I'm a writer.
I love the written word.
I love playing with sentences, creating something from seemingly nothing and have it transport readers into new realms. My oldest child used to listen to my stories as he drifted off to sleep -- but when it came to writing his own stories, heck, sentences, he clammed up. Nope- he was NOT going to do it. I knew that he had a good imagination - but he was adamant: HE was NOT going to write. He has stuck to this goal. He has been avoiding writing and will graduate from the local university with a degree in Industrial Maintenance (a.k.a. Not Writing) in the Spring. His Sister is, seemingly, following in his non-writing footsteps. A-ha! I can nip this in the bud! I know what to do! I taught university-level composition courses and helped students learn to write. The tools that I learned came along too late for me to help my Son (he had already decided that he hated writing and that NOTHING would change his mind - stubborn boy), but I can help his Sister!
I have taught other students to write - but my own?
Oh. My. God.
Could it be the monsoon-like rain that we are experiencing right now that has dampened my mood? Last year, in Kindergarten (not kidding), my Daughter was supposed to WRITE a story. She did write a story - but I typed it out and submitted it to our supervising teacher for review and was told that, next time, Sarah would have to write it out. I argued that the assignment was to write a story (create) and not a handwriting exercise. I won that argument. Did I give her a crutch? Maybe - but I wanted her to see that 'writing/creating' stories can be magical. So, this year, we would create and write stories - it would be fun! I would also have a clean house, have nutritious meals on the table each night and we'd make up stories nightly as we prepared for sleep. We then would WRITE OUT the stories to share with others. I could make a book of them for the Grandparents as a Christmas present! Wouldn't that be wonderful? They could carry it with them to extoll the virtues of their talented Grand-Daughter... Oh, come on! My house is not dirty (please call before you come over so I can hide things in the closets and cupboards), we've eaten - let's just leave it at that... and as for bedtime: we've gone to sleep. So much for the best-laid plans.
We just finished our second week of school.
First grade rocks!
We are FLYING through all of the lessons.
Absolutely amazing!
I spoke with our supervising teacher about this. He suggested that maybe we should skip a term -- maybe even go into the next grade. Whoa! My kid is smart!
Oh, wait, she hates to write.
Give her a pencil or crayon and she's more likely to scribble something than to write a word out. I ask her to write her name, she spells it H S A R A - cute - but she actually writes "SARA" and runs out of room and puts the "H" in front. Imagine me face-palming as I explain (again) that 'we' need to write within the lines so that every letter fits. Should I stress about the letters fitting in the lines?
If another parent told me the same story, I would say, "So what! You're child is WRITING! Don't sweat the particulars!"
Well, what about the fact that she's also reversing a few letters?
"She's writing them, right?"
Yes.
"She'll get over it and start making them right in a bit - don't stress!"
It turns out that this conversation took place earlier tonight. The part of the 'writing teacher' was my best friend (who works in hospital administration).
The freaked out parent was me.
Sometimes it is hard to realize that it's hard to separate the Writer, the Teacher and the Parent when you are trying to be all of them at once. I want to be a great example to my kids - I want them to love to learn - but I also want to encourage them to find their own loves. Will they love writing? One doesn't - but he found his love: he creates through welding/auto repair (or, as I lovingly call it: messes in our garage). Do I wish that he had a love of writing? Oh, heck, yes. Do I think that he would make an amazing music teacher? Without a doubt... but it is his life. He creates in his own way.
As for my Daughter. She LOVES to create stories. She has such a wonderful imagination and she continues to teach me that I have to stop stressing over the expectations. She is five. She is silly. She writes like a five-year-old.
Is it pretty?
No.
Is it legible?
Kind of - in a Mom-recognizes-it way.
Will it improve?
Most likely with practice.
The trick is to not freak out about the practice.
There are always a lot of sour notes before a symphony is perfected. Trying to correct each fault will not only take longer, but it may even halt the performance before it can begin.
I sound like a writing teacher I used to know -- me.
