Prompt generator
Prompts for a letter to your child
Tell us who is writing, how old the child is and the occasion. You will get an opening line, six prompts and a closing line for a letter they can open later.
Start with
“Nothing special happened today, which is why I want to tell you about it.”
- What do they do with their hands when they are falling asleep?
- What does a normal night look like right now?
- What have you learned about yourself since they arrived?
- What sound do they make that you would know anywhere?
- What do you want them to know about the family they were born into?
- What are you working on or worrying about in your own life right now?
End with
“I do not know what your life looks like now. I know you were loved from the start.”
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How to use the prompts
Answer each prompt in two or three sentences, in order, and you will have a full letter. Skip any that do not fit. Specific beats beautiful: the name of the stuffed rabbit matters more than a line about how fast time goes.
Add the date and where you are writing at the top. Sign it the way your child knows you.
When should they open it?
Eighteen is traditional. A tenth birthday, the first day of high school, graduation or the day they become a parent all work. Write the opening date on the envelope or set it on a digital capsule, and tell another adult where the letter is.
Common questions
How long should a letter to my child be?
Half a page to a page. A short letter that gets written is worth more than a long one that does not.
What should a grandparent write?
Who you are, one story about the child’s parent when they were young and what you felt when the child arrived. Choose “Grandparent” above for prompts that fit.
Write it where it will not get lost.
Save your letter with an opening date, and add your voice reading it.