Watching home movies and looking at old photos together as a family is exciting! It is a great talking point and a beautiful way to remain connected to your family history. Younger family members can meet those who have since passed on, and future generations will be grateful to you for keeping these priceless memories. After the pandemic, people have a new appreciation for family, good company, and the things that matter in life.
Almost every home has a collection of family photos and old tapes collecting dust somewhere that need proper care. But a single disaster can make you lose anything of sentimental value and heirlooms in minutes. In most cases, disasters or accidents are unavoidable, but the damage and loss of photos, videos, and other keepsakes are preventable.
Read on to learn ways and ideas to preserve family memories, photos, and videos for future generations.
Digitizing Audio and Videos
Did you know that tapes, CDs, and other storage mediums have a shelf life? Over time, most storage medium deteriorates, losing valuable content passed from one generation to another. You may need to immediately transfer your home movies to digital format, as most old storage mediums will not play on modern devices.
Cassettes, reel-to-reel, and mini tapes from the answering machine can all be translated to MP3 digital files. However, the end product may retain a different quality than the original.
Also, you can lose content held on tapes, cassettes, and similar storage modes anytime as they deteriorate over time. Saving videos on the cloud, Google Drive, among other modern storage, is one way of preserving family memories for generations to come.
Digitize Letters and Printed Photos
Scan and then save photos and letters on soft copies. Besides preserving memories, the most crucial part of archiving your photos in digital files is storage. The good news is that you do not need a bulky and expensive scanner for scanning photos. All you need is to download a phone app and use it to scan the pictures.
You can save them in a Google Drive folder to give access to your loved ones, which can also add more memories. This way, all can access and share common digital videos and images. As a general rule, make at least three copies of every important file and store the files in at least two different storage media. Consider keeping one more copy away from the first two and far from home.
Create More Memories
You cannot preserve memories that you have not created. Creating memories with family members requires you to spend time with your loved ones intentionally. The special moments will remain etched in most family members’ lives forever.
Invest in good and high-quality photos when documenting your family’s life. Use a good camera and snap your items using natural light to get high-resolution images. Capture photos and videos on vacation, during the holidays, celebrating birthdays, and other special occasions. While at it, interview family members and request them to share their memories. Future generations will cherish these keepsakes for a lifetime.
Use a Baby Calendar for Reading Milestone
Use a paper calendar to record every time the little ones hit a milestone. For example, you can write and note on the calendar a few words when your child says the first word, take the first step, or start school. A baby calendar is a beautiful way to document your child’s firsts. It also helps to compare milestones and rule out any developmental problems.
Conclusion
The best memories are experiences, but you must materialize them to pass them on to future generations. Preserving memories keeps the moments you treasure as a family safe for future reference. With the above tips and conscious effort, you will successfully preserve family memories for future generations.
