The Write Start (29 page)

Variations

For Scribblers:
Involve Scribblers in making a giant party banner. Write out the letters of the celebration message in big block letters, and have Scribblers color them in.

For Spellers:
Spellers excel at writing names, so definitely delegate writing the guest list, place cards, and gift tags to them.

For Storytellers:
Storytellers will delight in making invitations, seating arrangements, and a list of party games and activities.

For Scholars:
Scholars can be involved in planning the menu: have them browse through cookbooks, write down their favorite recipes, and help make a list of ingredients.

51

Coupons

W
HEN IT COMES
to gift giving, children want to know how to make something all by themselves, from start to finish, without having to ask for help. That way, they can maintain the element of surprise.

Enter the coupon booklet. Customizable for any occasion, a cute coupon book is a gift that keeps giving. Show kids how to make their first one, and they’ll be able to craft a made-to-order gift for any special occasion or just to show a little everyday appreciation.

Don’t be fooled by how easy it looks, though. Children put a tremendous amount of thought into their various offerings. And as economical as it seems, that’s an illusion as well. Receive a coupon for “one free anytime hug” or “breakfast in bed with all the fixings” and, no doubt, to you it will be priceless.

 

M
ATERIALS

 

∗
copies of coupon template (see “
Coupon
” in the templates section) or strips of blank paper

∗
scissors

∗
colored card stock

∗
pencil

∗
crayons, markers, or colored pencils

∗
stapler

 

H
OW-TO

 

1.  Make several copies of the coupon template and let your kids cut out the coupons.

2.  Cut two pieces of colored card stock slightly larger than the coupons. These will be the front and back covers of the coupon booklet. Kids can decorate them with crayons, markers, or colored pencils.

3.  Encourage your children to think of a special thing they can do for or with their beneficiary: a favor, a sign of affection, something helpful, a place to go, or time to spend together.

4.  When they have all their coupons filled out, show your children how to gather them in a small stack. Then place one piece of card stock on top of the pile and one on the bottom. Staple the whole stack together along the left-hand edge using two to three staples.

5.  If, as they say, it’s the thought that counts, this gift will be a hit!

 

Variations

For Scribblers:
The only thing that thrills those little Scribblers more than scribbling is doling out hugs and kisses. Show them how to write
X
s and
O
s all over those promissory notes, and enjoy cashing in!

For Spellers:
Simplify coupon writing for Spellers by helping them brainstorm a master list at the get-go, so they can refer to it as they write.

For Storytellers:
Storytellers will certainly get creative with this one. Encourage them to take a moment before they begin to imagine the giftee in vivid detail, and then envision all the things that would make that person happy.

For Scholars:
Scholars can use their coupons to plan an adventure, outing, or event with the recipient, with each coupon representing a part of the plan. Sounds like a win-win kind of gift to me!

52

Love Notes

M
Y BARELY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD SON
couldn’t go to bed one night until he wrote “I love you Mom” on a piece of paper. Pajamas on, red crayon in hand, he was doggedly determined. A few mixed-up letters, a couple of crumpled papers, and some help from Daddy later, he handed me his heart on the page. Then, finally, he relaxed enough to fall asleep.

Sometimes, saying how you feel just isn’t enough. Spoken words are invisible, untouchable, intangible. Write it down, however, and you can see it, feel it, hold, it, keep it. It’s indelible.

Although we may think it, we can’t really give someone our heart. But by writing, we can give someone our heart on a page. A love note is a piece of paper that is a little piece of your heart. Teach your child how to write love notes, and I promise you will have many, many happy returns.

 

M
ATERIALS

 

∗
paper

∗
writing tool of choice (a red crayon works great!)

 

H
OW-TO

 

The best way to teach children to write a love note is by example. Write love notes to your children. Often. Put them in lunch boxes, slip them under doors, tape them onto the bathroom mirror, tuck them under your children’s pillows. Use a simple, predictable format that is easy for your children to imitate when it comes time for them to write back to you (personalize it according to your child, of course). Try something like the following, for starters.

 

Dearest ________,

I love you. You are so ________. I love it when we _______ together. You make me _______. I can’t wait to ________.

Hugs and kisses,

 

Variations

For Scribblers:
Cut paper into heart shapes and leave it out for Scribblers to discover. When they present you a heart-shaped scribble, ooh and aah over their love note. They’ll instantly get the idea.

For Spellers:
When my son first started to write, I wrote him a simple note that said “I love you Jack,” and I covered it with outer-space stickers. Not only has he kept it ever since, he used it as a model to create roughly a million “I love you Mom” notes. The return on my investment of one minute of time has been unbelievable. With Spellers, sometimes all you have to do is present a model. Then say no more.

For Storytellers:
Send Storytellers an “I love you more than . . .” note and see what you get in response. For instance, I might say, “I love you more than a cup of hot tea, a bucket full of daisies, lobster rolls, little red wagons, sunsets, sour cream walnut muffins, cartwheels, and piggyback rides.” Then wait and see how you stack up.

For Scholars:
As children get older, it is your challenge as a parent to be increasingly subtle in your written displays of affection while remaining relentlessly consistent. What strikes this perfect balance? The lunch box love note. This is your chance every day to show by example how to express feelings in writing. You may not get a written response, but believe me, you are nourishing your young writer with each note. When you show children how natural it is to write about what (and who) you love, you are planting the seeds that will grow into their own lifetime love of writing.