Family History: Should we record the lives of our pets?
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Should we record the lives of our pets?
Family history isn’t just about the people—the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who make our lives joyful and memorable; it is also about the pets. Family pets play such an important part of our lives, and have done so generations. Who hasn’t seen old family photographs with a young boy holding a beloved family dog or a girl feeding a carrot to a beloved family rabbit? Family pets are just as important to our family history as any other element, which is why you should record the lives of your pets as a way to preserve their memory and place in the family for the future.
Tips for Recording Lives of Your Pets
There are many ways that you can record the lives of your family pets so that they are part of preserved family history. The following are the best ways you can record the lives of your pets for future generations to enjoy.
Making Family Movies
First, you’ll need to make sure that family parts are part of family movies! When you are recording family movies, don’t forget to move the camera down and capture the family dog wagging his tail and hoping for someone to toss him a treat; or look around and capture your daughter petting the family cat while she sits and purrs on her lap. Movies are a great way to preserve family history, especially when it comes to pets.
Taking Photos
One day, the photos you take of your pets will become the “old family photographs” for another generation. You should make sure to take plenty of photos of your family pets, whether they’re playing by themselves or snuggled up in bed with the kids. Photos can be a bit trickier if the pet has a habit of running around, but look for the right moments when they’re calm enough to stay still. You can even add your family pets to portrait photo sessions if you want something less spur of the moment.
Writing Down Memories/Facts
You can also preserve your pet’s family history by writing down memories about them, along with any basic facts that can add detail to their story and history. For instance, if you know the history of the pet—such as their breed, when they were born, whether they were adopted from a shelter, etc.—you can write this information down to be preserved. Memories are another important element of recording pet’s history in the family. If it helps, write about them in letters that will be preserved for future generations, so that family in the future will know just how many the family pets added to your lives.
Creating a Scrapbook
Finally, you can create a scrapbook which is a combination of photos, written memories, and even trinkets such as old collars, dog tags, or even a snip of fur. Scrapbooks are a great way to create interesting memorabilia albums that people will love to flip through on holidays and visits.
Don’t forget to preserve your family pet history for future generations to enjoy!
To learn how to write a poem about your family history click here.
To make art out of Granny’s words of wisdom click here
To learn how to write a family recipe click here