Coaches Corner

Photo Journaling
Coaching Parents to Record, Revisit and Reminisce
By Dr. Caron Goode, www.acpi.biz
Published: May / June 2008

It’s a precious time when family gathers around to relive generations of family memories, moments and monumental occasions of times past. Even elementary school aged children marvel at photographs that captured their first smile and steps and at photographs of grandparents holding their own newborns- the child’s parent.

Every child has the desire to know who they are and where they came from. Photo journaling, or scrapbooking, provides a wonderful way for children to connect to their family history. Using film to record the life of a child gives him a tangible glimpse into his own personal history and upbringing. Photographs validate a child’s sense of self worth, accomplishment and connection to family.

Coaching parents to record their child’s upbringing coaches them to invest in tangibly capturing the life of their child. And luckily for today’s busy parents, technology provides many options that allow parents to record their family history with minimal effort. From disposable cameras, to digital and video cameras, it’s never been so easy to “capture the moment.” There are even camera key chains and cell phone cameras that give parents quick and easy access to digital recording devices that make toting around a camera hassle free.

And organizing and storing photographs has never been so convenient. With websites like Shutterfly.com or Snapfish.com, parents can upload digital images from their cameras and create photo albums, save images to a DVD, or print photos with literally the click of a button. And given that you only print the photos that you want, recording memories has never been more affordable.

But for those parents who prefer working with traditional film, companies like Creative Memories, have made storing and organizing prints easy and affordable too. A trip to your local craft store can provide with everything you need to compile an archival quality album to preserve your photos in.

And if these options seem overwhelming, consider taking your printed photos and storing them chronologically in a shoe box. You’ll have the record of memories available, and if you’re looking for a rainy day project to embark on you’ll have one ready and waiting. And even if they never end up in fancy albums with journal boxes detailing each moment, your child will still have a record of memories to look back on in years to come.

Coaching parents to take photos of their family at regularly scheduled intervals, in addition to special occasions, can help make memory recording feel less overwhelming. Coaching parents to set a goal of taking a roll of film, or a digital photo shoot once each month or season can help parents to keep their recordings manageable and current.

Coaching parents to take time to revisit captured moments with their children is a valuable tool that can be used to help deepen and strengthen the family bond. It can also help to solidify family traditions. Each September, I drag out the family album and remind the children that it’s almost time for our fall adventure. I flip back through the pages and find the sections that capture our annual apple picking trip. They love seeing themselves first in their stroller, than as toddlers reaching up high trying to reach the lowest apples, than as pre-teens taller than the dwarf trees themselves!

And there isn’t a teen that at one point or another, doesn’t wonder about their family roots and heritage, especially one that’s enrolled in a social studies or US history class. Coaching parents to embark on a family project with their teen of collecting photographs from extended family members is a wonderful way for parents to strengthen their relationship with their older child. Children love to look at life as their parents and grandparents lived it and love to see photos of their parents growing up. Many teens would love the opportunity to compile a family heritage album that someday they’ll be able to share with their own children.

Coaching parents to reminisce empowers parents and children to make a connection into their past. Photo journaling provides an opportunity for children to see some of the activities they enjoyed, the friends that they shared and the moments of childhood that were treasured. Looking back allows for a child to see his value through the eyes of his family. How powerful is it when you have tangible evidence to combat the “We never did that” or “I don’t remember that” of childhood? I remember how my 7 year old insisted he never liked his brown bear that he was ready to toss to the curb. How wonderful it was to be able to show him photo after photo of him clutching his most prized possession throughout his first 5 years of life. Reminiscing about this showed my son how well I truly knew him, and how I noticed his likes and dislikes. It helped to build his level of trust and worth and deepened our personal connection.

So who would have thought something so simple as recording, revisiting and reminiscing ones family history and childhood would be so powerful? Coach parents to regularly take, store, and organize family photos and to utilize photo journaling as a tool to deepen and strengthen the family bond.

Top 10 Tips for Photo Journaling

1. Keep a camera handy! There is never a bad shot in photo journaling!

2. Include your camera in your packing list for vacations, special outings and family gatherings

3. Appoint a family member or friend as “official photographer” at family events

4. Make it a point to take a set of photos of your children each season

5. Develop or upload your photos soon after you take them

6. Go digital!

7. Utilize a one stop website that allows you to store, print and create albums with your digital images

8. Create a family heritage album to record your family history

9. Make a set of photos for each child and store them in a simple album

10. Make memory keeping a family tradition! Encourage family participation in taking photographs, setting up “scenery” and creating family albums.

Caron Goode's (EdD) insights are drawn from her fifteen years in private psychotherapy practice and thirty years of experience in the fields of education, personal empowerment, and health and wellness. She is the author of ten books www.inspiredparenting.net and the founder of the Academy for Coaching Parents, a training program for parents & professionals who wish to mentor other parents.. Reach her at carongoode@mac.com.