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| | Rescuing Birthday Memories |
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| Faster than a speeding fire truck, children progress from one developmental stage to the next. Set aside some time each birthday to “rescue” important milestones in growth and development, preserving these for the future. Avoid being overwhelmed with this task by choosing only one or two methods to preserve these birthday milestones. |
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- A birthday memory book can record vital statistics, birthday memorabilia, and pictures of the birthday child. Some families take a photo of the child in the same setting each year. Chose a favorite chair, tree, or even a growth chart for this picture. Consider always snapping a photo of blowing out the candles, or sampling the birthday cake. Some families snap a picture of the child standing alongside her parents. That first time a youngster tops mom or dad brings triumphant smiles and a few tears. Reminiscing with the birthday memory book is a great way for children to gain a sense of their own history.
- Isn’t it amazing how a child’s voice changes from year to year? Record sweet baby sounds and early words on your child’s first birthday, then add to the recording each year. Children might enjoy singing a favorite song, telling a special story, being interviewed about the past year, or sharing a dream for the future. Be sure and label the tape, videocassette, or CD carefully and store with other important memorabilia.
- A simple composition book becomes a treasure when filled with a child’s birthday art. Encourage the birthday child to draw a picture each year: a self-portrait, a favorite memory, or even a picture of you. Over time, those first year scribbles will change into complex works of art.
- Little hands and feet grow rapidly during the early years. These can be pressed into clay, dipped into paint and printed on a tablecloth, or a matte board for framing, or simply outlined in a memory book. One mother shared that each year she creates a garden stepping stone with her child’s footprint, creating a path in the back yard. Children love to compare hands and feet to prints from past years. Label these with the child’s name and date.
- Write a letter to your child, sharing the growth and development seen in his life during the previous year. Record things that have made you proud, and several little ways you’ve seen him mature. Include a prayer or Bible verse for the future. Older children may want to keep these close at hand to read over and over again, so make a photocopy for the keepsake box.
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| Whatever method you choose, preserving a piece of your child’s development each year will provide treasured birthday keepsakes in the future. |
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