It was summer in Southern California, and our usual team of neighborhood kids had been playing up and down the street. Just like we always did. Nothing about the day was designed to create lasting memories.
We stopped at the water hose in our front yard.
That’s when my mom—back from her monthly grocery run—asked if I wanted a Popsicle.
Of course I did! Popsicles were a treat! My mom saved them for special summer days and used them as rewards for good behavior😊
Then, in a surprise gesture of generosity, my mom invited the other kids to have one, too. Within seconds we piled onto the picnic table in our yard and shouted out requests for our favorite colors.
After more than six decades of living and being loved, most of the memories that stand out to me are seemingly inconsequential ones.
I don’t remember what our Christmases looked like. I don’t recall the decorations at any of my birthday parties. But I remember the impulsive gesture of my mom as she offered up our monthly ration of popsicles to a bunch of hot, sweaty neighborhood kids.
It’s easy to get into the mindset of making big memories.
Expensive vacations.
Gift-laden Christmases.
Bigger-than-life events.
After all, we want them to count.
To make an impression.
To live up to an expectation.
But the truth is, sometimes the stick-able memories are the ones that are small, spontaneous, and seemingly meaningless.
THE CREATION OF LASTING MEMORIES
That’s why I smiled when my daughter called in between her daughter’s dance class and a meeting at their church.
She needed to fill a small piece of time. So, she could take the kids to a park. She could try to find an indoor play place. Or, she could pick up some chicken nuggets, lay the seats down in her van, and let the kids eat lunch there.
I couldn’t vote quickly enough.
“The van!” I shouted.
So, she ordered the nuggets, spread a blanket in the trunk, and let her kids have an impromptu picnic that I’m pretty sure has a good chance of going down in their memory books.
When it comes to creating lasting memories with your kids, go ahead and plan the big celebrations. Go all out! Live it up!
But don’t neglect to make room for the spontaneous memory-makers, too. The ones that slip into your everyday lives and beg you to let them in.
HOW TO CREATE LASTING MEMORIES WITH YOUR KIDS
Give them the gift of time.
Kids crave attention from their parents, and for good reason. After all, without spending time with our kids, how else can we take the Lord’s commands and “teach them to your children and talk about them when you are at home or out for a walk; at bedtime and the first thing in the morning” (Deuteronomy 6:7)?
.
More than celebrations and events, your presence will make a lasting impression on your kids’ lives. Carve out time to spend with them. Put your phone down and choose them instead. And if you have more than one child, try to find one-on-one time (even if only moments) to spend with each of them.
Enjoy them.
Spend less time organizing and more time enjoying your kids. Look for ways to connect, like choosing a game over TV. Laughing, telling them stories from your childhood, playing games, and intentionally engaging with them will create lasting memories with your kids over time.
Don’t be boring.
Break up your routine. Don’t always do the usual if you have a chance to be spontaneous. Mattresses on the floor for movie night? Why not! Surprise them by saying yes when you can.
MOMENTS THAT LAST
Memory-makers aren’t reserved for big events and special occasions. If we make time for our children, intentionally engage with and enjoy them, and look for ways to be spontaneous, we’ll create lasting memories from our everyday lives.
I
