Documenting the School Years

When our children are born, a radical shift occurs. Time moves differently – days and nights become long, months and years become short. Society tells us not to blink because if we do, we’ll miss it all. So in between sleepless nights we try to soak it all in. The way their hands are tiny and dimpled, the sound of their little coos. The way they light up when you walk into the room. We write down every milestone, we take every picture. Soon enough, our baby is replaced by a toddler, who is replaced by a child. And although the pages of their baby book have stopped, the memories continue.

We think there’s something magical about those years beyond babyhood that deserve to be captured.

New friends, new schools, new adventures beyond the scope of your walls. But when life gets busy, we know that keeping a memory book for your child can feel daunting. To help, we’ve come up with tips that will make documenting the school years a breeze.

Choose Your Book

With most baby books ending during the toddler years, you’ll likely run out of pages right around the time your child turns 3. With Tessera, you can expand your child’s Baby Memory Book to capture years 4 – 6, or you can jump right into their school years with one of our Grade School Memory Books. If you’re beyond the grade school years, starting with a Middle School or High School Memory Book might be easier.

Option #1
Fill Out as You Go

If you’re someone who prefers to tackle a project bit by bit, filling out your Memory Book as events occur may be the better option for you.

To make it easy, we recommend using the flexibility of your book to remove some of the pages. Keep the stack of pages somewhere you can easily access them, like your Tessera Memory Book box.

Blank pages, Activities & Highlights pages, or Important Events Pages are great to fill out as the school year progresses. After each school event, sports game, or special day you or your child want to remember, simply jot down the details, add a picture and add the page back to your Tessera box. At the end of the year or as your stack of pages adds up, simply add them back to your child’s book.

A Tessera Tip: If you want your child’s school Memory Book to include more details, you can add in A Time To Remember or Favorite Memories Additional Insert Pages.

Option #2
Fill Out at the End of Each School Year

No matter what your days look like, the school year can feel hectic. Between work schedules, sibling schedules, doctor’s appointments, sports events, parent-teacher conferences – you name it – taking the time needed to fill out the pages of a Memory Book in between it all isn’t always possible or top of mind.

If you’re the parent sighing a breath of relief once the bell rings for summer break, filling out your child’s Memory Book at the end of each year might be more your style.

Over the school year, place the items you want to keep in your Tessera box with your Memory Book. You can easily throw in school programs, class photos, report cards, etc without much thought or effort. At the end of the year, you should have a reverse chronological order of information and mementos you want to include in your child’s Memory Book.

From there, use the prompts of the book as a guide and fill in the information you want to keep.

Option #3
Fill Out as Each Stage Comes to an End

If you’re someone who prefers to spend an afternoon tackling a project from start to finish, this option is for you!

Depending on what stage your child is in, filling out their Memory Book may take a little bit more planning and organizing.

Start with any pictures you have. First day of school, class pictures, the official yearbook photo. Pictures from sports games, class plays, family vacations, birthdays, and more. All of these photos will not only fill your book, but they’ll jog your memory and break up the years.

If you’ve saved report cards, invitations, or projects, these will also help. From there, fill in the details you can remember. Not sure how much your child weighed or how tall they were at age 8? You can typically access medical records online through your hospital’s portal and find this information. Or simply take out the page. The goal is to keep it simple!

Enlist Your Child’s Help

No matter which option you choose, no one will be a better help than the child who lived through it all! School Memory Books are fun to fill out together – your child can bridge some of the knowledge gaps (who was their fourth grade teacher, again??), and reminisce on their favorite memories. While you may remember their choir solo as a proud parenting moment, they might remember the time they scored the winning goal as the highlight of their high school years. With each memory that you add, together you’ll create a keepsake you’ll both cherish through adulthood and beyond.

Treat Your Memory Book as a Living Document

Sometimes a long-forgotten memory resurfaces, or a story will be told by a friend or acquaintance. Don’t hesitate to write in it or add pages or pictures long after you thought your child’s Memory Book was complete.

Share with Us

Just as your memories are unique, so are the books you fill them with! Share yours with us on social media or say hello at customerservice@tesserapublishing.com