Let’s talk baby books.
As a parent, you’ve probably been given a baby book as a gift. Or you may have gone out and bought one for yourself.
And they sound great don’t they?
We start filling these with great gusto at the beginning. We’re grabbing cut outs and snapshots and adding them to the book’s various prompts.
But then the exhaustion kicks in.
You’re juggling all that needs to be juggled as a parent. And the baby book kind of goes on the back burner.
A few months later, you may find it hidden in a drawer, open it up for a quick reminisce, then feel totally guilty that you haven’t quite completed it.
Sound familiar?
Instead of Baby Books for Memories, Try Memory Boxes
The last thing you need when you’re a new parent is another thing on your to-do list like a baby book… and the guilt on top of it when you haven’t finished it.
So instead of a baby book, why not try a memory box?
Memory boxes are becoming very popular with parents who want to be able to keep the special bits ‘n’ bobs in one safe place, rather than being scattered all over the house.
When families come into my studio for their second or third baby portrait session, I ask them what kinds of things they keep in their memory boxes for their older children.
Some parents decorate boxes with paper, photos, and pretty things. Others go for the vintage suitcase look that can be handed down through the generations.
No matter what memory box they choose, there is one commonality – we really do keep everything!
What to Add to Your Baby’s Memory Box
It’s much easier to find your baby mementos when they’re in one place instead of tucked away in drawers full of ‘stuff’.
So if the idea of a memory box sounds intriguing to you…
Here’s a run down of things that we can keep:
- Letters (even ones from Santa)
- Clothes
- New born cards
- Birthday cards
- Photos
- Hospital name tags
- The yukky tummy button clip
- First shoes
- School uniforms
- Baby teeth (very kindly returned by the tooth fairy)
- Lock of hair from the first cut
- First ballet or tap shoes
- Awards, certificate and medals
- Cinema, theatre and concert tickets – and programmes
- Pre-school/nursery works of art
- First writing attempts
- Fancy dress/play costumes
- Handmade Christmas decorations
- Easter cards/eggs
- Newspaper from the day of their birth
- Sports team shirts
- …the unfinished baby book maybe?
One friend of mine started a diary which she wrote in every single day from her child being 6 months old!
If you have any other suggestions for special things to store in a memory box, I would love to hear them in the comments below.
They’re a great way to store the sentimental things to commemorate your baby’s childhood, even through a complete lack of organisation in your home.
You creating a memory box is a brave, precious mission that’s very worth it.
So when it’s time for your now grown-up baby to receive his/her memory box, they’ll love reliving each moment and memento witih you!
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About the photographer: Sue is a professional portrait photographer based in Harlow, Essex and she specialises in baby and child portraiture. Being a parent, she understands just how special your child is to you and her aim is to produce a collection of images that are natural and meaningful to your family. No two moments are ever the same and she wants to perfectly capture those early precious memories and the natural character of your child. For more information please call 01279 433392, visit the Sue Kennedy Photography website and follow Sue on Facebook or Instagram.
