Mail Time

July 18, 2008

I’m going to have the song from Blue’s Clues stuck in my head all morning! “Oh, here’s the mail it never fails it makes me wanna wag my tail, when it comes i wanna wail, MAIL!!!!” Now I’m not going to be the only one.
Anyway, a mailbox is a fun way to interact with your kids. You can make a mailbox out of a shoebox (just cut a slit in the lid so you can drop in the mail), or you can purchase one. Oriental Trading has some cute metal ones for about $3. There are also nice chipboard ones. You can pick up either style at your local craft store most of the time. Let your child decorate his mailbox. I think the chipboard ones are easier to work with if you want to use crayons, paint, and markers. With the metal ones, you can cover it with paper, stickers and magnets. Make one for yourself also because kids love to send mail to their parents as well!

After the mailboxes are ready, start the letter writing. You can add little notes of encouragement, draw them a picture, give them little treats, etc. They to send you drawings they make, sweet notes, etc also. If they have siblings, encourage them to send mail to each other. Make sure you put the flag up when you place some mail in the box!

For older children, this is a great way to keep lines of communication open and remind them how much they are loved. Even when they act like it’s cheesy (and you know they may!) they will secretly like the messages you leave for them. Compliments seem to last longer when you can read them over and over.