What to Do with Handmade Gifts from Kids?

'Tis the season...for being the lucky recipient of handmade treasures from little ones!  Yes, those adorable crafty gifts that kids bestow upon their parents and other loved ones during the holiday season.

As parents, we want to encourage creativity, generosity, selflessness, and the relationship-building benefits of gift giving in our kids, right?  But what in the WORLD do we do with some of their creations?

Let me share a story I had long forgotten about until a few weeks ago in session, when my memory was triggered by something one of my little patients said.  Driving home that night, I reflected on my late Dad's parenting skills, "good enough" parenting, and what to do about the gifts our kids give us.

I remember a dark blue scarf that yours truly (that's me) knitted for my Dad for Christmas a long time ago in a galaxy far far away (that's Idaho).  Little Me used a special loom and invested many hours of work into making a true masterpiece:  a too-short and slightly lopsided scarf.  I carefully folded it, wrapped it brightly, and placed it under the Christmas tree.

On Christmas morning, I looked expectantly at Dad as he smiled and began unwrapping the gift.  As he pulled the wrapping paper back, his face lit up and he exclaimed with delight at the sight of the scarf.  RIGHT THERE AND THEN he wrapped that lopsided blue thing around his neck.

Dad wore that scarf all winter, and for many other winters following.  Good enough parenting?  Great parenting!  Although I had forgotten about this gift exchange over the years, I obviously learned and internalized much about gift giving and ultimately about parenting that Christmas.

Fast forward 20-ish years.  My daughter makes a pencil cup for me out of a recycled tin can.  I gratefully and happily received it, and put it to use immediately.  In fact, it's still in use in my kitchen today:  

This festive season, and at all the other times of the year, you don't have to be a perfect parent; you just have to be good enough.  Receive the gifts your children give you with thanks and delight.  That's good enough great parenting!

Happy Holidays!

How to Make a Scrapbook for Your Difficult Child Part 3

So, you've read Part 1 and Part 2.  Now you want to know how in the world to put together a scrapbook.

If you have never scrapbooked before, this will be (maybe) easy.

If you're a perfectionist, it will be more difficult.

If you're a seasoned scrapbooker, this will be harder still.  You are used to spending a lot of time on layouts and making things perfect.  Well, not the way I teach scrapbooking.  You will need to let go of your perfectionism and trust the process.

To everyone, please do not make this difficult for yourself.  Follow my directions and get SOMETHING MEMORABLE on each page.

To succeed in this process of creating a scrapbook, you need just a few things.  You can purchase all of these items (aside from photos and memorabilia) at Joann's, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Walmart and other retail stores.

1.  An empty scrapbook (I like 12 inch by 12 inch albums) with photo safe, clear page protectors

2.  Colorful (patterned or just plain colored) archival papers, the size to fill the scrapbook

3.  Printed photos of your child from birth to now

4.  Any other add-on items (memorabilia) you may have regarding your child:  awards,  certificates,  samples of their artwork or trophies (if it can't fit in a scrapbook, take a photo and make a colored copy of the photo), maps of where they were born, lived, and attended school or church, photos of their special toys, ticket stubs, performance programs etc.

5.  Small pieces of archival paper upon which to write (the size of HALF of an index card)

6.  Two archival markers

7.  Scissors

8.  Archival photo adhesive (glue runner or tape)


This process can feel overwhelming, so begin by gathering each item until you have all 8 categories collected in one room.  I would set aside a guest room for this process, so you can leave your scrapbook in process and close the door when you need to take a break, go to work, go to sleep, or to get back to the rest of your family.

Start by going through all the photos, and deciding which ones you would like to incorporate into the album.  You don't have to include them all, just a sampling of your favorites.  Stick with this formula:  three 4 inch by 6 inch photos per page, maximum.  If you have 20 pages, then 20 times 3 is 60.  That should give you an idea of how many photos to keep.

If you want to include memorabilia, cut down on the number of photos you will include in the album.  Or if you want to include more photos than 60 AND you have lots of memorabilia, you can go purchase an additional set of scrapbook page protectors at the store.  But try to keep this project small-ish.  It's big enough as it is and it can grow out of control.  Release your need to have everything perfect.    

