Now, more than ever, home is my safe space. I have come to appreciate my time at home. My experience however, has been slightly different. My husband is now working from home and definitely enjoying a more laid back working environment. This has meant lots of time at home (and for a luck few – more time for crafting). In South Africa, we have only recently started relaxing on strict lockdown measures. For others, it has meant new financial stressors or new roles and responsibilities (I’m talking to you – teacher mom!). Personally, as a doctor, it has meant increasing work pressures and feelings of burnout. As is common in these situations, we are likely all affected in unique ways depending on your individual circumstances and resources. Tell me in the comments if you have tried Mail Monday in your homeschool.Hope everyone is staying safe in the midst of all this COVID chaos! I want to start off with a short chat about the impact the coronavirus pandemic may be having on all of us. It’s as simple as that! This idea was inspired by The Waldock Way.
I get themed Forever stamps that my kids will enjoy from the grocery store or post office. Any fine tip markers or pens could work though! Stamps We love brightening our letters with color with these pens. This is totally unnecessary but totally fun! It’s also super easy to use. Sometimes my children will also write on lined school paper and just draw on the blank stationary or cards. If you really want to focus on handwriting skills, I recommend choosing some with lines. We have used various types of stationary over time, but here are some favorites. Each child has their own and when they think of someone new to write to, I just reach out and ask a parent for their address. Since using these weekly my children have gained skills in alphabetizing! We alphabetize by first name because the children don’t know their friends’ last names, but that is a personal preference.
I love these because they are simple and alphabetized with wide enough lines for children to write on. Here are some links to some of our favorites you will find in our Mail Monday bin. Then, they pop them in the mailbox and wait for a return letter! All of the letters we receive back go into a special bag for them to keep and refer back to when they write their pen pal back. They add postage and use a wax seal or sticker to decorate the back. They address the envelopes with their own return address and the recipient’s address. We collect the addresses of any friends or family members over time and they copy them into their personal address books.
Sometimes they use stationary and other times lined or computer paper. My children have done everything from drawing pictures, to writing jokes, stories, and general notes. My 7-year-old may write a few sentences, and my 9-year-old a few paragraphs. My little ones can draw pictures and tell me what they want to say to grandma or a friend, and I can write the words. I also love that all of my children ages 2, 4, 7, and 9 can do it simultaneously at their own levels. Why? Writing letters is an enjoyable way to practice writing skills, handwriting, sentence and paragraph formation, grammar, and build relationships! It’s basically a language arts lesson wrapped in a fun package. Each Monday, I pull out our Mail Monday box and each child writes a letter to a friend or family member. We call it Mail Monday! It’s simple, really. About eight months ago we began a weekly tradition in our homeschool that has stuck around and has become an enjoyable and integral part of our week.
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