DEAR HARRIETTE: My twin sons are now 10 years old. I have every drawing and sculpture they have created since they were born. My house is overflowing with this stuff. Meanwhile, they are on to Legos and electronic toys.
I need to get rid of some of their old projects, but I feel guilty. They don’t seem to be attached to much of it, but I think about when they get older. I bet I will want to pull out some of these projects to show them. I can’t figure out what to do. What do you recommend? -- Memorabilia, Jackson, Mississippi
DEAR MEMORABILIA: Make technology your new best friend! Take digital photos of your children’s artifacts and store them in a folder that is appropriately titled. When something is very special, invite your boys to tell you a story about the item. Videotape the story as they show the item, and store that away.
For artwork or sculpture that seems particularly impressive, keep those precious items and make them display pieces for your home. Or you can even pack those away in a specially marked box to pull out and “embarrass” your sons when they are adults.
Because you can create a digital record of their journey as children, you will not be throwing away the memories, but instead keepsaking them in a way that is manageable for your physical environment and respectful to the journey you have taken together. It’s a win-win!