Letters to Your Children

Do you write letters to your children?

I do and I’ll tell you why. My child is only six, but I have been writing to him since he was two. I wished I had started earlier, but I never thought about it.

Now, he of course, doesn’t read them, they are for later when he is older or if something happens to me. I want him to know what I was thinking and feeling at the time. So often when we are older our memories aren’t what they used to be so I think writing them letters at the time is a great way to preserve the memories.

I don’t write him one every day, more like just once or twice a year, like on the first day of school, birthdays, etc. You know, special occasions. If he did something particularly funny or special I may write one then.

I keep them in a folder in a filing cabinet and it is fun to pull them out and read them now and then. It also helps me experience my feelings in a more positive way. Like how hard it is to let them go when they first start school and you have to watch them ride away on that big yellow school bus. Writing those thoughts and feelings down right then is good for your spirit and your child will get a glimpse into how you were when they were little and how much you truly loved them.

Writing them letters now is a precious gift you can give to them later. My mother died when I was young and I would give almost anything to have a letter from her or a diary or something. Now that I am a mom, I would love to see how she felt about things while her children were young – to see the real her.

So give your children a gift they will appreciate when they are older and are parents themselves. I know they will thank you for it.

Julie