We recently enrolled our 5 year old in kindergarten, and attended the welcome brunch the school threw for all the new parents. While it was fun and informative, in speaking with the parents of a child who will be entering her fourth year, we were told that one of the things the school will be asking us to do is to write our son a letter that he’ll only read upon graduating from the 8th grade.
This immediately filled me with a lot of different emotions, and cresting the wave of them all was a bittersweet ache for my son’s earlier years, which seem a lifetime ago. One of the hardest things I’ve had to learn as a parent is the necessity of learning to let go. Once these early years are gone, they’re gone for good, and we’ll never get them back. Will we be able to look back without regret? How will our actions look to our children when they’re old enough to understand them?
Aside from reminding ourselves that we should try to live with integrity and compassion, there is something practical you can do today that will help ensure your child a little bit of security as they grow up: create a will.
A will is a legal document that you can use to designate who will receive your assets when you die. This is extremely important, especially if you have a large family and there’s any possibility of contention over distribution of your legacy. With a will, you can specify who gets what, and at which time — say, if you intend to leave money to our child, you can specify that they will only receive it upon reaching a certain age — and can also set an executor of your estate in the event that none of your other relatives are willing or able to manage your assets in the event of your death.
We used nolo.com to find the information we needed to put a will together, and Quicken WillMaker Plus to actually create the documents needed. Then a quick trip to a notary public and the deal was done. True, going over the will with your spouse or other family member can feel a little macabre, but it’s an absolutely necessary step to preserve your legacy and to prevent any future legal entnglements, which will only create stress for your child later. Though it may be emotional to think of a time when your child might be on her own without you around, taking the step of creating a will can help you feel secure of her future.
Comments
Joel K.
May 13th, 2009 - 3:13:12 PM
I also recently made a Will and I agree, I feel much more secure and less anxious about my legacy and what will happen to my loved one's after I'm gone. It's like a weight off your shoulders.
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