Organize all the photos into chronological order, from birth to now.   I'll wait while you do it....

(Two years later...ok maybe just a week or so...)

Welcome back!

Now, I want you to organize all the memorabilia in chronological order.  That should take a shorter time.  Maybe an hour or two.

You might cry while you're organizing these items.  That's ok.  Allow yourself to feel whatever emotions surface.  You are not just making a scrapbook; you are also processing the emotions surrounding parenting a tough kid, the emotions within the grieving process, and emotions underneath the trauma you may have experienced as a parent.  Take as many breaks as you need.  See your therapist for support as needed.

Please do NOT put in photos of awful times.  If you have few photos of certain years or eras, then go print some cute little poem off the internet and use that for one page, or copy your child's favorite meal on a recipe card and use that.   You have had enough of the bad times.  You will be processing many of those already.  Let this book be about the good that is within your child,  their childhood, and you as a parent.  Celebrate those good things.

If you lack sufficient photos of YOU with your child, you can remedy this as you're making the album.  Take selfies of you and your child having fun together, even in the car on your way to having fun!  Get those photos printed and make several two-page spreads of them!  (Keep reading, I'll explain a two-page spread.)

Once all the items are in chronological order,  collect two matching pages of colored/printed paper, and make a stack of them according to how many scrapbook pages there are.

Select one special paper for the first page, and one special paper for the last page.  These pages will stand alone.  (Open up the cover of the scrapbook and see: the first page is just ONE page.  The last page is just ONE page.)

All the other pages inside the scrapbook will be two-page spreads (two pages right next to each other that lay flat so you can see them both at the same time) and you want each two-page spread to have matching colored/patterned paper.  It adds order and symmetry to the album.

Now that you have papers paired, begin matching photos to pages, and lay out the photos right on top of the scrapbook papers.  When you find an arrangement that you like, use the adhesive and stick the photos/memorabilia down.  Don't obsess, just stick 'em on there!

This will take awhile.

You can either write on the half-size index card type papers now, or later.  Whatever you do, you do NOT need to write a novel.  Write the approximate date or age, the people with your child, and a quick memory.  Seriously, this will take 30 seconds per card.  No more than two cards per page.  You are saving memories, processing your child's childhood, and creating a keepsake gift all at once.  You are not writing a 500 page novel.  This is a scrapbook.  It doesn't need to be perfect.  Just get the stuff on the pages.

Your handwriting is special: it belongs to your child's parent (that's you).  Messy or not, use your own handwriting.  It makes each page more personal.

Stick the index-size papers on the pages; some may cover parts of the photos.  That's great.  It looks artsy.

Keep going until you have enough pages to fill your scrapbook.

Now, if you want a title, write your child's name in your own handwriting BIG on a full-size index-ish card, and stick it on that first page.

Place each page in chronological order in the page protectors.

Be prepared for what you might experience when you place that last page in the plastic sleeve and close the album.

Breathe.

How to Make A Scrapbook for Your Difficult Child Part 2

So, after reading this post, you know the benefits of creating a scrapbook for your hard-to-parent child.  Today's post will help you understand how scrapbooking your child's life can benefit YOU.

"What?  How can putting together a scrapbook help me?"

Please read this story from a now-believing parent, who graciously gave me permission to share it with you here:

"OK.  I did it.  I took your advice and bit the bullet and got M. (teen-ager) a scrapbook, some jazzy papers, and a package of flower stickers.  I felt so stupid at the check out, like this was a big waste of money and time.  But I did it anyway.  I'm glad you pushed me to do this Sweet 16 album like I always wanted to.  But after all the anger and arguments we've had since she turned 13, I had no desire to do anything extra for her.  She doesn't appreciate anything I did for her since then, why would this be any different?

I took the book home, and fired up my computer where I store all her photos.  I looked through tons until my eyes crossed, but got about 100 pics to print.  Ordered them.  Picked them up the next day.

Then I started sticking them to the jazzy papers, and as I was getting all scrappy, something happened:  I started reliving those good times.  All the sleep-overs with her best friends, each school picture since kindergarten, birthdays, Christmases, hair cuts, vacations, family photos, family pets,  piano recitals, soccer games, school carnivals, and Halloween costumes.

