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Keeping a memory book is a simple way to document your child’s story as they grow up. It becomes a treasured gift that you can share with them when they are older. Find out how simple it is to get started.
Before we had children I used to love to scrapbook. Making creative pages filled with photographs and stories about our vacations and day trips, birthdays and Christmas gatherings.
It’s funny because I remember thinking I didn’t have enough stories to tell and how different it would be when we had a family.
Then the kids came along and scrapbooking went out of the window!
I just didn’t have the time or the energy for it.
My children are now seven and in the past few months I’ve started to journal as a form of story telling and memory keeping.
I call it a Memory Book, and it is super easy to do.
You don’t need endless supplies of scrapbooking paper or creative energy.
Just a simple notebook and a pen.
And in it I write the stories that I want them to know when they are older.
I write about the big things like day trips and vacations, and also the small things: what they like to eat, their favorite toy, what a typical day looks like.
Sometimes it’s simply words on a page, other times I paste in a photograph, or some ephemera like a candy wrapper.
I love the idea of them having a memory book to look through when they are older. To tell them the stories of their childhood that they might not remember.
How to Start a Memory Book for Your Child
Like I say starting your own memory book, or keepsake journal for your child is as simple as picking up a notebook and a pen and starting to tell their stories.
You can use any notebook, but if you’d like to buy one specifically for this purpose we have a wide range of different designs in our Zazzle store. Each one can be personalized with your child’s name.
The spiral bound books are available as letter sized or 8.5 inch square journals.
You can decide whether you want the paper to be lined or blank depending on your personal preference.
Bestselling Letters to My Daughter Memory Books
These are our bestselling Letters to My Daughter memory book designs.
Bestselling Letters to My Son Memory Books
And our customer’s favorite Letters to My Son memory books are in this collection.
It’s Never Too Late to Start Memory Keeping
It really doesn’t matter how old your child or children are.
If they are little you can tell their stories as they happen.
If they’re older you can do a mixture of documenting their stories and thinking back over the ones from their earlier childhood you want them to know about.
Memory Books Make Great Gifts for Grandma
It’s not just moms who enjoy keeping memory books for their children. Grandmas love to document their memories and tell their stories too.
We have a whole range of memory books in our store that make wonderful gifts for grandma.
Memory Book Writing Prompts
Writing Prompts to Help You Tell Their Story
If you need some ideas of the stories to keep in your memory book take a look through these writing prompts:
Tell them about how you found out you were pregnant.
Tell them how you felt the moment they were born.
Tell them why you chose their name.
Do they have any nicknames? How did they come about?
What is their hometown like? How did you come to be living there? Do you have a map you can include?
Write about the family home. Is it a house or an apartment? Do they have their own room? Take some photographs and add them in.
Write about their favorite book.
Do they have a toy that they carry with them everywhere? Where did the toy come from? Include a photograph or two.
What do they love most about school?
Write down the names of their best friends. Include some photographs.
Write about trips that you take as a family. Can you include ticket stubs or maps or postcards?
Tell them about the world events that are happening. You might want to include some newspaper clippings.
Write about their favorite foods. Tell them how much they cost, you might even want to include a wrapper or two.
Write about your family’s traditions.
Document a typical day in the life for them.
Write about something that they saved up to buy.
Do they have an allowance? Write about what they do to earn it and how they choose to spend or save the money.
Write about their birthday and Christmas gifts.
Include letters they write to Santa Claus
Write about milestones, when did they lose their first tooth, get their first haircut etc
Write about their favorite song.
Make a note of funny things they do that make you laugh.
Write a letter to them on the eve of each birthday.
Write a letter to them about your hopes and dreams for them.
Write a letter filled with advice for them as a partner and a parent.
Writing Prompts to Help You Tell Them Your Story
The memory book doesn’t need to be all about your child. You are a very important part of their story so set aside some time and pages to tell them about you too.
Here are some ideas of stories you might want to tell:
What do you wish you were good at?
What are your greatest fears?
What’s your favorite book of all time?
Do you have a song that triggers a memory when you hear it?
If you could have a do-over would you change anything in your life?
When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
Tell them 10 random things they don’t know about you.
If you could have three wishes what would you wish for?
Tell them about someone who was a positive influence on your life
If you could only do three things on your bucket list what would they be and why?
What legacy do you want to be known for?
If you could spend some time with anyone from history who would it be and why?
What is your favorite holiday and why?
Document a typical day in your life right now.
Write down a quote that means a lot to you and tell them why.
Tell them about a difficult time in your life and how you got through it.
Tell them about your relationship with your own mother.
Write about how you met their father.
Write about your first date.
If you are married tell the story of the proposal.
Click here to get the writing prompts as a PDF that you can print out and put inside your memory book for when you need them.
