Here are her ideas for keeping memories:
- Keep a written journal for your child. Even before your child is born, you can purchase a journal and begin the entries. Write about your pregnancy—your feelings and experiences. After the baby arrives, write about his birth, his firsts, his holidays, his birthdays. This journal can be given as a gift to your child when you feel it is time that he can continue it on his own.
- Make a memory quilt. This can be made from scrap pieces of clothing that the child has worn, or embroidered with names and dates and pictures of important times for the child.
- Store items that will recall memories. Get a trunk or special box of some kind in which to keep special clothing, toys, quilts, booties—anything important to the child. This is a good place for gifts from grandparents.
- Record experiences on tape and film. You can use tape recorders to record your feelings for your unborn or to record the child’s cry, or laugh, or parties. With a camera, you can take slides, moving pictures, or snapshots. When taking pictures, don’t take pictures just of the children. Include pictures of yourself, grandparents, friends, and brothers and sisters.
- Use whatever talent you may have. Be creative. You can embroider or paint or exercise any talent you may have to prepare a history for your child. Think of something you can work with and stay with something you like. Don’t try to do everything. Pick one idea that is best suited for you and then keep with it.
So you can tell by her mention of slides and moving pictures that this article was written in 1982, but it does have merit, and we'll just update it to say digital media and MP3 files!
