Babies can’t form long-term memories, leading to what is known as infantile amnesia, where most of us don’t recall our early childhood. To preserve these fleeting moments, many parents create keepsake albums, scrapbooks, and pregnancy journals. A 42-year-old organizing expert from Southern California shared a tech-savvy hack for creating a digital memory book for babies.
Before she even became a mother, Lovely Jackson (@lovely_lean_aesthetics on Instagram and TikTok) created an email account for her daughter. “I didn’t realize the incredible benefits until my oldest was a toddler, but I secured an email address for my daughter before she was even born,” she wrote in an Instagram post, liked by over 72,000 people.
In her post, Lovely outlined several benefits of creating an email for a baby before birth. The first benefit she outlined is about memory preservation, “A perfect and easy way to store and preserve big and small memories alike, all in digital format. Share photos and short videos, creating a digital archive of meaningful moments and experiences. Think birthdays, family vacations, as well as simple but just as important memories, like the first day learning to ride a bike or a spontaneous beach day.”
Another benefit is that the email will enable the child to reflect on their past in the distant future. By scrolling through the email, they will be transported back to their toddler years, filled with rainbows, unicorns, animal artwork, soft pastel blankets, plush dolls, and miniature toys. “This time capsule will allow them to easily revisit memories, and reflect on their growth and experiences over time,” explained Lovely.
“When they’re older, they can browse through old emails and attachments to reminisce about special events, achievements, or conversations,” she added. She also said that an email like this can help a child stay connected with their loved ones by getting reminded of their love. To be able to look back at good old times gives a person a sense of belonging and a memoir of the care they received from their parents.
“I believe in the power of visuals, so I keep the writing minimal and let the photos speak volumes,” Lovely told Newsweek, and added, “While, currently, it’s primarily about preserving memories, I’m considering incorporating short letters about life lessons and experiences into these emails, especially as my children grow older.” People who viewed Lovely’s post liked the idea of baby email. Several recalled how their parents created different kinds of memory banks for them. “My dad made my email when I got my first tablet so glad he did it sounds so fancy and professional,” said @carlarivxp.
Practicing an idea similar to Lovely’s, Morgan Stromberg, a marriage and family therapist in California, created an email account for his daughter four months before her birth. Explaining his reason for doing this, he told The New York Times, “I did it because I wanted her to know she was loved from the first moment, and have access to stories from the man that knows her the best.”
The idea that a person can scroll through their baby memories, sifting through the highlights of their initial years, is fascinating, almost surreal. For parents too, a baby email is a sweet way of freezing time. “I highly recommend this for parents. It’s a win-win for everyone involved,” Lovely said. “But it’s crucial to remember to unsubscribe from irrelevant emails, stay engaged with the account, and maintain separate photo-archiving methods.”
