Why Less is More When Saving your Children's Keepsakes
Happy Thursday, friends! I am thankful for your return as we delve into the topic of minimalism, in regards to our children's keepsakes. These meaningful items have the ability to drive us to tears of joy, or overwhelming insanity! Unfortunately, I've spoken to numerous moms who find that often times they experience the latter. That's right, you may be the sentimental mom who is unable to part with all those binkies your precious baby sucked on, the bins upon bins of newborn clothes, or perhaps even their umbilical cord stump! No judgment here, but my husband and I planned to do the same because our son's baby book had a special place to hold the cord stump...yeeaaaaaah, NO! We couldn't bring ourselves to keep it!! (I guess it was the germaphobe in us!) Anyway, I thought I'd share my own positive childhood experience, and offer some perspective, in regards to keepsakes!
This past Sunday, I put my five month old daughter in my pink, collared, polka dot dress and shoes that I wore as a baby! (You can imagine how full my phone gallery is since then!) Witnessing my daughter in my baby clothes, after all of these years, made me so thankful to have a mother that cared enough to save and preserve it for such a time as this. How special!
As a busy mom of four kids, I'm so thankful my mother didn't hoard garbage bags of childhood belongings to pummel us with once we left the nest. Instead, she saved the sweetest of handpicked items based off things we really loved as children, or that truly meant something to her. She neatly placed them in a single bin, and wrote our names with black sharpie on a slab of duck tape. Some examples of things she saved: baby blanket, one year baby book, a few favorite outfits growing up, a few selected dolls and stuffed animals, some birthday cards, well graded school essays, and a general photobook of us growing up, etc. As you can see, it was a healthy variety of things! Often times when my siblings and I would play in the attic, we would rummage through our respective bins, and reminisce down memory lane. What I appreciated most was that the hard work of choosing had already been done for us. The only job we had when it came to our single bin of memories, was to enjoy them.
My mother consciously did this over time for all of us four kids, so I know it can be done! Once we finally left the nest, we were all given our respective single bins. We could then do with them as we pleased-no pressure, no guilt. Her organizational skills with each child's sentimentals really taught me the importance of prioritizing. I learned that items can remind us of memories, but they are NOT the key to enjoying them. There were so many other unforgettable moments in my childhood that never made it to that bin for one reason or another. This is what made the keepsakes she saved even more special, and those unsaved memories even more precious.
My mother's thoughtful gesture of minimalism was like a love letter to each child. It showed us how closely she paid attention to the tiniest details in our lives, enough to specifically choose certain memories over others. I am very grateful for this meaningful system of love, and I plan to do the same for my own children with full confidence! I hope this personal childhood story has given you some perspective on a more minimalist approach when selecting your child's most special keepsakes.
Whether your loving mother gave you a million treasured items, or just a few, she is still a great mom! Now, the time has come for you to choose how and what you will save for your children!
So mamas, out of curiosity, what are some things you plan to save? Leave your response in the comments below! Have a wonderful rest of your day!
Cool, Calm, and Collectedly Yours,
Laura
