Adding Memory Triggers to Your Family Photos & Why You Should Be Doing It

April 29, 2021  •  Leave a Comment

The only constant in life is change. Every season is new adventures, challenges, and with that comes new memories.

 Every mom is familiar with the bittersweet moments of packing up infant onesies and bringing. out the toddler clothes, or exchanging baby car seats and blankets  for a walker, then a drum set, and eventually a car I suppose...I am glad I haven't gotten to that one yet!

kids jumping on the bed smiling and laughing san antonio texas kids photographer

Sometimes, those clothes, toys, pieces of jewelry or bedroom decorations get switched out without us fully realizing the significance and importance it has to our child. Have you ever had a child chase after something you were dropping at a donation station, or do you remember a favorite toy from your childhood that you don’t recall giving away, it just sort of disappeared at some point? 

Once we're older, many of the little details about day to day life from our childhood is blurry. For reasons I'll never fully understand, our minds will select some (seemingly random) moments to be perfectly preserved in our memory bank, and others that dissipate into oblivion. 

However, maybe you have experienced what it's like to have a moment that you didn’t know you could recall, come rushing back to you. Maybe it's a feeling, a scent, a color, or a place that triggers vivid details of your years past to the forefront of your mind. 

There is something so interesting about reliving moments that you had forgotten, it's easy to see why so many of us seek out ways to experience nostalgia. 

Well nowadays, with cell phones rivaling the camcorders our mothers had, we have the ability to preserve our children's "good old days" with convenience unlike ever before.  I am willing to bet you snap a photo of your child at least once a day, if not 10 times a day! Is that true?

I am the same way, and it got me thinking...how can I make the many photos I take of my kids REALLY count? Which photos will withstand the test of time, and be the ones they really treasure in their adult years?

My answer? The photos that are CHOCK FULL of memory triggers. 

The one that gives them a glimpse back into their childhood bedroom. 

The one that shows them with their favorite stuffed bear. 

The one that depicts them playing a game with their siblings, a game that was their favorite thing to do for a few years, until one day they didn't play it and soon it was forgotten. 

The one of you reading their favorite book to them. 

The one of them having their favorite snack at Grandma's house... oh how I WISH I had a photo of seven year old Mia enjoying a cup of coffee milk on my granny's porch, it's one of my favorite memories from my summer stays at her house. 

We are used to reaching for our camera when something NEW and exciting is happening, but let this be a reminder to record the little things in your day to day life that may not seem extraordinarily special. Right now, it  probably feels like you could never forget about the millions of breakfasts you served your kiddos, but in ten years? You may want to look back and recall with your kids what your Monday morning go-to breakfast routine was like. With that, will rush back a wave of emotions and memories of packing the kids up for school, sipping your room temperature coffee, and realizing how quickly those days did go by after all. 

Sorry, is someone cutting onions in here? Please stop. 

So, now that I have hopefully convinced you that  thinking of these memory triggers is important momming business, here are some ideas to fire up the thought train. Idea of things your kids may one day wish you had recorded. Shoutout to my mom who took a picture of me holding my favorite, totally outrageous, hamburger purse. I am sure it's rotting away in a landfill now, but man I adored that thing until one day I just forgot about it...or it was taken away without my approval. 

If you want to include the most important piece of all... MOM then book a session with me.  I encourage you to make the most out of your storybook session by cramming your favorite things about your family into a time-capsule of a photo session. What are some favorite activities you do together? What places do you like to go? What pets did your children have growing up, what do your kids like to wear? Do they have pictures of doing their favorite activities with Grandma? I love adding these precious moments into your session, making the photos even more of a priceless generational treasure. 

I would love it if you tell me in the comments what your favorite photo is from your childhood, or an object that you really wish you had photos with!

I’ll share something with you first. Whenever one of us comes or goes, we have a family hug. My husband and I haul the kids up into our arms and squeeze them between us. We used to call it a “Mia sandwich” but since little brother came along, we call it “family hug!”. My favorite part is that the kids will request it, Jaxon reaching up and asking for a family hug in his two year old babble, and then the kids will holler “Lucy! Lucy!” until our dog hops up next to us and is part of the hug. I can’t wait to get one of our family hugs on camera. ❤️

Next up, we will talk about how it’s best to print and preserve those memories, or create memory boxes with photos, so subscribe to my email list if you want to get in on that freebie!

 

 



 


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