Creating Memories

One of my favorite things about being a parent is the opportunity I have to create memories for our kids. I am a sucker for fun family activities and my sole purpose in life is for these kids to grow up thinking they had the best mother ever, who did lots of fun things with them. I know that might not be a realistic goal, but it doesn’t hurt to try! One thing I’ve noticed with our oldest child, who is almost 6, is the fantastic memory he has. He is constantly talking about the fun things we’ve done or that he’s done with other friends or family. He loves to reminisce about old times! It’s rather cute, since his old times are only a few years in the making.

Creating memories is a rather easy thing to do, and quite simply doesn’t cost a dime. Sometimes we feel that we have to go on huge elaborate trips or spend a ton to do fun things, and that simply is not the case. The little things you do go a long way, and most likely, will be remembered more. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but my favorite part about my childhood was the food coloring my mother used during the various holidays to make things fun. There is a plethora of simple things you can do with your children that they will enjoy. This evening we decided to go for a drive, but the car was running on empty. We stopped to get gas, and got a deal on a car wash. My husband, who loves to detail our cars at home, thought it would be fun to take the kids through a car wash, since it had probably been a year since we had done so. You would have thought we took the kids to Disneyland. They were so excited. Our baby, who will be 1 next week, didn’t know what to expect. When the water started his eyes instantly got huge and then he giggled through the whole wash. The other two kids asked questions about what all was happening and had a ball. It was such a simple little experience, but they talked about it the whole time we were on our drive. What made the experience more enjoyable was the fact that we hadn’t done it in such a long time. So, don’t feel like you have to create these memories everyday.

Other memories that are fun for your children to remember are simply the little things you do at home on a daily basis. I cannot sing to save my life, yet I love to sing to our children. The other day our little baby boy was fussy with his teething, and I picked him up to rock him and started singing to him. As I was signing, our oldest child said, “Hey Ma, is that the only song you know?!” I replied by telling him that of course I knew other songs. I sing with them all the time. He responded by saying, “Well, you always start with that one, and then we help you with the rest!” Without thinking, I, obviously, start with a song that I think is the most soothing before singing anything else. Our son noticed that, and will most likely, remember that song the most when it’s time to sing to his babies.

I have always wanted a strong bond with our children, but I especially yearn for a strong connection with our daughter. What woman out there doesn’t want their daughter to call their mother their best friend?! Our daughter just turned 3 a few weeks ago, yet I’m already training her to realize that we are best friends! When I tell her I love her, I always say “BFF - best friends forever!” It’s way cute, because she will say it back to me. We’ll see if she’s still saying that when she’s 16! The point in doing this is to help her feel more connected in our relationship. I have fun nicknames for our boys as well, that they love to hear. The little routine things you do are so important in establishing your children’s identity in the home. They need to feel they belong and that they are truly loved and wanted. There are so many ways to do that. Just play into each one’s personality to find what fits for each one. All of our babies have enjoyed when they wake from their naps that I get all excited and animated about them having woken up. I get all silly and excited and ask them how well they slept. Our baby, who seems to be quite the little joker, loves it when I come into his room loud and giggly. He’ll stand up in his crib and start jumping. It puts him in a good mood in the morning or after a nap.

So, take some time and start thinking of the simple things you can do for your children to make their childhood more memorable. They will love the extra effort you are putting into enriching their growing lives. A simple place to start is to do the things you always wanted to do as a kid! My husband and I are constantly saying that we are reliving our own childhoods all over, and then some, vicariously through our children! You’ll have a ball along the way as well!