Enlisting Grandchildren in the SaveOr Project: A Fun Family Activity
In today’s digital age, where memories and possessions can be cataloged easily with SaveOr, involving grandchildren in preserving family history through a project can be both educational and enjoyable. SaveOr, a process of inventorying personal items and associating stories or significance to them, can turn into a delightful intergenerational bonding activity. Here’s how you can easily get started by enlisting your grandchildren to help take photos of items and kick off the inventorying process. This can help you make the process more enjoyable and easy! You get the added benefit of educating your grandchildren while creating a better estate plan.
Step 1: Explain the Importance
Begin by explaining the importance of the items you wish to inventory. Whether it’s a collection of old photographs, heirloom jewelry, or even books, explain to your grandchildren why these items hold special value. This gives them a sense of responsibility and connects them with their heritage.
Step 2: Assign Roles
Children love responsibilities, especially when they feel they’re contributing to something important. Assign roles based on interests and age. For instance, older grandchildren might handle photography and tech-related tasks, such as using a smartphone or a camera to take clear images. Younger grandchildren can assist with arranging or cleaning items gently before they are photographed.
Step 3: Document the Items Throughout the House
As each item is photographed, share your stories or facts about it. This is the heart of the SaveOr process. Grandchildren can directly type or dictate the stories into a digital device. This makes the process engaging and educational as the child can learn about their heritage and life before the 21st century.
Step 4: Review
Once the items are photographed and stories are recorded in SaveOr, review your grandkid's work and then continue the process by inviting your now-adult children to look at all the items in the application to see what they are interested in.
Step 5: Celebrate and Continue
After a productive session, celebrate with some fun activities or treats. This makes the day memorable and encourages them to look forward to more sessions. Inventorying can be an ongoing project, with different items or stories added over time.
Benefits of Involving Grandchildren
Educational Value: They learn about organizing, digitizing, and preserving history.
Emotional Connection: It strengthens the bond between grandchildren and grandparents.
Preservation of History: It ensures that family stories and heritage are passed down through generations.
Turning the inventorying process into a fun family project allows you to spend quality time with your grandchildren and teach them the value of preserving memories and histories. It’s a wonderful way to bridge the generation gap and imbue a sense of family pride and continuity in them. Furthermore, it saves you time and energy as you go through this process.
I have been working with clients who have implemented this strategy and found great benefits in learning about their family and the heirlooms which have great meaning going back generations. Grandma could sit back and tell stories as her grandparents completed the inventory, and the children could all learn about their family going back multiple generations. From her grandkids' work, Grandma could invite all of her family, see what they wanted, and then finish her personal property memorandum.
Sign up to SaveOr and go through this wonderful experience with your grandkids!
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