Original gift idea for a child: a message they'll be reading in 10 years' time

We're often looking for the perfect gift for a child. The one that's out of the ordinary, that'll really make an impression. The one they'll remember.

But when it comes down to it, what's left of a toy after a few years? What really counts when we look back?

There's one gift idea that's all too often forgotten, and yet it stands the test of time: A message written today, that he or she won't read until later. A word written now, for the person he or she will become.

It's not a gift you unwrap on your birthday. It's a gift that waits. One that matures. It takes on its full meaning at the right time.

Why the idea of conveying a message over time is so touching*.

There's something profound about writing for someone you don't really know yet. The child you have in front of you today is not the child you'll have in 10 years' time. And yet, we already want to say things to them.

Things he can't understand now. But will understand later.

The need to leave a trace

Passing on isn't just about giving an object. It's offering a part of yourself. An intention. A memory of how you felt at a given moment.

When we write a message for later, we freeze a moment. We capture what we think, what we hope, what we want to say before we forget. Before life takes us away.

Because time changes everything

Children grow up fast. Too fast. We tell ourselves we'll have time to tell them certain things. And then one day, the time is gone.

To write now for later is to ensure that these words will exist. That they won't get stuck in our heads, lost in everyday life.

An act of love that spans the years

Offering a deferred message is also offering a surprise. A discovery. An emotional moment that we've prepared for long in advance.

It's saying: "I'm thinking of you. Even in 10 years. Even when you grow up."

Times when this type of gift makes sense

For a milestone birthday

Turning 10, turning 18: some ages are thresholds. Moments when you change the way you look at yourself and the world.

Receiving a message written years earlier, by someone you love, anchors these moments. It gives them a different depth.

At birth

Writing to your child on the day of his birth, for him to read when he's 10, is like offering him a bridge between two eras. The one when he was just a baby, and the one when he's growing up.

It's a way of telling him: "This is where you come from. This is how we felt that day."

Before a departure, a separation

Sometimes, we write because we might not be there. Or because we're moving away. Or simply because we want something to stay, no matter what.

These messages are the most precious. Because they carry both absence and presence.

For moments of passage

Starting secondary school, graduating from high school, falling in love for the first time: life is full of transitions. Associating a message with these moments gives them weight. It makes them unforgettable.

What we can pass on (and often forget)

We often think we have to write something grand. A life lesson. A profound piece of advice.

But the truth is that what's most touching is often the simplest.

Simple words, not speeches

There's no need to compose a perfect text. What counts is the intention. The sincerity.

"I'm proud of you." "I love you." "I miss you already."

These phrases are worth all the speeches in the world.

Everyday anecdotes

Tell what he was like when he was 5. What he liked. His little idiosyncrasies. His childhood dreams.

Later, he may have forgotten. But you carry those memories with you. And to pass them on to him is to offer him a piece of his history.

Values without moralizing

We want to pass on what's important to us. Not necessarily by saying "you must". But by telling why it's important. What we've learned. What we wish we'd known.

It can be a personal story. A failure. A lesson learned from experience.

Hopes for him, not for us

Saying what you hope for him isn't imposing a path. It's saying, "Whatever you become, I'll be there. And I believe in you."

It can be as simple as, "I hope you'll be happy. I really do."

How to prepare a deferred message the easy way

Choosing the right time to write

There's no need to wait for a special occasion. Sometimes it's in the quiet, almost mundane moments that we find the right words.

An evening after bedtime. A Sunday morning. A moment when you feel connected to him, even if he's not there.

Don't strive for perfection

The message doesn't have to be literary. It just has to be true.

Write as you speak. Let out what comes. You can always reread, adjust. But the first draft often carries the purest emotion.

Combine text, photos and videos

You can create a rich capsule :

∙ A written text where you express the essentials

∙ Photos of him at different ages

∙ A video in which you speak directly to him

∙ Audio recordings of your voice

This diversity makes the message even more lively.

Associate a date, an age, a moment

The message takes on even more meaning if it's linked to a specific moment in time.

"On your 18th birthday." "The day you start high school." "When you graduate from high school."

This temporal anchor turns the message into a date. A promise kept.

Keeping a safe track

Writing on paper is beautiful. But paper can get lost or damaged. Recording video is touching. But media change.

The important thing is to ensure that the message survives. That it will reach its destination, even 10 years from now.

The role of digital time capsules today

A natural evolution of transmission

We used to write letters and put them in boxes. Hidden in an attic. Entrusted to someone.

Today, digital technology offers a different way of doing things. Safer. More flexible.

You can write, record, add photos and videos. And program everything to arrive at the right time, at the right recipient.

More than just a stored file

It's the intention that makes the difference. It's not just a file you keep "just in case". It's a message you prepare to arrive on a specific date.

And that changes everything. Because it transforms a passive memory into an active moment. Into surprise. Into emotion.

The assurance that nothing will be lost

Digital capsules guarantee that the message will survive. That it won't be lost in a move. That it won't be damaged by time.

And above all, that it will arrive. At the right time. To the right person.

Frequently asked questions about deferred messages for children

At what age can you write a deferred message to your child?

There is no minimum age. Some parents write from birth. Others wait a while. The important thing is to do it when you feel the need.

Should I say everything or save some things for later?

There are no rules. Some messages are short and simple. Others are longer and more intimate. The most important thing is that it comes from the heart.

What if we regret what we've written?

Most tools allow you to edit or delete a message as long as it hasn't arrived yet. But in general, what we write in these moments carries a truth that we don't regret.

Is a written message better than a video?

Both have their strengths. Writing allows you to put the words down precisely. Video captures the voice, the look, the emotion. The ideal is often to combine the two.

How far in advance can you program a message?

Messages can be programmed up to 10 years in advance. That's more than enough time to mark the great moments of childhood and adolescence.

A gift that lasts

Giving a deferred message to a child is a gift like no other.

It's not something they'll open with a smile on a birthday morning, and then move on to something else.

It's something he'll keep. To re-read. That will touch him at a time in his life when he needs it.

Maybe at 18, when he's wondering about himself and his past; maybe at 16, when he has doubts; maybe at 10, when he wants to remember.

This message is a bridge between the past and the future. Between the child he was and the child he has become.

And for this, there are now tools like Memixo, which allow you to create these digital time capsules, program them, and make sure they arrive at the right time.

Because some gifts don't open right away. They wait. And that's what makes them unforgettable.