She had a great childhood.  A really fun and happy childhood with parties and friends and pets and activities and a mom who loved and still loves her.  Who took photos too!

I wasn't an awful mom.

I'n NOT an awful mom.

She has ADHD.  And it was and is really hard for both of us.  But we made it through her childhood.

I started writing really short blurbs about the pictures on small index cards cut in half like you said.  Not much, just names, dates, places--enough to tell the story part way.  Stuck them on the pages alongside the pics, and added a few flower stickers where I thought it looked nice.

I cried.  For her, for me, for some of her poor teachers.

I laughed at the tiger costume, the missing front tooth,  and her first and only camping trip.

You were right.  I "processed" a crap ton right there at the kitchen table.  Grief especially.  You were right.

When I stuck the last sticker on the last page and closed the book, a huge tidal wave of feelings plowed over me:  I cried again for her and for me, for the hard hard work I did raising her, and for her struggles at school and with some friends.  I cheered for us both for surviving the most crappy times, and I cheered for having completed a Sweet 16 album for her like I always wanted to.

Her response was the most unexpected.

When she opened the package the night of her party, she just started going through the scrapbook page by page, with everybody crowded around looking.  She told every story, and her sister, Grandpa, and her best friend added their own comments when they were part of the story too.  We laughed and laughed.  I told parts of stories too.  It took almost an entire hour!

When she got to the last page, she jumped up and gave me the biggest hug I've had from her since she was shorter than me.  Everybody cheered.  She told me it was the best thing ever and she actually told me she loved me!  It was like reality tv or something, but it's what happened.

It's only been a week since her party, but I've never felt so close to her.  It was the best gift I could have gotten her.  And the best gift for me too. "


Yes, there are so many ways a scrapbook may benefit you.  Not every parent's experience will be the same, and you may not receive such a welcoming response from your child, but this story illustrates several of the benefits you may receive when creating and giving a scrapbook.

Convinced?  Great!

Part 3 will take you through the easy-peasy steps to creating a fun and FAST scrapbook.

How to Make a Scrapbook for Your Difficult Child Part 1

Do you have a child, foster child, or grandchild that is difficult to parent?

Welcome to the club of Extreme Parents(!) where superheroes are REAL (that would be you, and members of your child's treatment team), capes totally optional (or not), and time moves both slow ("Isn't it her bedtime yet?!") and fast ("Where did my alone time go?!").

But before you know it, your Lil Firecracker will be grown, and their childhood a blurry, faded memory.

There are some things you will be glad to leave in the blurry, faded past, such as temper tantrums, IEP meetings, and coordinating and chauffeuring Lil Firecracker to multiple medical/therapy appointments each week.

But I don't want you to leave behind the GOOD memories.  Yes, there are many good memories, and I'm here to help you remember and preserve them.

Friends, I'm talking about scrapbooking.

Please don't gag.  Or roll your eyes.

The scrapbook craze that dominated the early part of this century fizzled out to a glowing ember, but a well-put-together scrapbook has so many benefits--therapeutic benefits--for not only Lil Firecracker, but for YOU as well.

Here are a few ways in which a scrapbook may benefit your child:

1.  Improved relationship between you and your child.  WOW!  Yes, it CAN happen!
2.  Greater sense of continuity and belonging.
3.  Increased sense of self, which assists with self-esteem issues (children learn to esteem themselves by mirroring the opinions that primary caregivers have of them).
4.  Feelings of family pride, even in foster families.
5.  Can help to heal past hurts within their family story.
6.  When a child or teen helps create, maintain (keeps adding to the book),  and then looks through the scrapbook over and over with you, it can provide you and your child with more quiet, crafty activities and bonding experiences.
7.  Preserving and reliving memories can make NEW memories too.  Whatadeal!

With all these benefits, I'm sure you're ready to get started right now!

OK, we'll wait until you've had your coffee.

Part 2 will explain how putting together your child's scrapbook can help YOU.

Part 3 will explain how to actually create a scrapbook.   FAST.

Don't worry!  You don't have to be artsy or crafty to do this.  You don't have to sacrifice all your free time either.  I'll walk you through each step.   You won't regret the time and effort you invest in this very important and worthwhile project.