rugby match, Valentine’s Day Card, and all those other pinch-yourself-moments. Basically, the life of a parent is full of moments you don’t want to forget, which is why we all want to preserve these precious memories for our kids to enjoy when they get to an age they will actually care (and not just yawn). That’s where a memory box comes in.
It gives you a super-easy way to collect all those magical memories for your children while keeping them safe for the 18 years between now and the day you hand them over. With that in mind, we have pulled together a few essential pieces of advice to help you create the perfect memory box for each of your children:
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Choose The Perfect Box
The first step is bringing home the perfect box, in which there is only one rule to adhere: make sure it is durable. It doesn’t matter if you go for a deliciously pretty and intricately decorated box that has a fabric lining and a lid covered in jewels or a box that’s plain wood, just make sure it is durable. This memory-keeper is going to be around for a long time. It’s going to be hauled from the basement to attics, garages to closets and that means something durable, something waterproof, something you can close and something you can lock with some combination padlocks, just in case. Oh and big. Really big. Because 18-plus years means a lot of collecting things.
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Collect Straight Away
The moment you have kids you should start filling your memory box with little keepsakes and memorable items. It can be anything you like, but to help you on your way pop in things like their hospital bracelets, your birthday cards, a lock of their hair, your favourite outfits, photographs, school report cards, first shoes, cuddly toys, dried flowers, letters, recipes of their favourite meals, postcards from all your family vacations, birthday jewelry, receipts from this and that and anything else that will remind you of a super-special moment in their life.
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Fill It To The Brim
The first thing to do is run around the house – and your parent’s house – gathering up all the things you can and then loading these into each child’s box. Don’t worry about labelling everything if you don’t want to (parents are time poor anyhow), but if you think you’ll forget the origin of something, you can always attach a little label with a note on it, or if a little trinket or something is linked more to a sentimental memory.
Once you’ve done this, all you need to do is keep it up.
*Contributed Post
