Are you in need of some family bonding time? Try pulling out your family photo albums and watch as your kids gather in close to see a piece of their past. Family photos have a magical way of drawing the generations together.
From the older adults who love to reminisce about days gone by to the younger family members who crack jokes about their older relatives’ hairdos and clothing choices. There is something to interest everyone because, honestly, who doesn’t enjoy seeing their life story treasured in a book?
While many older generations have photos, some black and white, others grainy or faded, fewer families are making family photo albums of their lives today.
Life has changed in the last 25 years with the invention of digital photography, and family photographs have changed, too.
A roll of film used to have 24 photos that you carefully took and then sent off to be developed. Now we have digital cameras on our phones that can snap 24 pictures in as many seconds. Instead of a few treasured photos, we now have hundreds of one event. We snap every aspect but then fail to make them accessible. Instead, we go back through our phone’s camera rolls, sorting through thousands of photos for that one we wanted to share with someone.
By not printing our photos or placing them in a book for our family to look through, we miss many opportunities to impart family history, values, and wisdom as we reminisce together. We think we will remember the story behind the photo and will tell our children someday. However, the reality is, we may lose all our photos if we misplace or damage our phones. If we have thousands stored, our children may never see the important points in their lives, like their birth, birthday parties, religious ceremonies, or graduation.
How can we change this to give our family their memories in printed format?
Start simple.
I encourage you to write down a simple list of what you want to share with your child and locate those photos.
It can feel overwhelming to think of the thousands of photos that need to be sorted. However, most phones arrange the photos in the order of date taken. You can scroll back through the dates to special events, picking those photos to print.
When picking photos to print, try to simplify them even more.
Find your favorite four to six photos of your baby’s first steps. Use just enough to share the event and fill a photo album page. If you print all two hundred images that you took on that day, your child will be bored long before they look at every photo.
Once your photos are printed, slide them into a simple album. If you are more techie, skip printing by uploading them to any of the online shops that make digital photo books.
When beginning your family photo album, make sure to leave room on your page to write down some notes about the photo. Include:
- Who is in the photo? It is difficult to decide if that cute little diapered bum belongs to Big Brother or Little Sis.
- What age is your child?
- Record the year the photo was taken.
- Add the small details. What house you lived in, the model of car you drove, or where you worked.
- Your thoughts or anything else you want to share with your child, “At this age, you look just like your Uncle Joe.”
Include mementos in the album, a lock of hair, piano recital awards, or report cards. The options are endless, and the results are unique.
I placed baby socks, a birth certificate, footprints, and a lock of hair in my books. This was a great reminder of how tiny my child once was. In my older kids’ books, I placed sports awards, driver’s ed certificates, and a copy of the high school diploma. I have penned letters to my children, sharing my hopes and prayers for them as they grow. Adding scriptures that emphasize the essential parts of our faith was also an important part of my books. Albums preserve and share things of value that I want to be passed on to future generations.
Take the time to create your family heirloom. Try casually laying the book on the coffee table when the family gathers. It’s amazing how irresistible a family photo album really is.
For more inspiration to print your photos, see “Organizing your Memories with Family Yearbooks.”
Want to get the kids involved in the fun? Let them make their own photo books.
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of OKC Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.
