The 9 Things You Should Save for Your Kids
In this age of minimalism, we are often reminded to pare down, let go, and distance ourselves from every object that does not “spark joy”. Marie Kondo’s decluttering guide has us questioning our sentimental side, asking, Why do I keep this? But I find that nearly all parents I speak to are secret sentimentalists. We hoard diaper wrappers, nearly extinct onesies, and single gloves that were lost in a street cleaning frenzy.
Memory is not just in our heads. It’s also in the things we touch, smell, and store in plastic bins at the back of closets. We touch, smell, and store things in plastic bins at the back of our closet. We are not simply storing plastic, we’re also saving stories: the lullaby, the shadows from a childhood room, or the soft hush at midnight of a blanket.
Here’s a list of 9 treasures that we should keep, not just as clutter, but as heirlooms to share, laugh, cry, and pass along to our future children. These are not just tokens, but souvenirs from a well-lived life.
1. The First Outfit They Wore Home From the Hospital
Remember the hospital ward, with its carved cradle and soft lighting. This set of baby socks, a beanie, and a onesie is the first outfit you chose together.
You may remember the beanie that kept slipping off, revealing that delicate Newborn hair, or that bootie which went missing between the bed and the hospital stroller. It’s like holding a piece of clothing and touching time. It’s the fabric, size, and fold you used to swaddle them… it is a visual of their miracle of entering the world.
Keep it safe!
- Use cotton muslin or tissue paper that is acid-free
- Store in a fabric bag that is breathable, not a sealed plastic bag
- Mark it with the name and date of birth.
Not just fabric, but nostalgia that is centuries old.
2. Baby Hospital Bracelet
It’s hard to look stylish or heartfelt without that matching wristband. The wristband has their name and the name of the doctor, a permanent imprint that you will never see again. This plastic, lightweight, and love-filled bracelet represents the most intense moment in their lives (and yours, too).
Tips on how to preserve it:
- Keep it in an attractive jewelry box or display case
- Write a small card that describes how you felt after putting it on.
- Keep it on any cords or lanyards your partner has. Matching bracelets can tell a beautiful story.
3. Newspapers from the Day They Were Born
Yes, Google archives exist. Physical newspapers are still a powerful way to communicate. The weight, texture, and print of the newspaper anchor you to a particular date. What was the front page of that day? Perhaps beauty, fear, art, or political drama. Perhaps headlines that have changed the world, such as Donald Trump’s or climate news. Or perhaps a world event which feels surreal.
Keep it Well
- Avoid light exposure
- Store flat in acid-free folders
- You can even tape it to a scrapbook and handwrite their birth date.
In a few years, people will pull out the old card and exclaim: “I was conceived during that time?”
4. First Haircut: A Lock
When a child is born bald, the first few hairs that grow are important. When your child is bald, like my second son was at birth, those first few hairs are important. It’s like holding their first hairs and tying them to a memory that they will never forget. Each curl represents a physical milestone, a transition from bald to buzzed.
Keep it intact
- Wrap the strands with cotton muslin, tissue, or cotton.
- Keep in an envelope with the date, age, and hair type.
This curl whispers “, I used to be a baby.”
5. First Baby Shoes
Tiny shoes can be magical. These tiny shoes are a step from total dependence to mobility. My father gave me a pair of bronze baby shoess which he kept on his office shelves as somber trophies. Antique, distorted, uncanny.
Bronze does not necessarily have to be cherished. Keep them.
- Display box or shadowbox with a plaque
- You can start by writing down the date or the first step of your story.
- They are the earliest impressions of your child in the world. Display them with pride.
6. First Baby Tooth or Two
You may debate whether this is gross or adorable. Think about it: One moment, they are a baby, dependent on you. Next, they run to your side, their empty tooth spot a sign of growth.
A few tips
- It is best to dry it out naturally after cleaning it.
- Place in a small, labeled box with the name/date/age
- You can even include the date when the tooth fairy came to visit, or create a family version.
It will be like opening a time capsule containing their childhood memories.
7. The Blanky
We all know how the story goes: The blanket is washed, shrinks, and becomes a biohazard in suburban areas. The original quilt, the soft, fuzzy, and sticky reminder of childhood innocence, can be preserved.
