by Lois Breneman, © April, 2003, Heart to Heart
I encourage each of you very busy moms to stop everything and take a minute to record your kids' quotes on paper, the moment they are said. No parent will be able to save all those treasures in their minds, so get out a pencil. The dullest pencil is still sharper than the sharpest mind. Forget the pretty journal, because it may never happen that way. I felt I would have had to write or print neatly if I were to use a journal, but scrap paper is not very intimidating! Scribbling is fine on that!
Simply keep small pieces of scrap paper handy with a pencil at several locations in your house. Then when you catch a precious gemcoming from the mouth of your babe, simply write the date and the first name of the child about whom you are writing, along with the quote or cute act. Be brief. Slip the priceless scrap paper into an envelope for safe keeping. Don't worry about neatness now. Just gather the cute quotes and information for now.
Simply keep small pieces of scrap paper handy with a pencil at several locations in your house. Then when you catch a precious gemcoming from the mouth of your babe, simply write the date and the first name of the child about whom you are writing, along with the quote or cute act. Be brief. Slip the priceless scrap paper into an envelope for safe keeping. Don't worry about neatness now. Just gather the cute quotes and information for now.
Then after twenty years or more, you can compile them all as you finalize your project. Put all the dates in order for each child's quotes and turn them into a priceless notebook to give to your sons and daughters as they are expecting their first child. It will be the best gift they could receive - a testimony of your love and commitment to them through the years as your precious children!
Recently before the birth of our daughter and son-in-law's first child, I gave them a book of the quotes out of the mouths of our babes - quotes by our daughter and her two brothers, with their permission, which I had typed out in Microsoft Word, after all those years. I also typed all the information from their baby books, including when each tooth came in, when they turned over, sat up, crawled, walked, and listed their favorite things, and so forth. All the words each child could say at a certain age were listed, along with many other fun facts and short stories about each child.
The educational record for each child, along with names of their teachers and friends were listed, from preschool through college graduation. All this was done in bits and pieces through the years though, and it was really a wonderful trip down Memory Lane as I typed this book!
The educational record for each child, along with names of their teachers and friends were listed, from preschool through college graduation. All this was done in bits and pieces through the years though, and it was really a wonderful trip down Memory Lane as I typed this book!
After all the typing was completed, I made a title page on card stock for each child's quotes and baby book information, punched holes in all the pages and inserted them all in a half-inch notebook binder.
Colorful scrap paper (an 8 1/2 x 11" paper torn into fourths) was inserted into the inside back pocket for the expectant mother, our daughter, to record her own child's quotes, with a possible future example: 11-23-04 - Justin Daniel - "I wuv ew, Mommy!" Some day our two sons and daughters-in-law will receive a copy.
Colorful scrap paper (an 8 1/2 x 11" paper torn into fourths) was inserted into the inside back pocket for the expectant mother, our daughter, to record her own child's quotes, with a possible future example: 11-23-04 - Justin Daniel - "I wuv ew, Mommy!" Some day our two sons and daughters-in-law will receive a copy.
During the first month our daughter spent a lot of enjoyable time reading that book while nursing her baby late at night. While her dad and I spent a week with them, she and I also had fun reading and laughing about some of the things she and her brothers said, as she nursed her baby. She told me last week how much she really likes that book because she can see some things she did at Justin's age, and know more what to expect of him.
Examples of Kids' Quotes:
One evening as 3-year-old Joy was ready for bed:
Joy ~ "Mommy, why are the lights all off in the family room and your bedroom?"
Mommy ~ "Because we don't need to be in those rooms right now."
Joy ~~ "Well, Jesus doesn't like that! It's all dark!"
Mommy ~ "Why doesn't Jesus like that?"
Joy ~ Because Jesus is God and God is everywhere and He wants to see!"
(We had been teaching some simple Bible doctrine in our family devotions.)
Mommy ~ "Because we don't need to be in those rooms right now."
Joy ~~ "Well, Jesus doesn't like that! It's all dark!"
Mommy ~ "Why doesn't Jesus like that?"
Joy ~ Because Jesus is God and God is everywhere and He wants to see!"
(We had been teaching some simple Bible doctrine in our family devotions.)
Jeff at 4 years ~ Jeff was playing with Legos and made a nice, rather unique car. Mom asked, "Did you design that car by yourself or did you copy one of the pictures?"
Jeff said, "I just thinked it up and made it!"
(Today he works as a mechanical engineer, in design, so Moms, encourage creativity. That potential often shows up early.)
Jeff said, "I just thinked it up and made it!"
(Today he works as a mechanical engineer, in design, so Moms, encourage creativity. That potential often shows up early.)
Jamie at 4 years ~ We had a small stream in our back yard (still do) with frogs every spring. One day Jamie excitedly came to me after close observations down by the stream and asked, "Do you know how frogs make their eggs? They shigger their feet and eggs come out, and they are black!"
So Moms, you could give your children this very treasured gift some day when they are about to become a parent themselves. Grandmas can help keep track of their grandchildren's quotes as well. While talking with your children, always ask about the latest quotes from the mouths of your grandchildren, and of course, record those you hear yourselves.
So Moms, you could give your children this very treasured gift some day when they are about to become a parent themselves. Grandmas can help keep track of their grandchildren's quotes as well. While talking with your children, always ask about the latest quotes from the mouths of your grandchildren, and of course, record those you hear yourselves.
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