When my two-year-old son starting talking in complete sentences, some of the words that came out of his little mouth were so adorable I didn’t want to forget them—like the time I brought him with me to the voting booth. On the way home he said, “Now that we voted, are we married?” Or the time he was talking on the phone with his daddy and asked, “If I spit in the phone will your ear get wet?”

I started recording his humorous sayings in a 5 x 7 chunky notebook. When my second son came along, followed by my daughter, the number of funny sayings tripled. So for each of my children, I kept a quote book which turned into more of a journal as they got older. I didn’t write in their books every day or even every week, but when I knew something was “journal material,” I’d jot down a short memo to myself so I would not forget to write it later. As my kids got older, the entries highlighted special events such as the first day of school, family vacations, birthday parties, and athletic or academic accomplishments. Sometimes I would write about a mother-child ah-ha moment, but I kept the entries short and easy to read. I avoided heavy or emotional subject matter since these were my kids journals and not my own. I focused on the positive and humorous things since children don’t need to be reminded of their failures.

One evening at the dinner table, I surprised my kids by reading some humorous excerpts from each of their books. Until that day, they didn’t know I was writing the journals. My kids laughed hysterically and begged for more. After that evening, they would often tell me about something that happened and add, “Be sure to put that in my journal!” I kept the journals until my kids got married, but before passing them on, I read through each one. What really surprised me was how much I would have forgotten if I hadn’t written it down.

Though I like the idea of giving them a handwritten account of their childhood years, if I were doing it today, I’d probably use the computer and keep a file for each child. Since most of us are on the computer at some time during the day or week, it would be easy to open your child’s file and add a few sentences. (Remember to back up the file on a flash drive or hard copy.)

If keeping journals for your children is not your thing, here’s an easy suggestion: each year on your child’s birthday, write him or her a letter. You can say anything you want in the letter, but include a few fun facts like their favorite game, food, or friends. You can also highlight events of the past year, like family vacations or holiday celebrations. Save the birthday letters in a folder or binder, and when your child turns eighteen, the letters will make a priceless birthday gift.

You may feel like you’ll be raising kids forever, but one day you’ll wake up and find that your child-rearing days are over. So love them now while you can, and preserve some of those precious memories so they will last.

Crystal Bowman