Where are your kids' records?

Many times through my children's growing years, I had to produce their shot records.  And just as many times, I hadn't a clue where I put them!  During the everyday madness that is family life with young children, the medical records took a back seat to homework, sports practice, and music lessons. 

Today's parents have an easier job of locating their children's medical records - digitally!  Simply scan the shot records and save them in a digital file under each child's name.  Then when the school asks for the records, you have a ready reference, unless they require an "official" copy with a doctor's signature.

In an emergency, those records become even more valuable.  Law enforcement and health care agencies agree that every parent should keep up-to-date photos (without anyone else in the picture), medical records, and other vital information about their kids in a quickly accessible spot.  In the unfortunate event that your child goes missing, you have a photograph ready for investigators. Along with the photo, keep a note with your child’s date of birth, full name and nickname(s), hair color, eye color, height and weight, birthmarks, and whether she wears glasses, earrings or braces.  This should all be on one sheet so you can easily print out all the information at once.  Also, if you need to go to the emergency room, you have the health records at ready reference during a time when you're not thinking as clearly as you should.

Other information you can store digitally is a copy of the birth certificate, adoption records, dental records, list of current medications, physical conditions, a closeup of birthmarks or other identifying marks, and list of any previously broken bones.  Particularly important to include is a list of allergies.

On every sheet, include the child's name, your name, address, phone number, and work contact information.  Add the names of closest relatives and reliable neighbors (ask for their permission to include their name first!)  Consider saving all this on a thumb drive that you attach to your car keys and you'll always have your child's emergency information with you!

Hopefully you'll never need to use this emergency information, but if you do, you'll be glad to take the time to assemble this information in one place.