What do you do with your children's pictures?

[Anonymous]

I cannot decide now that I have 2 how best to store hard copies. Do you make albums separate for both or do you start combining at some point into family albums? The latter seems to make more sense as we have more and more pictures with both. What about cards, school art, etc. ? Any tips on what you do with these items? My mom saved nothing for me, so I want to do a better job, but I also can't imagine the clutter after several years. Thanks for your ideas and input!

[Anonymous]

I'd vote for family albums. But, I only have one DS yet, so not sure.

[Anonymous]

My mom did better than I'm doing at the moment, but she did separate albums for each child (3). Also some family albums (for specific trips or for photos mostly of mom and dad, etc.) But I think the idea was that some day each child could easily take their own albums, while the rest of the family photos would need to be divvied up.

Today with digital cameras, we have so many hundreds of photos that I personally get overwhelmed, whereas my mom had fewer photos to manage. My own challenge is to try to complete small, simple albums for each child and not try to put in every photo we have, but instead to have some highlights of their year. Then the digital copies can be maintained, too, for them to look back at when they want to see the many thousands of photos documented all the details of their lives!

My mom made a few albums of special cards (especially from birth, early years), probably one per kid, but then stopped saving. I know I over-save cards--in boxes, not albums--but I think it's especially important to keep cards from elderly family members. Perhaps in some years as we have more examples of those cards, I'll dispose of more--but I want to make sure my kids have at least a few cards from surviving great-grandparents, special notes from grandparents, etc.

School art--perhaps best suited for bigger containers? We're using some big plastic bins (one per child) and trying to weed down before items go in.

[Anonymous]

Scan and shred.

[Anonymous]

I have one DS with #2 on the way. For pictures, we have quite the growing collection of albums both on the computer (we do back up) and in Kodak Gallery. Every now and then I go through and order hard copies and put them in albums (with captions) because I don't want to rely on just digital photos in case something happens. Plus, I'm the type of person that still enjoys flipping through hard copy albums every now and then. It's hard to make myself do it because it seems like a chore, but I focus on how sorry I'll be down the road if I don't.

Going off of what a PP said though, the biggest hit has been that for the past two years for Christmas I have designed - through Kodak Gallery - a "highlights" photo album for each set of grandparents for Christmas. There's a little letter to them in the front and then custom photos and captions of pics I selected from throughout the previous year. Also, it so happens that Christmas coincides with DS' birthday (well, early January) so it works out well in terms of it representing his first year of life, second year, etc. It is a bit tedious to sort through all the pics from the year to pick the best, design groups and do captions but it is a HUGE hit and looks professionally printed (DH also happens to be a good photographer, which doesn't hurt). It's a great snapshot of the year. keep saying that I need to order copies of these albums for ourselves but haven't done it yet - even though it's as easy as hitting the "order" button since they are all saved in my online account.

As far as artwork, I keep a big plastic bin in a closet and when he brings things home...honestly, so far most things go in the trash after a few days on the refrigerator but I select some here and there that I really like, date them and throw them in the plastic bin. Same with cards. Not a great system but it works for now.

[Anonymous]

Photos: I put organize the best into photobooks at Shutterfly (each covering 6 or 12 months) and order multiple copies (for each child, for us, for grandparents). Main drawback is that the cost really adds up.

[Anonymous]

Even with one child, I find I am so overwhelmed - mainly becasue I take too many pictures! I used to do Creative Memories scrapbooking (with lots of layouts) and I think it made it so complicated I gave up(plus the cost and time is just too much). Now I do digital photobooks and try to do family books, but let's face it, they all revolve around one little guy. I think it was easier when you took about 5 pictures a year and just threw them in the 99 cent scrapbook!

[Anonymous]

I'm on child #3 and each child gets their own "baby" album that covers the first 2 years. There are also family albums that cover everyone else, and there is some redundancy. It's alot of work but I figure down the road no one can complain that they did not get a complete baby album. As for artwork, my son is finishing pre-k and I currently store everything in an art portfolio (ok, not everything - just the stuff I deem "worthy") and I'm thinking of taking pictures and doing a digital album of his artwork each year but we'll see how that goes!

[Anonymous]

I'm also on child number 3. Each gets their own album. Lots of overlap. Since the baby came, I haven't had much time to work on the albums though, so I keep a running blog so I don't forget anything that happened or when things happen.