For new parents
A letter for every birthday you might miss.
You'll almost certainly be there for all of them. Sealkept is for the "almost". Write or record something for the years ahead tonight, and it waits, sealed, for as long as it needs to.
Try it
Their letters, waiting.
Pick the year your child was born and see when each letter would open. Tap an age to read an example.
Opens on Maya's 13th birthday, in 2039 · Letter
Dear Maya,
Teenager. Some days I'll embarrass you. I'm sorry in advance, and also not sorry at all. You are so loved.
Example letters. Your own stay sealed and editable while you keep checking in, and are only delivered if you can't be there.
Made for real life
Built for tired evenings.
Five minutes is enough
Record a voice note after bedtime. Add a paragraph next year. A collection grows on its own.
Delivered on the right day
Mark a letter for their birthday and it waits for that day, instead of arriving all at once on the hardest week.
A light check-in
Confirm you're fine with one tap from an email or the app, or reply OK to a reminder text.
Your partner as verifier
Name your partner or a grandparent as a trusted verifier, so nothing moves without a human confirming.
What to write
What to say at each age.
Letters with a clear moment are easier to write and mean more when they're opened. You don't need all of them. Start with one.
5: Who they are right now
Small, true details they'll never remember: favourite words, bedtime rituals, the thing they say wrong that you'll miss when they say it right.
Prompts
- What made you laugh this week
- The toy they won't sleep without
- What you see in them already
10: Curiosity and courage
They're starting to have their own opinions. Tell them that's wonderful, and tell them a story about yourself at ten.
Prompts
- Something you were scared of at ten
- A question they asked that stuck with you
- Permission to be different
13: Becoming a teenager
Reassurance more than advice. Their body and friendships will change. Your love won't.
Prompts
- What you wish someone had told you at 13
- How to be kind to themselves
- That they can always come home
16: Independence
First jobs, driving, first heartbreak. Practical encouragement and a little humour go a long way.
Prompts
- A mistake you learned from
- How you knew who your real friends were
- Something about money you'd pass on
18: Stepping into adulthood
The letter most parents write first. Your values, your hopes, and the plain words: I'm proud of you.
Prompts
- The values you hope they keep
- What you want them to know about your family
- One hope, said simply
21: Finding their people
Friendship, love, work that matters. Speak to them as the adult they now are.
Prompts
- What a good life looks like to you
- How to choose a partner well
- What you'd tell them over a drink
How it works
Sealed until it's needed.
Write or record
A letter, a voice note, a video or a document. Edit any of them, any time.
Choose the moment
Add your child as a recipient with their birthday, and choose a birthday release for the message.
Check in now and then
Pick a weekly, monthly or quarterly rhythm. One tap is all it takes.
Delivered with care
Only if you stop checking in, after reminders, your verifier and a grace period.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Related reading
More on writing to your children
- JournalA letter to your child on their wedding day: what to say, with examplesA wedding day letter to your child works best when it's short and specific: one memory of them as a child, what you see in them now, a few honest words about love and marriage, and a welcome for their partner. If you're writing years ahead in case you're not there, keep it about them rather than the unknown partner, label it "for your wedding day" so it can arrive with other letters or on a meaningful birthday, and make sure your child or someone you trust knows it exists.
- JournalWhat to write in a goodbye letter (and what to leave out)A good goodbye letter is one honest page that includes a specific memory, what the person gave you, permission to grieve and live on, a small hope for their future, and the plain words “I love you”. Leave out old arguments, binding instructions and passwords, which belong in a separate practical note.
- Goodbye letter writerWrite a letter to someone you love with gentle prompts for each relationship.
- JournalBirthday letters for your child after you die: a practical systemTo leave birthday letters for your child in case you die, write a small set for key ages such as 5, 10, 13, 16, 18, 21 and 30, keep them short and specific, and set each one to arrive on the birthday it was written for. Tell a trusted adult the letters exist. Sealed paper copies with a guardian are an optional extra.
- JournalLetters before deployment: what to write to your family, just in caseA letter before deployment is a just-in-case letter for the people you love, written so they have your words if you don't come home. Write one to each person, keep it short and specific, and leave it somewhere it will be found, alongside your military's own paperwork, such as a will, emergency contact records and life insurance beneficiaries.
- JournalA letter to your grandchildren: what to write, with examplesA good letter to your grandchildren tells them where they come from, shares a few family stories only you know, names one or two values you hope they'll carry, and tells each of them what you love about them. Write separately for young and grown grandchildren, keep it to a page or two, and record yourself reading it so they can hear your voice.
They'll grow up fast. Write to who they'll become.
One letter tonight is a beginning. Add the rest whenever you're ready.
Write their first letterSet up in a few minutes · $5 a month, cancel anytime