family reading book in bed
This year marks the 10th year of Father’s Day in our home. I have always enjoyed writing, so starting back in 2002 I made my first book for Jim using hard copies of photos glued to construction paper, embellishing with some scrapbooking supplies. Then I had it laminated and bound with 3 silver clasps. I had no idea back then that in 2012 I would still be making them, now with the girls’ help.
On the left is a bit of last year’s book, so you can see how easy it is, and what follows is a quick ‘how-to’ so you can do the same for that special father, grandfather, uncle or friend in your life this Father’s Day. Last year’s topic was Moe’s (since we eat there every Friday night!).
Now your book doesn’t have to rhyme–many of mine don’t–so don’t let that scare you. I have written short stories, counting books and alphabet books, too. The most important thing is to have fun.
Follow these three steps and in no time you’ll have your own tradition of creating custom Father’s Day books your family will cherish for years to come.
1) Consider the age(s) of your children. Write a story that is about the level of the stories they currently read. My girls were 2 and 1 when I created the second book by going around the house and taking pictures of Jim’ stuff. The whole book was very simple. Below each picture of something daddy-related, I wrote a description, such as “Daddy’s chair” or “Daddy’s grill”. The girls loved it because they could ‘read’ it!
2) Pick a topic that is meaningful for your family right now. It helps to pick a theme. Where do you like to travel? What hobbies or activities do you do together? Write about it. This helps to freeze that memory in time. A few years from now we may not be going to Moe’s anymore but when we read this book we’ll remember the times we did.
3) Let the kids help with the illustrations. To this day the books on our shelf that are laminated and bound with 3 silver clasps are some of our favorites. It’s adorable to see the girls’ drawings, hand prints and writing. In our home, much of their schoolwork ends up in the trash but these books are treasures I’ll always keep.
Keep in mind the real purpose is to honor the man who has affected your children in a positive way and show him you care. Making a custom gift inspired by him and that takes a bit of creativity and time is a thoughtful way to commemorate this day and a great tradition to bring into your family. Hmmm … so what should I write this year?
As a Certified Life Coach, speaker and author, April O’Leary helps women bring peace into their busy lives. She also teaches a tele-course called Ride the Wave and offers one-on-one coaching sessions by phone or in her office. April and her husband Jim reside in Estero with their three girls. For more on April, visit her website at www.apriloleary.com.