Back on track. Ahem. 

My childhood ephemera was lovingly kept by my mother. But, it's here and there, up and down, this way and that way. Separated into random boxes, the occassional album and filed between the parents 1999 taxes and their dishwasher warranty.

As disorganized as I naturally am, I knew that I wanted to get this right. I also knew that if I didn't have a plan for all the paper treasures of my kids, they would be probably end up completely lost, destroyed or accidentally donated to Goodwill with my old textbooks. So early on I set up a plan.

When my first son was three and my second son was still cooking, I bought two large file bins. I labeled each one with their names, and later added a photo of each kiddo. I used hanging file folders and declared that each one would represent a period of time in their life: Conception to Age 3, Pre-K, Kinder, 1st grade, 2nd grade, so on and so forth. 

I do not keep every thing they draw or paint. I try to think of them at age 27, looking through their memories. I think of what would makes us crack up or cry or say "Well, this explains something about the human you turned into" when we looked at it. If the memento doesn't pass that test, I toss it. Without guilt. Because if there's TOO MUCH memorabilia, you'll never look at ANY of it. Keeping it minimal and manageable means you and your children and your children's children (oh geez, I'm crying again) will actually love rifling through this stuff. 

This is a small but special project that I am extremely proud of accomplishing. And, more significantly, sticking with. I keep a magazine file holder right in my "command center/drop zone" and when I'm going through backpacks or coming home from their school performance, I drop any memory-inducing items right into that folder. About two to three times a year I will pull down the file bins and sort everything into those bins, or toss if I've decided its no longer necessary. This eliminates the daily decision making, and gives me some distance from the actual momentous occasion. This helps me be reasonable about what I keep and what I throw out. 

The first box is full for my oldest now at 12. It's time for a second box to fill with his teen years. (Good God, tear ducts! Get it together!)

I highly encourage all new parents to set up a system for this sort of thing. My system is just one example, but you can do what works for you. Some people like scanning/photographing everything and eliminating the originals. Some people want individual file boxes for each year or phase. Some combine photos with documents, others don't. Find what works for you and stick with it. These are the days you'll want to remember. And if your memory is as bad as mine, you'd better keep the evidence.

Advertising disclosure: Some of the links will take you to stores where I get a commission if you buy something. I only link to products that I know will be helpful to you and that I personally love!