One of the questions I'm asked more than any other is:
"Is my child too old for The Book of You?"
And every time, my answer is exactly the same.
It's never too late.
I think so many parents ask because they imagine they've somehow missed the opportunity.
That if they didn't start when their child turned one, they've left it too late.
But I don't see it that way at all.
It's easy to focus on the years you've missed
If your child is five, you might think:
"I wish I'd had this sooner."
You think about the first words you didn't write down.
The funny mispronunciations you've already forgotten.
The favourite toy that disappeared years ago.
The tiny details that felt unforgettable at the time.
It's natural to wish you could go back.
I wish I could bottle every stage of childhood too.
But here's the thing…
Look at everything that's still to come
If your child is five, you still have twelve years of memories waiting to be captured.
Twelve birthdays.
Twelve chapters of childhood.
Twelve years of changing personalities, favourite things, dreams, friendships and funny conversations.
If they're eight?
That's still nine years.
If they're ten?
You still have seven years.
Seven years of watching them grow into the person they're becoming.
That's an incredible story still waiting to be told.
Childhood doesn't stop after the early years
We often think of memory books as being all about babies.
First smiles.
First steps.
First birthdays.
And while those moments are incredibly special, they're only the beginning.
Some of my favourite parts of childhood came much later.
The funny conversations.
The endless questions.
The hobbies that changed every six months.
The books they couldn't put down.
The dreams they had for the future.
The friendships that meant everything.
The confidence that slowly grew.
Every age has its own magic.
It was never about perfection
At Colour Chronicles, we've never believed memory keeping should feel like a competition.
There isn't a perfect time to start.
There isn't a right or wrong way to fill in The Book of You.
Life happens.
Some families begin at one.
Some at four.
Some at seven.
Some at twelve.
What matters isn't capturing every single year.
What matters is capturing the years you have.
One day, you'll be so glad you started
One of my favourite emails to receive is from someone who nearly didn't buy The Book of You because they thought their child was "too old."
Then, a year or two later, they write to tell me how grateful they are that they started.
Not because they documented every stage.
But because they didn't miss the stages that came afterwards.
Because those years matter too.
The child who still climbs into your bed after a nightmare.
The one who suddenly becomes obsessed with football, Taylor Swift or collecting rocks.
The one who starts secondary school.
The one who tells you about their first crush.
The one who begins to find their place in the world.
Those memories deserve to be remembered just as much as the baby years.
Start where you are
You can't go back and begin when they were one.
None of us can.
But you can begin today.
You can capture who they are right now.
What makes them laugh.
What they're passionate about.
What they're dreaming of becoming.
Because one day, you'll read those pages together and realise something important.
It wasn't about the years you missed.
It was about making sure you didn't miss the years that were still to come.
So if you've been waiting because you thought it was too late…
This is your reminder.
It isn't.
Start where you are.
Your future self will be so glad you did.
Because one day, the story of their childhood will be one of their greatest treasures.