One of the best ways to keep your self organized is to open a file for each child in your house. Keep all of their paper work, their physical and dental exam reports, their up to date shot records, and anything else that is important in this file.

I used to work on my record files for each child as I encouraged them to sit and work in their life books. We would add pages of summer vacation activities and lists of new friends they made over the summer, pictures and drawings.

I also tried to keep a journal daily filled with anything or event that happened in our home. So that it was helpful to me and the foster care workers when ever there was a question or issue about one of the kids.

As the kids got older they could not believe all the things I had in my file. Pictures they had made for me, ticket stubs for concerts we had gone to together. It covered a lot of lost time and space.

I so much enjoyed giving those files to my kids as they got older and had apartments of their own.
It let them know how seriously I took my role as a mom to each of them. I had my own life book filled with school pictures and vacation snap shots and notes on when they got a boo boo or had to see the doctor.

It was a file of precious memories. One by one I have passed these on to my kids as they have moved on with their life. Soon I will be opening April's file and going over it with her. My file cabinet is getting empty. What was once full of love and memories and tons of childhood information...now only holds two more file folders.

It has been a great way of staying organized and keeping memories of our time as it has passed by us.
I would recommend that every foster/adoptive parent keep good files on each child.

It is a world of information if a child is ever removed from your home and into another placement.
It helps the other foster parent to get to know the child's history and it makes a wonderful gift of memories for our kids to take with them when they move out on their own.

A book of memories. What do you do with your files
when your children move on? Leave a comment and let me know.