In the previous blog post entitled, Preserving Personal and Family Narratives: We All Can Be Storytellers we talked about the variety of persons who should be writing their stories.
Spoiler Alert!
Everyone should be preserving their past by writing their stories!
And now, in these next few blog posts, I will be sharing lots of ideas for each type of writer mentioned.
First, we will begin by looking at the types of stories parents can write. Whether you are a new parent of an infant, a parent in the thick of it with school-aged children, or an older parent of adults, we will look at why you should be writing stories at that time and some ideas for where to begin.
The options are endless, so this is not a full list. Think of these ideas as inspiration to get started.
New Parents:
The purpose for you to write your stories is:
To record your child’s rapid growth and changes as well as special moments you want to celebrate and remember. This is when you begin to record your reflections of life that you’d like to pass along.
The outcome of this is:
Your children will learn about the beginning of their life and know more about themselves and the world they were born into, all while having a glimpse back at the person you were while it was all happening.
Topics:
Baby firsts (think of these stories like an expanded baby book)
Describe the world they were born into: news, current events, the home, and life you live in.
The story of their name.
The story of their birth.
School Age Parents:
The purpose for you to write your stories is:
Your children are starting to understand there is a world around them and that life was lived before they were born. You can teach lessons, values, and life skills through your stories as you begin to connect more deeply.
The outcome of this is:
Stronger literacy skills.
A deeper understanding of self and that they are part of a bigger world and family history.
Topics:
A timeline of the family. Write about previous generations and life before your children. Where do they fit in?
Important people in their life.
Stories from your childhood and memories from that age.
Parents of Young Adults
The purpose for you to write your stories is:
To connect more deeply. Pass along lessons. Now that your children are more mature you can pass along lessons and experiences they’ll now understand.
The outcome of this is:
They’ll realize they are not alone and learn from family lessons and experiences. They will have a stronger understanding and respect for the previous generations.
Topics:
Share your own experiences navigating the world.
Write about your lessons learned.
Write out your “how to” manual they can have forever.
Topics you would not have shared when they were younger.
Grown Adults
The purpose for you to write your stories is:
You truly are now preserving the past as you become older also. Connecting the present (them) with the past (the previous generations you knew more closely).
Reflecting back on your own life.
The outcome of this is:
They’ll learn information maybe only you know. You will be leaving a legacy through your stories and bridging your past (your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents) with the present and future generations (children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, etc.)
Topics:
Stories that may be lost with you if you don’t share them now.
Milestones of your life you want to be remembered.
Memories of your parents and grandparents.
Lessons you have learned and reflections of your life.
What you appreciate and respect about who they have become.
I’d love to hear which stories you’ll be passing along. Email me at melissa@melissaannkitchen.com or tag me on Facebook or Instagram @MelissaLovesHistory
And to hear more stories behind the scenes on this topic listen to the related podcast over at The Preserve Your Past Podcast or anywhere you listen to podcasts.