You might be thinking that tweens can barely understand the concepts of mail, geographical distance, friendship, and culture.
Here, we explain the popularity and benefits of getting your little one a pen pal, share tips to make it fun & most importantly, safe.
As a parent, you get the chance to help your tween with their writing, and grammar in an informal and relaxed environment. Your child is likely to be more motivated too.
In this day and age of emails and text messages, many tweens fail to capitalise letters, punctuate and write in proper full sentences. Learning to craft a letter to penpals is an experience and also a language exercise.
Penpal letters also provide an avenue to create better writers via authentic audience. Tweens know that not only is someone actually going to read their letter, but also respond to it too. This encourages tweens to write with a sense of meaning and purpose.
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If your tween has friends or relatives abroad, chances are the excitement of presents and cards in the mail begins around 5 years old, or even earlier.
and instant messaging, the ability of being able to wait patiently for a response from a pal is| a great virtue to instill in our tweens!
It takes time to write, send and then receive a letter from a penpal. Therefore, in today’s world of instant gratification attained through the Internet
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An important quality to instil in children is the ability to understand, respect and appreciate other cultures. After all, the world is such an amazing place so much diversity in histories, cultures and traditions.
The experience is indeed differentthan just reading about a country in a book, by simply watching a documentary or by looking it up on the world wide web.
In fact, tweens are likely to be more interested in what another child is telling them first hand in a handwritten letter.
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Children are very curious creatures. They explore, question, and wonder, and by doing so, learn. It is an eagerness to explore, discover and figure things out. Children learn so much more through activities that capture their attention and imaginations.
How does their new friend get to school? What sort of foods do they like to eat? Do they have any special festivals or celebrations?
Nurturing your tween’s curiosity is one of the most important ways you can help them be lifelong learners.
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Being penpals with a similarly aged child in another country helps tweens realise that they have things in common with others despite different geographical location and living environments.
The ability to see the commonalities amongst the differences can also instill empathy in our tweens and get them to see from another’s tweens’ perspective.
“If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” – Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird
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Last but not least, social skills are actively developed during the tween years.
It also promotes key skills such as reciprocation, empathy and mutual concern. Everyone needs a guide, a critic, or an ear which can listen to what one has to say. A pen pal does these exact things. I truly believe in such relationships. It lets
us be utterly frank at times which might come across as sheer rudeness yet gives us the liberty to have personal space when required. No pressure, no commitments. Tell what you feel, without the fear of being judged. I see my life being enriched by my penpals and I wish the same for you and your tween.
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WHERE TO FIND PALS www.circleofmoms.com
www.amazing-kids.org/
www.penpalkidsclub.com
Young Penpals link up with each other; across other cultures and languages to learn about the world they share with others. Penpal Kids send free and safe messages - chaperoned by parents and automated safe watch technologies and fully compliant with all kid’s protective rules.
The Amazing Kids! PenPals Program is a literacy-based, traditional letter writing pen pal program, available to all children aged 5-17 worldwide. Our program is a great fun way to help your child practice their literacy skills, while making a new friend.
Circle of Moms members say writing and corresponding by hand via snail mail is still a necessary life skill. Here, aside from penpal listings, several moms also share tips to make postal exchange fun and safe for their kids. The majority of moms are searching for penpals for their tweens.