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We’ve all been there.  Getting our children sit down to WRITE seems like punishment for them –and for us. It doesn’t have to be torture. Make it part of every day life — more real, not separate from everything else.

Try these and see how it goes . . .

• LISTS – make a grocery list of your foods, write a birthday wish list, make a list of your friends, write a list of your favorite animals
• POSTCARDS – buy or make postcards and write to your friends or family
• DEAR MOM – the art of persuasion starts young, how about using those skills for good by writing a letter asking for a pet or an allowance raise?
• TABLE PLACE CARDS – make name cards and then plan a seating arrangement for the table.  (Even little ones can do this)
• DIARY – get a new diary and write something every day — mom and dad can’t read it, right?
• SUGGESTION BOX – Make a suggestion box for your family, and have family meetings to discuss
• MAP – create and label a map of your backyard, neighborhood, or park
• EXPERTISE -  write a book about your favorite subject (worms, ghosts, rocks, solar system, airplanes) – add to your knowledge by using the Internet and books from the library
• SURVEY – conduct a survey about your family’s favorite foods, favorite ice cream flavors, or favorite trips
• WORD PROCESSING – write something on the computer, add pictures from clip art and print