Do briefcases go out of style?

[Heathermomster]

 It just occurred to me that my son is going to have to start keeping up with his own personal papers such as birth certificate, diplomas, and medical reports. When I graduated high school 30 years ago, my parents gave me a briefcase, and I still use it to store important documents.  I don’t ever recall my family giving a fig where my diploma or Social Security card was stored.  

My question is this:  what are you doing to help your rising adult children store their documents? DS departs in 8 weeks, so what paperwork should he take to his freshman dorm?  

[Lori D.]

We use a locking fire file safe for all the critical documents. However, it's heavy and not designed for travel. For going to college, DS just took his driver's license, insurance card, bank card, and Soc. Security card in his wallet, which he kept on him at all times.

[MerryAtHope]

I don't remember ever needing my birth certificate with me at college--my mom kept that. I had my social security card, but no recollection of how I stored it! (I probably kept it in my wallet, which isn't really recommended now!)

My kids both have some canvas expanda-file type cases for keeping papers that are important to them. 

[shawthorne44]

My parents gave me a 'fire-safe' box that they got with some insurance back in the 70's.   It is easily portable, but it does have a combination lock on it.   Super important papers stay in my parent's safe.   But, minor important, like car titles and DD's teeth stay in there.  

[Kareni]

On 6/8/2018 at 5:47 PM, shawthorne44 said:

But, minor important, like car titles and DD's teeth stay in there. 

I have to admit that this is one of the more curious posts I've read today ....

Regards,
Kareni

[shawthorne44]

2 hours ago, Kareni said:

I have to admit that this is one of the more curious posts I've read today ....

Regards,
Kareni

 

Well, the tooth fairy has to put them somewhere.  

It started when the 2-year checkup discovered a white bead in her ear.   It hadn't been there long (the body hadn't reacted to it and no build-up), and no one had known it was there.   But, it was deep enough that she had to be put under to have it extracted.  Out-patient surgery place, very traumatizing to us parents.  They gave us the bead in a tiny tupperware-type container.  We didn't know what to do with it, so into 'the important papers box' it went.  Then when DD lost her first tooth, the plastic container became the place to put "things removed from DD."    The combination lock means that DD won't find her teeth on accident.  

The box also has these ancient roman coins I bought on e-bay and many two-tone coins from my travels.  Two-tone coins are cool.      

[Starfish]

We purchase "dorm vaults" for our freshmen to keep valuables in.  Birth certificates and passports stay at our home unless they're needed.    They'd probably be safe on campus, but we've just always kept them in our file safe. 

[Kareni]

3 minutes ago, shawthorne44 said:

Well, the tooth fairy has to put them somewhere.  

Thanks for the explanation, shawhthorne44.  In our house, my husband served as the tooth fairy since I feared I was insufficiently stealthy; consequently, a small box of 'fairy treasure' resides in his dresser drawer.  No white beads here thankfully!

Regards,
Kareni

[Kareni]

When my daughter went to college, she needed her social security card (not just the number) for work study purposes.

Regards,
Kareni

[katilac]

My dd has a box, but she keeps the absolute minimum at college. Social security card only when needed for a new job, definitely not birth certificate, passport, or anything that would cause a big issue if it went missing (either because it's hard to replace or has confidential information). There's no reason for her to have stuff like her high school diploma. My youngest will be local, so even easier to keep stuff at home. 

ime, college students are the worst where security is concerned, lol. Nobody locks the suite door and very few lock their bedroom door unless leaving for a break. It's very common for a student to be looking to borrow something, and another student tells them to just go into their dorm room and get it. We did the same back in my college days. A lockbox doesn't help if someone can just walk away with it. 

So, I'd probably go for a box with minimum documents. If there is some reason he needs to have things like his SS card, birth certificate, and passport local at all times, he needs a safety deposit box at the local bank. Dorm rooms are not secure, particularly if you have a roommate. 

No briefcase for documents. It is more likely to be stolen - you can't hide it in a small place like a box, and people might think it has money in it. Plus, where does he put the important documents if he decides to use the briefcase as intended? 

And I wouldn't buy an expensive briefcase for use as intended, either. Lots of people still use them but they are definitely less common than they used to be. A padfolio will do the trick for job fairs and interviews during college. My dh uses a backpack for most things, and a padfolio for more formal meetings and such. 

[MerryAtHope]

On 6/9/2018 at 11:27 PM, shawthorne44 said:

Well, the tooth fairy has to put them somewhere. 

 

I used to save my kids teeth...until my mom gave me back all of my baby teeth that she had saved, LOL! I might still have a few of the kids baby teeth in my night stand in a kleenex, but I no longer have a collection!

[J-rap]

I keep a file for each child at home in our file cabinet.  In it, I have their vaccination record, birth certificate, social security card, passport, medical history, old insurance claim records (if they were ever involved in a car accident, etc.), and anything else like that.  Even when they went off to college I kept all of that, and even now that a couple are married, I still retain some of it while they're in the early stages of being fairly unsettled and moving from apartment to apartment.  It's easy for me to keep a file for each of them here.

My kids memorized their social security numbers because I don't think it's a good idea to carry the card around in your wallet.  There have been times when they needed the actual card and their birth certificate for an interview or new passport or whatever, but then they usually want to give it back to me for safe keeping.  At some point when they are more settled and don't need me for anything anymore  ? I'll give them their file and not take it back.