Family memory books are a good way to teach your children their family heritage.
A good way for your children and grandchildren to learn more about their family roots is by creating a book that includes memories of yourself and other relatives in the family. When writing the book, you should get the assistance of other family members by having them each contribute one or two pages to the book. Also include some old pictures or drawings of older relatives when they were young. To make it even more interesting, write a letter to the recipient of the book on the last three pages that offers your wisdom on issues such as marriage, life's tragedies, childrearing and choosing the right friends.
Include Your Most Meaningful Memories
Because your family has experienced so many things in life, it would be a good idea to write down primarily those memories that you learned the most from and that the reader of the book can learn from. For example, you can talk about the time when your older brother had cancer while in high school, and that your church and neighbors raised money for his treatment because your parents struggled financially, and that you learned the importance of generosity to those in need.
Add Humor
You don't want your book to have a solemn tone completely, so it's important to include some of the family's most humorous memories. You can write about the incident when you and your three cousins attended a music concert but the main artist didn't show up so you had to listen to a few artists that performed weird forms of music. Or the time when your grandmother helped you bake cookies for your school's Christmas fair, and the teachers liked them so much that this inspired your grandmother to start a home-based cookie business.
Include Early Memories of the Recipient of the Book
To make the book more personal to the recipient, write down some important memories you have of the individual. If you're giving this book to your teenage nephew, for example, talk about the time you took him to the toy store for his birthday as a kid, and how he loved to fill the basket with action figures. If the recipient is your twin daughters, mention an incident where their other siblings always confused their names and sometimes gave them the wrong meals for lunch when babysitting the twins.
