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A young lady wearing a graduation cap and gowned.

Have you ever done a time capsule?  The kind that you put away until your children are older?   When I was a little girl, my friend and I buried our own time capsule and I remember how much I looked forward to it.

Now that I have four children, I wanted to do the same thing… so last week, we wrote letters to our future selves.  I wrote my letter to my kids and they wrote letters to themselves, about their goals.   On the day that they are accepted into college, we will open these letters together.

Without sharing the letters that they wrote, I’d love to share their goals…

Jack:  Go to NC State to play football.   He wants to study hard and get A’s.
Beau:  Go to Duke to study engineering.  He wants to design cars and houses.
Ethan: Go to college to become a Veterinarian.
Allie:  Go to college and become a teacher… or a ballerina.

I had each of our kids place their letters into the time capsule box.

Then, it was my turn…

A woman sitting at a table writing a card with wrapped presents beside her.

 I wrote this letter for our children:

Dear kids,

I know that you are young and right now you are still dreaming about all of the amazing things that you can do or can be.   By the time that you read this, many of your dreams will have become a reality while other dreams will have changed. As your mom, I can tell you this, with certainty:  If you work hard, you will reach your goals.

I have seen each one of you overcome something that you didn’t think you could overcome.  I’ve seen each one of you work hard to achieve a goal. I’ve seen you walk a path only to realize that it was the wrong one, but then instead of giving up, you just change paths until you find the one that leads where you want to go.

As your mom, I am going to do everything that I can to help you reach your goals.  I will remind you to read when you don’t feel like reading. I will tell you to write your paragraph for the day, even when you don’t feel like writing.  As your mom, I will take you outside of your comfort zone until you can see that the impossible things are possible with hard work. I will continue to make you do school work over the summer and find resources to help you do your best.   

I am your mom and I will always believe in you and support your dreams.

XOXO,
Mom


As their mom, it is my job to support their dreams, but it is also my job to find the resources to help them reach their goals.   If they need help with swimming, I put them in swim lessons. If they need help with an instrument, I put them in music lessons. If they need help with writing or reading, I find them a tutoring service.  Finding somewhere to help them, like
Sylvan Learning Center, is a great way to support their academic goals.  

Sylvan is like a parent in that way: They offer what the child needs.  They have a variety of SAT/ACT prep programs to give our children the exact support they need to reach their future goals of going to college and beyond.    

A person holding a cup of coffee with a view of trees and a lake in the background.

Sylvan Learning’s SAT/ACT prep programs will help your child manage the pressure, feel confident on test day and raise those crucial test scores. Sylvan offers a balanced approach to test preparation. Their proven mix includes in-center instruction, independent practice, online resources, and multiple practice tests. These different skills give them the confidence to move on with the harder challenges that lie ahead.

I want to give them the tools to reach their goals: academic help, guidance and understanding, and most of all: support and love.   

With these things, they can work hard to achieve any goal… And I will be right there cheering them on the whole time.  

Today, their adventure begins.

 

Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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6 Comments

  1. Great tips! Thanks for sharing. Parenting is no easy task – we are all in this together and any tips are appreciated!

  2. Such a great idea! Your letter to your children made me tear up a little….so sweet!

  3. Thanks so much for this. My son is just about to start ACT prep – had no idea Sylvan did it! Gonna check it out.

  4. I love the idea of creating a time capsule with letters. What fun to open the letters and read them years from now.

  5. This really resonated with me. Thank you for sharing. Especially this: I will take you outside of your comfort zone until you can see that the impossible things are possible with hard work.