What should I do?
- One low-temperature washing
- Air dry flat
- Store in a breathable container (another box lined with sheets of cotton works well)
- Keep it dry and space-saving
You’ll feel it one day and remember the calmness it brought to your child.
8. Every Year, a Printed Family Photo
The difference between digital and print is that showing is not the same thing as seeing.
- Photo booths in malls or professional photo studios are great for a yearly photo.
- Print on Archival Paper at a high-quality lab of high quality
- Add to a chronological album.
It becomes a timeline of growth, dreams, inside jokes, and smiles. Those pages will be treasures long after your phone has become outdated.
9. First Handwritten Letter
You might begin with something sweet (“I Love you, Mum”) or even ramble (“Miss You”) or make tiny scribbles. These attempts to express emotions in a true language are intimate, like hearing the words “I love” for the first time.
How To Preserve?
- Date and store the letter in an archive envelope.
- Consider laminating if fragile (but keep longtime a safe place)
- Encourage these letters every year (Mother’s Day or thank-yous). It becomes a collection of wispy emotions.
These letters are often displayed on refrigerators by many parents. These letters deserve to be appreciated or, over time, placed in a portfolio.
Why Do We Save Things That We Don’t Use?
When we save a screenshot, wrap a curly hair, or keep a warm blanket, we’re storing memories. Psychologists believe that memory is a function of context. They call these “memory clues.” The outfits, bracelets, and curls all have meanings. They can be massages, lullabies, or nighttime rituals.
These items are memory triggers – they take us back. Researchers say that it is one thing to say, “I remember the first night of their life,” but another to smell and hold a beanie. Smell has a stronger connection to memory than any other sense.
Items that can convey deep parental love. These items are a testament to the care we gave our children without noticing. They were kept not because they brought joy, but because they resonated in the darkness of early Monday mornings or late-night feedings. Sometimes they spark gratitude, and sometimes they feel relieved that everything happened
How to Store Keepsakes so they stay as keepsakes
- Acid-free boxes and tissue: Standard Archival Solutions
- Clear Label + Care Note: “I wore it the day I discovered you existed.”
- Keep in cool, dry areas — basements and attics are susceptible to mold
- Compact Digital Backup: Consider photographing soft tokens or scanning documents
- Annual Review: inspect fabrics and refresh them every few years. Sun-faded items might need to be rotated.
There are Many Reasons to Pull Them Out
- 18th Birthday: Walk them through early landmarks
- Graduation: Remind them of their achievements
- Wedding Gifts: Show their first shoes on your speed dial
- First baby: Hand on blanket, baby tooth–they leave a generational legacy
- Parenting Coaching – A path to a story-based approach for early lessons
What Parents Do to Keepsakes
Many sentimentalists include:
- Hospital Photos, candid Family Phone Photos
- First artwork, finger painting, museum-worthy
- Ultrasound images, Milestone videos
- First she, first teddy, first blanket — bove all else
- Handprints/footprints (paint or molded) taped with date/notes
- Your first digital memory: your first YouTube video reel or TikTok
Each item tells you a story that you lived, then forgot about, until the token woke your memory.
When to Let Go (and why it’s sometimes okay)
You don’t have to hold on to everything.
- Old plush toy: stadium-sized Teddy Bears with the stuffing removed–it’s time to retire
- Multiple sentimental items – Keep one and donate the rest
- Event wristbands that have expired: Rose Parade wristbands, concert wristbands – one is fine
- Excess Textiles: Once your child has moved on from “lovey”, maybe keep one copy of the textiles and let the others go
- Duplicates sentimental items: select favorites and then stash
Trust yourself. It’s out if it stinks and rises in dust.
Conclusion
Keepsakes aren’t just dusty objects. They’re chapters of a story about love, time, and growth. They remind you (and your child one day) that they were indeed small. Soft. It was loved enough to be kept long after the bracelet lost its function. They are sticky with tears and syrup. They are never too sticky to see.
Do not overthink. Don’t overthink it. Put them in memory boxes and tuck them away in your closet. Then, one day, when the child is an adult, he will walk his child through the soles.
Remembering is the key to real growth.
