Writing Letters to Your Children

Today I have started a tradition that I hope I can keep up. I wrote my first letter to my future, grown up daughter.

The inspiration hit me last night and these letters serve as a way for me to document my children's quirks, personality, my thoughts and my continual love for them. As morbid as this sounds, I want these letters to talk directly to my children just in case I'm not around to do it in person. Nobody will ever be able to convey just how much I adore being their mother more than I can.

This first letter to my daughter documents her excitement about starting school next year. Something I am both equally excited and sad about. Her enthusiasm for 'big school' is infectious, yet I am apprehensive about sending her to school 5 days a week. My letter reflects both her feelings and my angst about this new chapter and if I've made the right decision. I hope this letter will instill a newfound respect in her for the amount of thought I have given to almost every decision I've made on her behalf in the past 5 years.
My letter also discusses her excitement about turning 5 next month, the party we have planned and her current door slamming tantrum style.

I am not sure how I am going to store these letters yet, but it will need to be pretty. A nice notebook maybe. A jazzed up display folder perhaps? Something to ponder anyway. I am also hand writing each letter. It does take time (especially in a world where old school writing is almost defunct) and it hurts my hand a little, however, I think it will hold extra meaning for my children seeing their mother's own handwriting on each page.

So why write a letter for your children?

• It strengthens the connection between you and your child. 
• It documents their personality, their milestones, funny things they say, their behaviour and more. 
• It conveys your love for your child like no one else can. 
• It expresses your dreams and vision for your child. 
• It's fun to predict their future and see how spot on or not you were!

This website and this website have some terrific ideas on what to write about when writing letters to your children. I am choosing to write when I feel inclined to and not to any particular schedule.

While I will write about my dreams and intentions for the kids in future letters, my main goal is to record our family's little history and to try and articulate just how very loved they are. My actions may not always convey that. I get tired, cranky, impatient and snappy like everyone else. Regardless, there is never going to be anyone who will ever love those kids like I do and I hope these letters I write will express that.