Unclutterer Forums » Topic: Early Years Keepsake Box

Unclutterer Forums » Topic: Early Years Keepsake Box http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/early-years-keepsake-box The community for people interested in home and office organizing. en-US Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:57:08 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://unclutterer.com/discuss/search.php pkilmain on "Early Years Keepsake Box" http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/early-years-keepsake-box#post-7754 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:54:22 +0000 pkilmain 7754@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ Hmmm. I was born in the era when mothers made baby books for their kids, and as the first child, mine was more complete than those that followed. :) I enjoyed looking at this book the whole time I was growing up, and I still have it. It has the lock of my hair, the footprints from the hospital, the bill, cards from friends/family and lots of photos (B&W!) Other than that all I have is two photo albums (which I'm in the process of scanning, my report cards and diplomas, and a manila envelope with letters from boyfriends and a journal I kept in college (never had one before or after). None of this takes up much room and is really not a part of my clutter problem. I don't have any kids, so the issue of what to keep of their stuff has never come up.... lucy1965 on "Early Years Keepsake Box" http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/early-years-keepsake-box#post-7750 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:14:56 +0000 lucy1965 7750@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ Like chacha, I'm not terribly sentimental, but I did prepare a locket for my son with the first cut lock of his hair and a photo of his father and I holding him. There are other photos of him in an electronic display frame and backed up to a stick drive (this was also an unbelievably popular gift for his grandmothers). As a note for further thought, our carefully kept immunization records proved for naught when his university required titers for admission after an outbreak of mumps on campus -- just as well, as DS needed boosters. camellia tree on "Early Years Keepsake Box" http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/early-years-keepsake-box#post-7749 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:01:04 +0000 camellia tree 7749@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ I have inherited family keepsakes and recently discovered a box like this of my mother's (she was born in 1953). In it was- no joke- FROSTING, which I imagine must have been a flower on a cake or something. The scary thing is that it held up remarkably well. Before you put anything away, you might want to imagine what it will be like in 50 or more years, because if it is nicely boxed away it could last that long. Personally I would toss the umbilical cord. What was wonderful to see were all of the cards my grandmother received when my mother was born. They were beautiful, and besides the fun of seeing messages written by relatives who are no longer alive, I think these cards would make a very pretty collage if framed. I think an important point with a box like this is to keep it small enough that it will never get banished to a basement, where it is sure to get ruined. Keep all of the best, prettiest, nicest, things and all of the happiest memories, toss the rest. chacha1 on "Early Years Keepsake Box" http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/early-years-keepsake-box#post-7748 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:46:08 +0000 chacha1 7748@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ I'm probably not representative, because I'm unsentimental. The only things I wanted from my childhood were official records (from the hospital, immunizations, report cards, etc) and things I had written - about my hopes & dreams, stories, poems, etc. I would have liked to have the chance to go through that kind of thing and decide what I wanted to keep. My X-Games of Uncluttering mom, however, threw it all out when I left for grad school. Oh well! Bobbi on "Early Years Keepsake Box" http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/early-years-keepsake-box#post-7744 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:49:17 +0000 Bobbi 7744@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ 18th birthday - Probably not a good time unless they ask for their memorabilia. Going to college, moving a lot, etc. Wait until he/she is expecting their first child or get to the age when their personal history is important to them. Let them know the box is there and they can have it anytime. They just might not be ready to "cart it around." I think this issue is more about your dad than your memorabilia. Talk it through with someone you consider safe. At least he gave them to you. Some parents throw them away without asking. Claycat on "Early Years Keepsake Box" http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/early-years-keepsake-box#post-7743 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:38:23 +0000 Claycat 7743@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ I think that's a good idea, ozegal. Everything except the umbilical cord. :P I have kept way too much of my son's paper stuff. I need to go through and just keep representative examples. I also need to weed through the other things and give him what I think he would like to have. I won't give him too much, because his wife won't appreciate it. (I already know I can't include any letters and photos of little girls he was friends with.) I have two file boxes of his things. He is my only child, so I know I went overboard. The boxes are in a stack of other boxes of sentimental paper, which is my worst clutter problem. So, watch out for the paper monster! :) JuliaJayne on "Early Years Keepsake Box" http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/early-years-keepsake-box#post-7741 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:09:56 +0000 JuliaJayne 7741@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ My mother gave me and my brother similar boxes the first Christmas after my son was born. It was very meaningful to me and it was nice to go through. There were also things like report cards or assignments with notes written on them from teachers, a couple of notes I wrote to her when she was on the phone. A note to my brother after we had a fight. Drawings she felt were unique. Some of it was hilarious. After the holidays, I didn't know what to do with it, so I threw most of it away. ozegal on "Early Years Keepsake Box" http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/early-years-keepsake-box#post-7739 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:48:29 +0000 ozegal 7739@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ Just wondering if anyone else does this? When i left home, my dad was pretty angry with me. He packed all my baby items into a box and gave them to me (I think out of spite - but what the hey, I loved getting all those things). I should say that 7 years on, our relationship is repaired to a point, but i don't think I will ever forget the lack of sentiment behind him giving these things to me like he had tried to erase me from his life. The things I'm talking about are my immunisation record (I didn't know I'd had German Measles), my first tooth and lock of hair, mine and mum's hospital bands from when i was born, my first drawing etc. When i had my own children I spent a lot of time poring over this little box, dreaming about whether my baby would have fine hair like this etc. So I thought I'd collect these items for them, to give either when they move out, or on their 18th birthday - I trust it will have a better feeling than my father gave me mine in :) The only trouble I have is what NOT to keep. I have a large shoe box for each child tied with a ribbon - so space is deliberately limited for a start. I have kept first pair of shoes, the outfit they wore home from the hospital, their umbilical cord, a lock of hair, hospital bands... I also write them a letter or poem every 6 months or so, when i am feeling particularly sentimental, to let them know what was going on in their and our lives at the time... What did you keep from your babies early years? Does anyone else give these things to their children, or do they keep them for themselves?