Saving School Memories

For the very first time as a mom, I went school shopping for my little one. He just turned three, and let’s just say, this whole preschool thing is very emotional. Every time we do something, even the tiniest thing, to get ready for the big day, I nearly break down in tears. Seriously! It happened when we pre-registered and I was filling out his paperwork, when I got the school supply list in the mail, when I shopped for those supplies and when I put the tuition check in the mail. Needless to say, I am going to be a complete mess on his first day. I hope I don’t freak him out.

Despite all of that, I am so excited for him! I loved school and I’m hoping to pass that excitement for learning on to him. I also plan on documenting his school days by saving some of the most meaningful artwork and activities. My parents weren’t very good memory savers, so I don’t have hardly any keepsakes from my school days. My husband has a few mementos that his mom saved. They are very dear to him, so I definitely want to do this for my son. The question is… what stays and what goes? I already have a large file full of his coloring pages he gets at church. I mean he’s barely coloring Noah and the Ark, maybe a scribble here or there, and I am saving them! I know this is crazy, so that’s when I started looking for help… and where did I go? Pinterest, of course.

I’m on Pinterest, but I’m definitely not on it every night. However, when it comes to organization ideas, that’s exactly where I go and once again, those savvy Pinterest moms did not disappoint. Here are some of my favorite ideas. It’s going to be hard to find just one.

Keepsake Boxes

This mom created a file by labeling it with her children’s name, grade and year. Once the school year is over, she transferred the files into a keepsake box. Her idea is to give her kids just one box full of 12 files once they graduate. She’s also keeping the files thin by saving just 20 pieces of paper over the school year.

http://www.echoesoflaughter.ca/2010/06/organizing-your-childrens-year-end.html

Create Scrapbooks With Meaning

This mom is making scrapbooks for each year, and she had some great ideas on how to make them more meaningful:

1.     Create a list of your child’s favorite things (food, songs, books, etc.)

2.     Take photos of your child in their favorite outfit or with their best friend

3.     Have your child write a letter to him/herself about how the year went. I love this one! Moms get to be the secretary for the little ones. I can’t wait to hear what my little guy has to say to me for this one. He’s a character and has a big imagination.

http://fabulouslyorganizedhome.com/2013/06/06/the-weekend-organizer-collect-organize-school-year-memorabilia/

Digital Memories

Finally, you can go the digital route. I know there are a ton of companies that do this type of memory keeping, so I’m not going to list them all. The idea is to scan your child’s artwork or other papers into your computer and then throw out the originals. This appeals to me because you have an infinite amount of space to save your child’s scribbles and you don’t have to make the hard decisions. You can create books from these digital keepsakes and even give your child that hard drive once they graduate… or whatever we will be saving files on by then.

Bottom line, if you don’t yet have a plan on saving your child’s school papers, try and come up with one… even if you save just a couple of things a year. Speaking from experience, I wish my parents had saved that first drawing I brought home from Kindergarten, my first poem or short story. I would love to have known what 3-year-old Emily was thinking back then.

What unique ways are you saving your child’s school memories?