Record their voices

For me, there’s always been something magical about hearing old audio recordings of people. Something about the subtraction of the visual element present in videos puts more of a focus on the voice and forces you to listen in a way you don’t - or can’t - when you’re also looking.

I didn’t think to record my kids’ voices until my daughter was already a few months old. The earliest recordings of her are just infant gurgles and utterances, punctuated by my acknowledgements. Since then, I’ve recorded the songs they sang, silly performances they made up, discussions they passionately engaged in while they should have been sleeping, fights, tantrums, dinner conversations, …

It’s easiest when they don’t know you’re recording, otherwise they go into goofy mode. So open up your iOS device’s built-in Voice Memos app (or a similar voice recording app on Android), get it rolling and place it somewhere out of site, and talk to your kids. About their days, about what they had for lunch, about who they played with during recess that day, what they brought to show and tell. Plumb the depths. Ask specific questions. Gently encourage specific answers.

Years later, listening to them recount - in their own voice - the mundanities of their day, their little kid problems, their friends, their snacks … you will be grateful for this.