*Originally published July 4, 2021
Children grow so quickly…
Ever wonder how to hold onto your kids?
If only you could wrap your arms around them and just hold them forever!
Unfortunately, this is not possible.
But we can talk about the next best things!
Mama’s Story
I quickly learned, with my son, that the cute little things that he would say or do, would quickly vanish…and then morph into something new!
When I realized that, a cute little thing that he used to do, had now turned into something else cute that he was doing, I had an ultimate realization.
I realized, with a heavy heart, that those tiny moments of things that he would do in the past were now gone forever.
For example, he used to call pajamas, “jeems.”
Suddenly, one day out of the blue, he called them “pajamas.”
I was so taken aback, that I actually corrected him and told him that they were called, “jeems.”
And he said, “No, mama, they’re pajamas!” 
I was heartbroken!
I mean, it was great that he was learning to say the correct word, but I would never hear him call them “jeems” again!
(Sigh).
The following are some of the next best things that I have come to learn to do, so that I can hold on to my little ones forever!
*Some of the links within this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase an item, I receive a small compensation from certain items.
1. Write It Down!
It sounds daunting and like a task that you just don’t have time for, but really, you don’t have to write much at all!
I keep a little pad of paper in my bedroom and when the kids are occupied or when I am sitting on the toilet (Yup, that’s right! I use every spare moment that I can get!), I just jot down the date at the top of the paper and then tell about what my children said or did.
I write down milestones, funny little events that my children do and/or just the words that my son is saying and how he is saying it.
Sometimes, I will just make a list of the words that he is saying and the way that he is saying them.
This way, when he looks back on these memories of mine, twenty years from now, he will see that, on the date specified, he called mama’s hair dye “hair dial” or a computer a “pee-ah.”
I have a stack of papers this way and I keep them all in an envelope with my child’s name on it. 
None of them are in any order!
At least, not right now.
But, the moments are written down.
And that’s the important part.
They are recorded somewhere.
Keep it Safe!
Then, when the envelope is full of these memories and moments, I label them appropriately and put them in a fireproof box that I have. 
That way, if something happens where the house catches fire, they will be protected and the kids can look back on them if something happens to me.
It is important to make certain to label them appropriately so that, if something happens to you, your children will know which envelope of memories are theirs.
You can get some great labels for projects, like this, here.
Also, you can see my favorite little, colorful notepads that I use right here.
*Some of the links within this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase an item, I receive a small compensation from certain items.
2. Take Pictures!
Sounds like a no-brainer, but we tend to get so busy with our day-to-day life that we don’t think much about doing this, unless it is someone’s birthday or family gathering.
Take pictures of even the littlest moments!
I take pictures of the special moments, that I am in, with my children.
I look at the moment and think, “this is something that I never want to forget,”
Then, I whip out my phone, zoom in/out to try to get the right image and quickly snap!
It is so easy to do now-a-days because we have our phones with us all of the time, so you don’t have to hunt down a camera!
I have taken pictures of my baby holding onto my finger.
When her hand and my hand were together, I simply zoomed in on that and click!
I have that moment forever!
Perhaps, I am gettin’ personal here, but I have even taken pictures of my children nursing (minus the boob, of course – I didn’t want to get too explicit!) because, when I would look down at them looking up at me with those beautiful brown eyes, I just always wanted to remember those special moments!
Click! 
I love action pictures – not posed!
Action pictures, such as my son reading a book to his baby sister or letting the sand fall from the shovel when he is playing in the sandbox!
All of those itty bitty moments that you want to hold on to…
Just snap and they are yours forever!
3. Print Your Pictures!
Listen, we live in a day and age where everything is on a technological device or floating around in a cloud somewhere!
I am honestly annoyed when someone whips out their phone to show me pictures on a screen!
But, hand me photos that I can tangibly hold and move a little closer to my face to see details and such, and we’re golden!
I miss those days.
There was something special about being able to hold a photo in your hand and enjoy the view this way!
