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Letters for later
Time capsule letter to your child: examples and a template
Six short example letters from parents and grandparents, a fill-in template and prompts for writing a time capsule letter your child will want to keep.
Their story,
in your words.
in your words.
A good time capsule letter describes one real day. Say who your child is right now, what your life together looks like and what you hope they know when they open it. Half a page is plenty.
What to put in a time capsule letter
Your child will open this letter knowing how the story turned out. What they will not know is what an ordinary Tuesday felt like when they were small. That is the part worth writing down.
Most letters that land well have four ingredients: the date and where you are writing, a few specific details about your child right now, something about your own life at this moment, and a wish that does not depend on who they turn out to be.
- The date, your child’s exact age and where you are sitting
- Two or three things they do or say right now
- What a normal day looks like for your family
- Something you are finding hard or funny as a parent
- Prices, songs or news that will feel dated later
- A wish that will still be true whoever they become
Write what a photograph could not show them.
A fill-in template
Copy this and replace the brackets. Delete any line that does not sound like you.
“Dear [name], I am writing this on [date] at [place]. You are [age] and right now you [habit or favorite thing]. Your favorite [food, song, book or toy] is [detail]. The thing you say that makes us laugh is ‘[phrase]’. A normal day for us looks like [two sentences]. Something I am learning as your [mom, dad, grandparent] is [one sentence]. I do not know what your life looks like as you read this, but I hope you know [wish]. Whatever has happened between this page and today, [reassurance]. Love, [name].”
Example letter from a parent to a baby
“Dear Maya, You are eleven months old and you are asleep on my chest while I type this with one hand. You have four teeth and you use all of them on the corner of your board books. You wave at the ceiling fan every morning as if it is an old friend.
We live in the apartment on Calder Street with the radiator that knocks. Your dad sings the same made-up song at every diaper change. I am tired in a way I did not know was possible, and I have never laughed so much. I hope you are reading this somewhere you feel at home. You already made one for us. Love, Mom.”
Example letter for a kindergarten time capsule
Teachers often ask families to write a letter that is sealed until the end of the school year or until graduation. Keep it concrete and kind.
“Dear Theo, Today is your first week of kindergarten. You picked the dinosaur backpack and you told me you were ‘only a little bit nervous in my tummy.’ You can write your name, count to forty and explain exactly why sharks are not mammals. You wanted to walk the last block by yourself, so I stood at the corner and watched you do it. By the time you read this you will have learned a thousand things I cannot imagine yet. I hope you are still asking why. I am so proud of you, today and on the day you open this. Love, Dad.”
Example letter to an older child
“Dear Sam, You are nine and you have just beaten me at chess for the first time. You tried not to smile about it and failed. This year you learned to ride without holding the handlebars, started reading under the covers with a flashlight and decided you do not like being hugged in front of school.
I am writing this because one day you will be taller than me and I want you to know that I noticed the small things. If you are reading this at eighteen: you do not have to have anything figured out. Call me anyway. Love, Mom.”
Example letters from a grandparent
From a grandmother: “Dear Lucía, I am your abuela and today you are two. You came to my house and went straight to the drawer where I keep the wooden spoons, as you always do. When I was your age I lived in a house with a lemon tree and no telephone. I want you to know where you come from, so I have written the names of my mother and her mother on the back of this page. You have her eyebrows. With all my love, Abuela.”
From a grandfather to a newborn: “Dear Owen, I held you for the first time on Saturday. You weigh less than my toolbox. I have been a carpenter for forty years and I have never been so careful with anything. I do not know how many of your birthdays I will see, so I am putting this in writing: I was here at the very beginning, and I was glad. Grandpa.”
A short example for a card or guest book
Party guests are often handed a small card and thirty seconds. Three sentences are enough: one memory, one detail about today and one wish.
“Dear Noah, Today you turned one and put both hands in the cake. I have known your mom since we were twelve, and you have her laugh. I hope you always dive in like that. Love, Aunt Priya.”
Prompts if you are stuck
Answer any three of these and you have a letter.
- What is the first thing you do together every morning?
- What word do they mispronounce that you hope they never fix?
- What do they ask for at bedtime?
- Who do they light up for?
- What surprised you most about them this year?
- What did today cost: a coffee, a loaf of bread, a tank of fuel?
- What do you hope they forgive you for?
- What do you want them to remember about their grandparents?
- What would you tell them on a hard day?
- What are you doing right now, as you write?
Where to keep the letter until it opens
A paper letter in a labelled envelope works well if someone will remember where it is in fifteen years. Tell a second adult where it is kept and write the opening date on the outside.
A digital copy protects against a lost box or a house move. In Everlittle you can save a letter as a future capsule with an opening date, and add a voice recording or photographs from the same day beside it. Whichever you choose, keep a second copy of anything you could not rewrite.
Keep one detail from today.
Start with a sentence, a photo or a familiar voice.