If you have not started a scrapbook or life book for your child, now would be a good time or start one. If you’re like me, you’re drastically behind in your updates. I have hundreds of pictures, but they haven’t made their way to the scrapbook yet, and when I think of the bill for getting the pictures printed, I just about faint.

The thought of starting, if you have as many pictures as I do, can be an overwhelming task. Trying to figure out where you start is one of the keys.

Holidays or “firsts” - Put pictures of your child from the “major” holidays into a scrapbook, or if there are firsts that you really want to capture, these can be your start. Maybe it’s a first haircut or a first day of school.

Put the pictures in – I used to think that I had to devote days and days and haul out all of my scrapbooking things in order to do the book. A “professional” scrap booker told me to just get the pictures in, and I can worry about adding the captions, fancy frames, or other embellishments later. The task doesn’t seem so overwhelming if you’re simply putting pictures in a scrapbook or lifebook.

Don’t worry about chronological order – Putting photos in chronological order can be nearly impossible unless your child makes significant changes in appearance or you have a date stamp on your computer. Don’t worry if you don’t put them in order. You can group pictures of your child sleeping, playing outside, or all of the Halloween pictures together.

Let your child participate – You can find a lot about your child through this activity. Maybe the holidays are not the most important thing to your child. Maybe it’s pictures of the entire family that need to be the primary focus. Maybe it’s pictures of a vacation you took. Let your child write some captions, or tell you what important details to record. There may be details that you have forgotten or don’t think that is important that your child will. Remember, this is their book so having them be a part of it will make it more special to them.

Scrapbooking is a very popular hobby, so finding things to get you started will not be difficult. Here are some links for products that can help you.

Creative memories

Adoption Shop scrapbooking supplies

Another thing you will want to do is keep a digital copy of your scrapbook. You can do this by putting your photos or a scanned copy of your scrapbook onto a CD and keep it in your safe deposit box or upload your photos to a site like Snapfish. There is nothing worse than losing your precious memories.

Enjoy this time with your child and recording those memories. Because you make it yourself, it will fit no matter what age your child is when adopted.

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