Leaving a Legacy: What Do Children Remember About Deceased Parents?

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Are you looking into ways that you can help your son or daughter maintain their childhood memories? Have you ever wondered what they will remember about you if you were to pass away? If so, then you need to learn all that you can about leaving a legacy for your child.

Money isn’t everything. A child needs direction more than they need a nest egg. Even though death waits for no human, there are certain things you can do that will outlast you and help your child to remember you fondly.

See below for an in-depth guide on leaving a legacy and what children remember about deceased parents.

What Do Children Remember About Deceased Parents?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question isn’t linear. Many factors will affect how much a child remembers about their deceased parent such as the age of the child at the time you passed, how involved you were in their life, and many other factors.

That said, there are certain things that a child remembers most about their parents. Rest assured that they mostly remember the good qualities and not the imperfections.

First, a child will remember the meaningful moments that they shared with you. Whether it was when you took them to a professional sporting event or just had a meaningful conversation at a park, those moments will become ingrained in their memory. If those moments left an impression on you, then you can be sure they did the same for your child!

Second, children remember the passion their parents had for certain things. For example, if you were an avid sports fan, children will remember how much you loved your teams. Be sure to use this as a bonding experience and not as a distraction that takes you away from spending time with them… they’ll remember that too.

How Can I Leave a Legacy for My Child?

When most people think about leaving a legacy for their child, they typically only think in terms of dollar signs. The question quickly becomes, “How much money can I save for my child in case I pass away?”

But giving a child a boatload of money won’t do them much good. Think back to when you were 18 years old, would you have used that money responsibly? Probably not.

Instead, leaving a legacy is more about the time you spend with your kids. It’s about the life lessons that you teach them that go on to shape who they are and the person that they become.

Even in your death, your child will come to know the legacy that you left behind with how you invested your hard-earned money. For example, your donations towards the Legacy Guild can go towards providing college scholarships to high school students who have a lost parent in your community.

By this one simple action, your sons/daughters will see how you put others’ problems ahead of your own.

If tragedy were to strike, then your child could be the recipient of this same scholarship one day. Motion Source Video Production and Legacy Build team up to create meaningful videos of the lost parent to help that child remember their loved ones as they should.

How You Can Build a Legacy for Your Child Starting Today

Now that you realize the importance of building a legacy for your child, how can you go about doing so? See below for a few steps you should consider.

Connect With a Nonprofit

Do you have a soft spot for one particular aspect of your community? Have you always wanted to help animals? If so, then use that passion to help a nonprofit near you.

Children will have fond memories of how passionate you were for the nonprofits and organizations that you would help. It might also kickstart a fire in their heart for the cause that you’re helping.

Don’t just get involved in the organization yourself. Take your children along and have them participate in the events to show them what life is about: helping others.

Write Down Your Family Traditions

Even if you pass away suddenly, that doesn’t mean that your family traditions can’t live on. Any time that your child performs an old tradition, they’ll feel a direct connection back to you and remember the times they shared with you.

Take the time to write down all of the family traditions that you have using pen and paper. This way, they will have all the steps to follow.

Something cool: in the future, your child will hand off that same notebook of family traditions to their offspring, and it can be handed down for generations to come!

Prioritize Family Before Anything Else

Life is a beautiful assortment of memories and meaningful moments. When you look back on your life, all you’ll care about is the time you got to spend with your little ones. Make sure you’re prioritizing that now!

All that children will remember about you in hindsight can be summed up in one of two ways: you were either there for them all the time, or you weren’t.

Stop worrying about the little things in your professional life. Always prioritize your family over anything else. Teach them your morals. Teach them about your faith. Show them what it means to be a good human. Most importantly… show them how much you love them each day.

Use These Tips for Leaving a Legacy With Your Child

Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on leaving a legacy and what children will remember about deceased loved ones, be sure to use this information wisely.

Take the time to browse our website for more articles on childhood memories, as well as many other helpful topics that you will love.