THE TOP 10 RECORDS TO KEEP FOR YOUR KIDS

Legal and financial:

1. Birth certificate
If this goes missing, it’s very hard to replace. You’ll also need this for major life events, like enrolling them in school. It’s also a wonderful piece of history that you will want to make sure never gets lost. This document alone is a good reason to invest in a safety deposit box.

2. Social security card
Keep the card safe, because they’ll need it for their first job, their driver’s license, and other interactions with the government throughout their life. At some point they’ll need it themselves. Be sure to educate them on the importance of this number! Social security numbers are the key element to identity theft. No one except the government, financial agency, or an employer should know or need to know their social security number. The card itself is also a good candidate for the safety deposit box.

3. Passport
If there’s no hurry, getting a passport is simple and inexpensive. If you’re in a sudden rush, it’s a nightmare. And did you know that a passport may soon be required to enter Canada? Get your kids’ passport early and keep it safe—the third thing to go in the safety deposit box. Even if it expires, it is saves a lot of money and time to have the old copy when it is needed for them to be renewed:

They will charge your child extra if it’s lost and they have to do a completely new one:

You know you are going to end up paying the excess fees, so this will save you from a “I need money phone call” – or at least one of them!
4. Financial documents
This is really important for you child when they are applying for college, a car, or even an apartment. Keep on record their recent bank accounts, trusts, stocks and any other financial records that you may have accrued in their lifetime.

Academic:
5. Homework Files
This isn’t one you should organize for them, but one you should help them organize for themselves. This skill will carry through to college and throughout their lives. Learning to organize homework papers will get them the right start on their school career and eventually their career. Of course this also means you need to stay organized – remember your positive example is the
biggest influence on them in their formative years!

6. Grades & transcripts from high school
This is crucial for college applications and in some cases housing. You don’t need to keep every single report card throughout their life, just their transcripts from high school. A summation of their four years of high school is plenty.

7. Awards, honors, & scholarships
Don’t go as far as Gaylord Focker’s shrine in Meet the Fockers but it is a good idea to hang onto some sort of documentation, such as keeping a photo, a note card or the actual awards and trophies in an archival box. I suggest just keeping paper records, if your child is ok with letting go of the trophies. They are a nice thing to mention on a college application.
Medical:

8. Health records
Over the years, your child may have several doctors. It’s funny how records get lost or misplaced over the years, but it’s very
serious for your child’s long-term health to have good records. Make sure you keep your own copy of these records in a safe place. I recently changed my allergist – I had been seeing the same one since I was two. He was 2,000 miles away, so I guess it was time. I needed these documents for this introductory appointment with my new allergist. I again faxed, called and mailed the records department 2 months ago and still have not received them. I will let you know if I ever do!

9. Allergies, shots, & immunizations
Allergies, shots, & immunizations - Keep these close at hand for school enrollment or the first time your child cuts themselves on something rusty. There's nothing more frustrating than having to take you child in for a tetanus shot because you're not sure when the last one was, or helping your child recover from an allergic reaction that could have been avoided if the school knew. When I needed my immunization record, my Mom couldn't find them. I attempted to have them mailed to me and never received them. As a result, I did a walk-in to my doctor's office while I was on a vacation home, and sat around for ages until they could find the records and make a copy. Make sure to not do this to your child, especially if they are like me and decide to go to school 2,000 miles away!

10. X-rays
Just the doctor notes are fine, if you don't have anywhere to store these large documents. It may cost a few bucks to get a spare copy, but it is money well spent. The notes can go in the safety deposit box, and the original films can be stashed in a closet standing up-right. You know you are going to end up paying the excess fees, so this will save you from a “I need money phone call” – or at least one of them!