Memory boxes

[MairSss]

Hi I’m looking for ideas as to what to put in a memory box for my two children. I know it needs to be some things that are personal but am struggling for ideas other than a few photographs.
can anyone offer any ideas please?

First outfit, first shoes, a particularly nice drawing, funny notes, a notebook with funny things theyve said

I keep a diary type thing for my two. Every few months (when ever i stumble accross it and remember i havent put anything in for a while) i will put updates about what is going on in our lives/on the news/family events etc. I read back now and cry as it contains entries from the depth of my postnatal depression and how sorry i was to my oldest about how bad of a parent i was, to the day we went shopping for her first uniform, to my youngest being born, us moving house and so on. Its nice to read back things i had forgotten.

I’ve kept first shoes, very select bits of nursery artwork (usually only ones that contain a hand or foot print). School reports, the letter sent to the household on the first lockdown and photos. I got 10 matching photo albums when DD was a baby and do 1 for each year, I’ve also put in a few post it notes with an explanation of where we were or what we were doing on a couple of photos from each year.

The above idea of photos with written comments about that day sound lovely.

Do you mean a memory box from your children's lives to look back on? Or a memory box for your DC to remember you or someone else?

My 2 put their own things in when we get them out if they can’t remember why it’s there we take it out. I know that’s no help but if they are old enough why not ask them. We have a tissue we nans perfume on and a paper cut with painted fingerprints on.

I do this too. I have 4 kids and write short letters to them every 6-12 months or so about what they've been up to, funny little moments they've had etc, and I just tuck them away in the memory box to pull out when they're older. I always bloody cry when I'm writing them because they're probably going to read them as adults and it makes me emotional that that day will eventually come!

I think memory boxes are nicest when they stay quite edited, otherwise they turn into a storage project rather than something anyone will genuinely enjoy opening later.

If it were me, I would start with one short dated letter or note about who your child is right now, then add only a few things with an actual story behind them. A hospital band, one tiny outfit, a card with a message you loved, and a few printed photos is usually plenty. The dated note is often the bit that matters most later because it captures the ordinary details you assume you will remember and somehow do not.

If it starts getting too big, I would take that as a sign to be more selective rather than buy a bigger box. A small collection of meaningful things tends to feel much more precious than a huge box full of items you cannot place any more.

Mine are bursting now that they are young adults.
Every year on their birthday their father and I write a long message about their year, successes, what they have been up to and how proud of them we are, how much we love them.

We fill the card up, so it is quite the message.
They love them and they are in their boxes.
I hope they enjoy reading them when we are gone. I reckon they probably will be the greatest keepsake bar photos.