Pen Pals

My daughter is an excellent writer. Her creativity and imagination, coupled with her way with words, makes her writing enjoyable to read. Getting her to write, however, is like pulling teeth.

I don't remember how the idea came up, but a few weeks ago I found myself talking about pen pals on Facebook with a few people. My daughter acquired two pen pals that same night and another today, and my son managed to get himself one as well. My hope is that this activity will help to connect her more with others, be a positive social experience, and help to sharpen her writing skills in a way she really enjoys. Pen pals are cool.

One of the bonus benefits of having pen pals is that we are already having discussions about conversations with others. She is just writing her first letters, and it is already proving to be a great way for me to discuss social things in a more tangible way than just hypotheticals and possibilities. I suggested asking questions for her new pen pals to answer, instead of making the letters one-sided and talking only about herself. I explained that this is key to being a good listener and having positive outcomes in all kinds of social interactions.