Personal Records and Certificates

Here is an easy way to store important documents.

When you have a large family (seven children in my case), there are many Birth Certificates, Baptism Certificates, Holy Communion Certificates, Awards, School Photos, Bank Passports, etc.

When a child enters their first year at school, they then get their own folder to keep their birth certificate, baptism & holy communion certificates, school photos, report cards, achievement awards, their bank book (if they have a bank account) etc.

I find this method much easier, as you don’t have to rummage through one folder to find a particular birth certificate.  This will also help MUCH later down the track when the child is old enough to leave home.  They can just take their folder with all their important documents with them.

I remember my mother having a big silver folder with all of  mine and my sisters certificates inside.  I also recall the enjoyment of looking through the folder of my kindergarten and school photos, awards etc.  But when it was time for me to ‘leave the nest’, my mother had to sort through to find all my things that I needed in my new life.

Therefore, this is why I decided to have a separate folder for each child. You could colour code them or what I have done is print an A4 sized page at the front with their name on it.

Always put the Birth Certificate at the very front pages (or the other side of the front cover name page) as this is the most important document you need access throughout their entire life.