Our Family Memory Bank #4: Put Yourself In the Picture

ByChristie Burnett

Making Family Memories: Put Yourself in the Picture

This month’s Our Family Memory Bank prompt came about when we were recently redecorating AJ’s toddler bedroom. I wanted to create a gallery wall of family photos for her to enjoy but I struggled to find any recent photos. We had a two terrible iPhone snaps of the four of us that were taken on our short break in January – and in each of them at least one family member was grimacing or had their eyes closed. There were a couple of lighthearted selfies of me with the girls taken on my birthday but Dad 101 was missing. And that was the best and most recent on offer. We hadn’t even managed to get us all in the one photo at Christmas! As for a shot of our extended family, it had been more than eighteen months since we had taken some photos at a family gathering – AJ doesn’t even recognise herself as a baby in them!

So my challenge to you this month is to get in front of the camera. Capture THIS moment, no matter if it is a big celebration or a regular, everyday, at home one. And then keep snapping regularly. Make yourself a recurring diary note to take a photo of your family if need be. Or check out the My Family and Me monthly project over at Clairey Hewitt.

And make sure you are ALL in the picture. Yes, even you Mum. Or Dad. Or whoever it is in your family that shies away from being in the picture. Your kids don’t care if your hair isn’t done or you are carrying extra weight or wearing your slouchiest, tracksuit pants. One day, they will look back on these snaps of today with fondness, with a smile and a laugh, as they remember with joy the memories that you made as a family. As the quote that started this whole series reminds us;

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. – Charles R. Swindol

Tell me honestly, when was the last time you snapped a photo of your whole family? With you included?

P.S. We also need to talk about getting these photos off the phone or computer and onto paper too! Anyone else years behind in getting their family photos actually printed???

Read more about the Our Family Memory Bank challenge here.

Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.