Letters to your child
3 MINUTES READ
A letter to my son
or my daughter.
A letter to your child does not need to be long or eloquent. It needs to be true, and full of small details only you know. Here is what to include, short examples for different moments, and when to give it to them.
What to include in a letter to your child
- Where you are. The date, their age, where you are sitting as you write.
- Who they are right now. What they love, what they say, what they are afraid of.
- A small, specific memory. One moment told properly beats a list of milestones.
- Something about you. What this time is like for you, honestly.
- What you hope for them. Kept small and real, not a speech.
- How you sign off. The name they call you.
Short examples for different moments
These are illustrative, written to show the shape of a letter. Yours will be better, because it will be about your child.
You are nine days old and asleep on my chest as I type this with one hand. You make a small squeak every time you breathe out, and I already know I will miss it.
This year you learned to wave, to clap, and to say dah to everything you love, which is mostly the dog. You ignored your cake and played with the paper. Happy birthday, little one.
This month you decided the colander is a hat. You wore it to breakfast three days running. I am writing it down because one day you will not believe me.
When to write it, and when to give it
Write it whenever something makes you want to: a birthday, the first day of school, an ordinary Sunday. Some parents write once a year, some every month. Many keep the letters and give them at eighteen, at a wedding, or when their child becomes a parent.
If you keep a journal of small daily memories, reading back the month or the year is the easiest way to start a letter: the details are already there. Our twelve months guide has more on writing a first birthday letter.
A few tips
- Write it the way you talk. They will want to hear your voice, not a card.
- Use their words. Mispronunciations and invented names are treasures.
- Keep it short. Half a page read for years beats ten pages never finished.
- Date it. Future them will want to know exactly when.
A letter that writes itself from your memories.
In One Little Line you save one short memory at a time. At the end of each month, your memories become a letter to your child that you can read back, keep, and add to. Read a sample letter.
Questions parents ask
How do I start a letter to my son or daughter?
Start with where you are and how old they are: "You are two today, and you are asleep upstairs." Then tell one small, specific memory. The rest usually follows.
How long should a letter to my child be?
As long as it needs to be. A few honest paragraphs are plenty. Short letters written regularly often mean more than one long letter written once.
When should I give my child the letters?
Whenever it feels right: on a milestone birthday such as 18, when they leave home, on their wedding day, or when they become a parent. Some families read them together each birthday.