Yes, Wills are legal documents, with a highly specific and technical purpose, making them a poor choice to talk with the people you care about. Perhaps more important, they are public documents that are filed with a Probate Court and are part of the public record.

There are many reasons not to depend on a Will as your means of communication. Another approach is called a “Letter of Instruction”. It can:

 Make life easier by providing a more complete picture (literally and in writing) of your assets, where they are, and what you should know about them.

 Explain the process for distributing personal (sentimental) property, why one heir got something with no monetary value and another is limited because other items they’ve received.

 Communicate why amounts bequeathed vary between heirs and generations to preserve family businesses, farms, or trusts, and expectations about what they should use and manage them

A letter of Instruction is to help executors and heirs understand what you want to accomplish with your Will. You can include personal thoughts and intentions without binding your family with the legal weight and restrictions a Will can bring. It is for the benefit of those you leave behind

Another approach is Aging with Dignity's “5 Wishes" document to cover:

 Who should make medical decisions if you can't.

 Precisely which medical treatments you do or don't want.

 How comfortable you want to be.

 How you want people to treat you as you die.

 What you want people to know.

Five Wishes has resources for all ages. It goes beyond Advanced Directives. You give more and better (medical and non-medical) guidance about how you want your life to end. It also relieves heirs of responsibility for difficult life ending decisions.