A Memory Book for Each Child: How Nicole Keeps Their Father's Story Close

After losing her husband to ALS, Nicole created a memory book for each of her three children. The books live in their rooms, and they reach for them when they miss their dad.

Some photo books are made to celebrate a moment. Nicole J. made hers so her children would never lose one.

"We lost my husband and father to my 3 small children one year ago to ALS. My children were 5, 3.5 and 10 months old at the time of their father's death. With the recommendation from our pediatric grief counselor that I see with my older two children, I created memory books for each child to have for the years to come."

Three children. Three different relationships with their dad, Chuck. Three different sets of memories, some lived and some that will only ever exist in photographs. So Nicole made three books, one for each child, each one telling the story of their dad as they knew him.

Building the Books

Making the books meant going back through years of photos, and through everything those years held.

"It was a trip down memory lane for me - and especially meaningful to include photos that included Chuck being a dad to the older two children before ALS entered our lives. For the older two kids, they have photos that are pre and post ALS. We received the ALS diagnosis while I was 6 months pregnant with our 3rd child so ALS is completely part of her book."

Nicole did not edit the illness out of the books. Each child's book reflects their own true timeline with their dad. What holds all three together is who Chuck was throughout.

"Regardless of the ALS, Chuck loved being a father and spending time with his kids brought the most joyous moments."

Where the Books Live Now

The books did not end up on a shelf in the living room. They sit where they are needed most.

"These books are in each child's room and they often look at the books at bedtime. Bedtime grief is very common and questions about their dad often come up at this time of night so they can look at the photo books when they miss him. The older two like looking at the pictures before dad was in a wheelchair."

That is the quiet work a memory book does. When the questions come at night, Nicole's children have something to hold. They can turn the pages themselves, find their dad smiling back, and fall asleep a little closer to him.

Father's Day, Their Way

This Father's Day, the family will spend the day the way Chuck loved to.

"Father's Day usually means a day spent at the beach or on the boat, something their dad also loved. The books also capture boating pictures as one of our favorite places to be was on my dad's boat or Chuck's dad's boat."

The boat shows up in the books, too. The places a family returns to become part of how they remember, and the books make sure those places stay connected to him.

What Nicole Would Tell Other Families

For Nicole, the hardest part was the loss, not the process. The books came together from photos she already had.

"I was very pleased with the ease of creating these memory books through Mixbook by creating albums for each kid based on pictures saved on my iPhone. The people identification feature also helped identify pictures to use. My in-laws (Chuck's parents) loved the albums so much I gave them a set for Christmas 2025 as well."

What began as three books for three children became a set for grandparents, too. Grief is shared, and so are the books that help carry it.

How to Make a Memorial Photo Book for a Child

If you are creating a memory book to help a child stay connected to a parent or loved one they lost, Nicole's approach offers a gentle blueprint:

• Make one book per child. Each child's relationship with the person they lost is their own. A 5-year-old and a 10-month-old hold different memories, and their books can reflect that honestly.
• Start with the photos already on your phone. You do not need a curated archive. Nicole built each book from iPhone albums, and Mixbook Studio allows photo import from Google Photos if you require pulling from archives.
• Include the whole story, with care. Nicole included photos from before and after Chuck's diagnosis. You decide what is right for your family, but children often value seeing the person across every chapter of their life together.
• Anchor the book in joy. The moments that mattered most in Nicole's books were the ordinary ones: time on the boat, days at the beach, a dad with his kids.
• Keep the book within reach. A memory book in a child's room works differently than one on a shelf. It becomes something they can return to on their own, whenever they need it.
• Consider extra copies. Grandparents, siblings, and close family may treasure a set of their own.

Start with a theme made to hold a story:

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I include in a memorial photo book?

Include photos that show the person across the full arc of their life and relationships: everyday moments, favorite places, and the people they loved. For children's memory books, prioritize photos of the child with the person they lost. Captions can be short. A name, a place, and a date are often enough to anchor a memory for years to come.

How do memory books help grieving children?

A memory book gives a child a way to revisit a parent or loved one on their own terms. Nicole's pediatric grief counselor recommended memory books for her children, and the books now serve as a comfort at bedtime, when questions about their dad come up most. A physical book a child can hold and return to gives shape to memories they may be too young to retain on their own.

How do I make a memorial photo book from phone photos?

Create an album on your phone for the person you want to honor, then upload it to a photo book editor like Mixbook Studio. From there, you can arrange pages, add captions, and order printed copies for family members.

When should I give a memory book to a grieving family?

There is no single right time. Some families create books in the first year as part of the grieving process, often with guidance from a grief counselor. Others wait until they feel ready to revisit the photos. If you are giving a memory book as a gift, occasions like Father's Day, Mother's Day, birthdays, or holidays can be meaningful, but a quiet, no-occasion gift is just as welcome.