Example
Mia, you were born at 6:12 in the morning and you did not cry. You looked around the room as if you were checking that we had everything ready. We did not. We still don't, most days.
— Mom
For your child
A time capsule letter for their 18th birthday
Babies don't remember who held them first, what the house sounded like, or what their grandparents hoped for them. Write it down now, ask everyone who loves them to do the same, and let it arrive on the morning they turn 18.
Start a capsule for a child$15 once for the whole family · no app, no account
How it works
- 01
Start the capsule
Put your child down as the recipient and add a parent's email as a second address, in case their own changes.
- 02
Send one link to the family
Grandparents, godparents and old friends write in their browser. No app, no account, and nobody can read anyone else's letter.
- 03
Seal it
On their 18th birthday they get an email, choose to open it, and read every letter in the voice it was written in.
What to write in a letter they'll read at 18
Pick two or three. A few honest lines beat a long letter nobody finishes.
- The day they were born: the weather, the time, who was there, what you were thinking.
- Something they did as a baby that made everyone laugh.
- What the world looks like right now: prices, phones, songs, the news.
- What you were worried about, and what you hoped for them.
- A family story they should hear from you, not secondhand.
- Something you got wrong at 18, and what you'd tell yourself.
- What you love about them already, before they can talk.
- A promise, and whether you think you'll keep it.
- A question you want them to answer when they read this.
- A photo of the two of you, and a short voice note so they hear you.
Questions
- What if their email address changes before they turn 18?
- Each recipient can have up to three addresses. Add a parent's address now, and update addresses any time before the day from your private link.
- Can grandparents add a letter without signing up?
- Yes. They open the invite link in any browser and write. They can add photos and record a voice note from their phone.
- Can I read the letters before the day?
- No. Before the opening day nobody can read the letters through Kept Letter, including you. You see who has written, not what.
- What does it cost?
- A family capsule that opens on their 18th birthday is $15, paid once, or $29 with videos. A capsule that opens within a year is free.
Write the letter they can't open today.
Also: for a wedding · for a graduating class · for yourself