Put Together A Family Time Capsule This Weekend

This Easter weekend isn't going to be like ones we've seen in the past. We've been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic for a little over a year and this time last year, we had no idea that a year later we'd still be under so many safety protocols. About the only good thing about this past year is spending more time with your family. During that time a lot of families have been taking time to talk about family history but this weekend you could do more than talk.

Take this weekend to put together a family time capsule. It's time to take advantage of being able to sit down and go through family papers or photographs with your kids. They need to know the history of your family and learn to leave something for future generations.

Here's how to get started:

1. Look through your photos - Everyone has a ton of photos on their phones. Go through them and decide which ones you want to live forever in print. You can print photos off your phone at home. Start a photo album - your kids will be fascinated that these actually exist - and after we have returned to 'normal life' you can continue adding to the photo album.

2. Take video - Sometimes when my folks are talking when my family is at a get-together, I very sneakily turn on the camera on my phone and take video of my folks just talking. Do that with your beasties when they're playing together, when your family is having breakfast, when everyone is just hanging out. You can post those online to your Facebook page and choose the privacy level you want, but it will be there forever. Leave a note with details about how to access the videos in your time capsule.

3. Do some online investigating - If you don't know much about your family, do a little climbing in your family tree. There are lots of services out there that can help you track down your ancestors and once you have information either write it down yourself or print it out so future generations can have details in writing.

4. Don't forget your family's story - How did you and your spouse meet? What was your first date? Was it love at first sight? Spill the details in writing so when your kid's kids ask about you and your spouse, they can have a detailed picture of their family.