What to say to your children: 15 prompts for a video message
Questions to answer for your kids, with a one-line example for each. Pick one, press record, and talk for a minute.
Tell them about the day they were born.
“It was raining, and your mom squeezed my hand so hard I lost feeling in two fingers.”
Record with this prompt →What were you like at their age?
“At ten I was obsessed with building forts, and I was terrible at it.”
Record with this prompt →What do you hope they never stop doing?
“Asking why. Even when it drives people crazy.”
Record with this prompt →What is something you got wrong, and what did it teach you?
“I quit piano because it was hard. I still wish I hadn’t.”
Record with this prompt →Describe an ordinary day with them that you loved.
“Saturday pancakes, when you insisted on cracking every egg yourself.”
Record with this prompt →What do you want them to know about your family?
“Your great-grandmother crossed an ocean with one suitcase.”
Record with this prompt →What should they do on a really hard day?
“Go outside, call someone, and remember it won’t feel like this forever.”
Record with this prompt →What makes you proud of them right now?
“How you share your snacks, even the good ones.”
Record with this prompt →
What advice would you give them about friendship?
“Keep the friends who are kind when no one is watching.”
Record with this prompt →What do you hope they understand about love?
“It’s mostly showing up, again and again.”
Record with this prompt →What would you say on their 18th birthday?
“You don’t have to have it figured out. Nobody does.”
Record with this prompt →What song, book or place should they know about?
“Drive the coast road once, windows down, with this album on.”
Record with this prompt →What are you still learning yourself?
“How to slow down. I’m working on it.”
Record with this prompt →What do you want them to remember about you?
“That I laughed a lot, mostly at my own jokes.”
Record with this prompt →What would you say to them right now, if you could?
“I love you. That’s it. That’s the whole message.”
Record with this prompt →
A few tips before you press record
- Sit near a window. Natural light is the most flattering kind.
- Talk to one child at a time, by name. It feels more like a conversation.
- Don't aim for perfect. They'll treasure the pauses and the laughs.