Getting started is always the hard part.
No matter what the task, I always find that once I actually begin, it’s a whole lot easier than I imagined.
Getting to the point of writing this, my first blog post has been pretty tricky. Self-doubt kicked in as soon as I picked my domain name! But now I’ve started, and it feels good. I’m a whole eight sentences in!
Here at The Memory Mum, I aim to help busy mums make memories with their families. To get us started, I’ve decided to delve into the past and dig up some of my favourite childhood family memories.
I was very fortunate to have parents who went out of their way to make memories with me, even on occasions when time and money were tight. I know I don’t thank them enough for that.
So here are five of the highlights of my younger years.
1. Agricultural Shows
Trips around the country to agricultural shows were a non-negotiable part of the summer.
My family aren’t farmers, but my dad has a keen interest in vintage machinery. As a result, I spent many happy afternoons wandering around fields in my wellies, munching away on candy floss or yellow man (honeycomb).
At most shows, my main interest was in the baking and craft competitions. Of course, another highlight was seeing how many freebies could be gleaned from whatever trade stands were present. A successful freebie haul usually meant I never ran out of pencils for the next school year, and I had plenty of branded plastic yo-yos to keep me entertained on rainy days.
2. Sunday Drives
In rural Ireland, it’s a fairly common phenomenon for a family to pile into the car for a ‘spin’ on a Sunday afternoon. Often, it has the purpose of getting a grandparent, or a great aunt or uncle, out for a trip after the Sunday dinner.
Given all the rain we have here, a drive is a fairly safe bet of something that won’t have to cancelled at the last minute.
When I was young, I dreaded being stuck in the car for hours, exploring back roads that didn’t seem to lead anywhere.
But looking back, I realise how many fascinating places we actually discovered, just by taking our time and seeing where we ended up. Now if only I could find them all again….
3. Cardboard Boxes
When I think back to spending time with my mum as a toddler and young school child, the first things that spring to mind are cardboard boxes!
Every time we finished a box of cereal, it was folded neatly and put away for painting on. And if a sturdier sort of box came into the house, she was quick to think of a creative use for it.
I distinctly remember a small cardboard kitchen with a cut out flap for an oven door, and bottle caps for knobs.
None of the things we created would be considered Pinterest-worthy now. But they were fun and they were cheap – a great combination!
4. Forest Walks
Where I live in the west of Ireland, we are surrounded by beautiful landscapes of all sorts; ocean, mountains, lakes, rivers and forests.
Our family frequently ventured out for walks in all these beauty spots, but the woods in particular. Perhaps because they provide a bit of shelter if it gets very wet and windy.
Whatever the reason, I loved exploring as we walked, and some of my deepest thinking was done whilst kicking through autumn leaves along the trails.
5. Passing the Baton
Both my parents have particular hobbies they enjoy doing. They are both excellent at sketching, my mum is fantastic at making clothes, and my dad is an avid fisherman.
Each of them took the time to teach and encourage me in their hobbies, in an attempt to pass down the skills they had built up.
While I no longer sketch, make clothes or fish, I loved the one on one time I got to spend with them as they showed me how to do the things that they loved.
As I grew up through the teenage years, I began to develop my own interests and hobbies, many quite different to theirs.
But they encouraged me wholeheartedly, and their example in having an activity they enjoyed and cherished inspired me as I discovered and developed my own.
Moving on with the Memories
Now that I’m a parent of two small children, I look back and appreciate these moments all the more.
The logistics of simply getting out for a walk can be nightmarish; and that’s on a good day! But realising how much I now value these things, gives me the boost to try and give my kids similar experiences.
What are some of your favourite family memories? And what ones would you love to repeat with your own children? Leave a comment below and let me know!