It's hard to get behind doing something hard when you don't know the why. Why do we need algebra… why do we need to repeat 2 years of general education before we can start focusing on our chosen degree…?

Whether it is reading or writing, kids are no different. They thrive when they want to write, and they will only want to write if it has a greater purpose that outweighs the resistance. In the "olden days" aka the 1900s, children naturally wrote letters to grandparents, thank-you note for gifts, notes to pass in class, where you were going for lunch on the church bulletin during a long service, diary entries about their day, etc...

Back then, writing was the only mainstream way to connect and record daily life. But now, with instant messaging, text, voice notes, videos, and countless digital distractions competing for their attention, it's become much harder to help children see why they should struggle with the slow, effortful process of writing. They can FaceTime Grandma instead of writing her a letter, text with abbreviations and emojis instead of formulating sentences, or simply consume endless content rather than create their own. Faster, easier alternatives that don't require the patience and skill that writing demands have replaced the traditional motivations for writing. 

This means we need to find other creative and compelling reasons for children to write.

Technology isn't bad (trust me, I love spellcheck and tap to pay) but for our kids, we owe them a world where technology doesn't disadvantage them in life on the altar of convenience. 

Here are some sneaky writing opportunities hiding in plain sight that can be used in everyday life as both motivators or gatekeepers(must do x before y):

• Grocery lists: hand them the pen and a budget. “We have ten dollars for fruit. Make the list.”
• Menu planning
• Thank-you notes for every gift they receive (this one is also just good manners): “Thank you for the blue socks. Blue is my favorite color.” Younger children can draw a picture of thanks, and you can help them write their first initial.
• Family newsletters from their perspective or holiday letters or let them write a section with one photo to match.
• Reminders: sticky notes on doors, lunchboxes, pillows. (Do not under estimate the fun that can be had with a pad of sticky notes). Younger children- try "write an R on the sticky note and one on everything in our house that begins with R.
• Birthday invites: they design and draft the essential info. Time, place, what to bring.
• Recipe cards: copy a favorite snack with steps a friend could follow.
• Let them write the to and from on gifts.
• Labels for bins and shelves
• Comic strips: three panels about family life. Dialogue bubbles count as writing and drawing shapes helps with fine motor skills.
• Texts to grandparents
• Reviews: one line to one paragraph on a restaurant, movie, or book with a star rating.
• To do lists. Have your child write or use sticky pads to write down the things they must do that day. This helps the frontal lobe with executive functioning and practices writing.
• Keep a small notebook (the Dollar Store carries pocket-size ones) in your purse, backpack or car for things they think of while out.
• write as you dictate your lists or texts as a model for them. Don't be surprised if they start doing this on their own after they help you. Writing things down is one of the best ways to curb anxiety.
• For creatives try a calligraphy kit or for old souls a quill and ink pot

The “writing journal” doesn't have to be a journal:

Not every kid wants a diary(but some love them). Offer a variety of formats:

• A stack of index cards on a ring
• Sticky notes (I harp on it again, but I have an adult child who this worked so well for as a child; he almost exclusively still uses them to keep his life together in college! )
• A family whiteboard with rotating “writer of the day”
• Photo captions in a shared album
• A recipe box of tiny stories or jokes
• A worry box (a place to write their worries and place inside to have them wait for a time while they pray about it or or just need a little space from the worry and come back to later).

And just like you needed Mom or Dad to explain to you why you needed algebra, remember to talk writing up as much as you can. When writing solves real problems and is integrated into everyday life, kids feel the satisfaction needed to keep plugging along.