A lot of young people won’t even know what I am talking about!
Opening up a photo album or even scrapbooking an album are all days of the past.
Look, if something happens to you, others may not think to try to get into your phone and retrieve pictures.
Then, where will your pictures be?
Get Your Print On!
Take the time to print them off so that your children have access to them.
Write the date on the back of them!
Put them into photo albums or make a scrapbook. 
Why?
Because it is something tangible and more meaningful to hold onto!
You can check out a great way to print your pictures here!
Afterwards, you can put all of your precious memories in a nice photo album!
*Some of the links within this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase an item, I receive a small compensation from certain items.
4. Take Video
You can take video of special moments on your phone, but it will take up much room on your phone.
If you can, invest in a good video camera.
I did this right before my son was born and I was hesitant in investing so much money in it.
But something told me to.
So I did.
And it was one of the best investments that I ever could have made!
I have hours and hours of my son’s life and now I am accumulating hours and hours of my daughter’s!
I have the SD cards labeled and these, as well, go into the fireproof box so that they can always have these moments to look back on.
If you are interested in checking out a great video camera, you can find one here.
5. Keep Mementos
A locket of hair.
A score card from a miniature golf game.
Perhaps a kid’s menu from a restaurant that your child drew all over…
These little items and more can bring back so many good feelings and memories years from now!
When you engage in an activity with your child – one that you never want to forget – take something with you from that moment in time!
A Memento Example
When my son was a year old, I had told him to throw away the little foil wrapper that he was carrying around the house.
Well, he mistaken the bathroom cupboard for the trash can and I found that little piece of foil sitting right there in the cupboard a few days later when I went to put towels away.
Instead of throwing that little piece of foil away, I placed it in a plastic baggie, took a marker and wrote down why that little piece of foil had so much meaning.
Then, I placed it in a special memory box so that years from now, I could look back at that little piece of foil and remember how cute it was that my son mistaken the bathroom cupboard for the trash can! 
Little, itty bitty things like that can hold so much of your child for years to come!
Looking back at those souvenirs of time can also be the start of some stories that you may tell your kids or grandkids later on in life!
Only Take What Has Meaning
Don’t just take anything!
Take what has meaning for you!
It may be customary to save locks of hair from a child’s first haircut or the very first drawing that they did, but if those items and moments don’t mean all that much to you, then you don’t have to hold on to them.
Maybe some other items end up being more special to you, such as your child’s first birthday candle or a seashell that they found on the beach during a family vacation.
Make certain to place the items in a special place so that they can stay preserved for some time.
If you are interested, you can find a nice memory holder to put them in here.
Also, if you can, try to find a way to jot down what that item means to you and the date of the special event!
Mementos can be a great way to hold on to your little ones!
Whatever those special items are, take them with you into the future!
6. Ask Others
Everyone has their own perspective of a moment in time.
Your spouse may see your child’s special milestone a little differently than you may have.
Encourage others to jot down how they felt or what they witnessed in the moment!
Put, both, your perspectives of the moment and your spouse’s (or other caregiver’s) into a special envelope or booklet for your child to review one day.
I promise you, it will have so much meaning to them!
7. Truly Hold On!
When you are in the moment, take everything in!
Take in the smell of your child’s hair as you hold him close.
Listen to the sounds of the birds chirping or the washing machine running in the background. 
Note the weather – is the sun shining in the windows or is it overcast?
What time of day is it?
Suck in the feeling of the moment as though you will never have this moment again!
When we take the time to just slow down – just for a second – we can take in a whole lotta life that we would’ve otherwise missed.
May God Bless Your Special Moments and Your Special Memories!
Mama Morgan is a single parent by day and a writer by night! She is raising two, young children with special needs during a global pandemic. She aims to give other parents confidence, hope, and a practical, down-to-earth reading adventure through her own experiences. While Morgan is heavily focused on caring for her little ones, she is also dedicated to helping others and making the world a better place. Mama’s Grilled Cheese is just her delicacy!