Teach Them Young—The Power of Handwritten Notes
It may seem silly to communicate with snail mail in the age of FaceTime, email, text messaging and social media. However, there is still so much power in a handwritten note.
Now, think about how it feels to write by hand. Calming? Creative? Intelligent? Yes! According to Dr. Marc Seifer, writing by hand calms the brain, improves coordination and inspires creativity.
Here are some ideas to help get your children started:
Find a pen pal for your child. Writing to a favorite classmate, a friend across the country or making a new connection in a new country is an exciting way to learn about a different lifestyle or culture.
Now that schools are temporarily closed, ask your school if they have a formal program. If they don’t, call up friends and family who have children and ask if they would be interested. Get Grandma and Grandpa involved – they love receiving a good letter here and there!
Practice empathy. Did Uncle Mike get a new dog? Did Aunt Nikki have a baby? These are exciting events that we can’t be part of today. You can help your child to participate by thinking through the type of note they’d like to receive to celebrate these events and then encouraging them to send a handwritten letter.
Keep it simple. Get a stash of stationary, fun pens, stickers and stamps and invite your children to join you while you are writing personal notes to clients. It doesn’t have to be perfect and since your dining room table is likely their classroom and your office you can make the most of this time together.
For more activities to do with the family, visit our ‘For the Family’ section! Remember, take each day as it is and trust that there are better days ahead. We’re all in this together – You got this!
