Thinking ahead

I became an uncle for the 12th and 13th time this year.  It's really pretty amazing at just how cute my new nieces are - it's even more amazing to think of the world they'll be living in as they become teenagers.  I once heard someone say one of the toughest thing for the newest generation will be to come up with a username that hasn't been used before!  Really - think about it!

I heard of a pretty cool thing someone I know did when they had their first child recently that I hadn't heard of before.  They created and e-mail account for their newborn.  At first it sounded pretty silly, but as the reason was explained and the more I thought about it, it started to sound like a brilliant idea.  Here's a few of the reasons:

• The sooner you make an e-mail account, the more likely it will actually look like an actual name - not a name with 18 numbers/characters mixed in after it.
• My friend will e-mail his infant son from time to time letting him know how proud he is because he rolled over, stood up, spoke, etc. for the 1st time.  How cool is it going to be for that kid to look back at these e-mails when he's a teenager and old enough to have access to his account.  
• You can also e-mail advice to your future teenager.  For instance, "How to treat a woman", "Never give up", "How proper manners make a difference", etc.  Pretty much anything you want your child to know that will help them become the best person they can be.  These thoughts often come to your mind when your child is very young, but may happen less frequently as they grow older and become more independent.  
• You never know what tomorrow will bring.  How many times have we heard that someone lost their parent when they were just a child.  Your advice may live on beyond the appropriate time to share this advice with your child.  
• You may be able to share the "behind the scenes" story of how you planned their surprise 8th birthday party.  There are many stories that you may share that may fall through the cracks and be forgotten forever if they aren't written down as they happen.
• You can add pictures of special events.  I know parents post every moment on Facebook, but are you prepared to go through a dozen years of pictures to get to them?
• Grandparents may e-mail your child with stories and advice that may never be told later on.
• When you get an e-mail that you must share with at least 10 people or face the consequences, you only have to think of 9 other people to annoy.  (ok - maybe not that one)

So if you know of a new parent, you may want to share this idea - it may just create that time capsule that will change a life.

-Dan