My Son, the Writer

I know my children pick up on my habits, mannerisms, and behaviors. I know my eldest son has inherited my determined *ahem* stubborn nature. My middle child is overly sensitive and sometimes borderline dramatic (a term he likes to use for everything exaggerated. "Mom, that game was so unlimited...and dramatic!" This means it was great.) And my daughter is three feet tall and full of sass! Clearly, my children did not pick up any of my bad habits!

So it came as no surprise when my five-year-old, who will graduate from kindergarten this year started writing books. My desk is in the playroom. Each of my kids has their own desk there too with loads of paper, crayons, books and toys as far as the eye can see. I mostly write at night, but they do see me at my desk often enough. They have patiently been my first test audience numerous times for my writing. They see me writing. They see my pile of books and binders. When my younger son told me he was writing books, I was pleased.

He just started reading, but he can write phonetically. His work consists mostly of characters he invents trying to catch bad guys with a few speech bubbles. It's sweet and creative and adorable. My surprise came when I went through his drawer of "finished books" to take a look at what he had created. I was astonished. There were close to 30 creations, 5 of which make up a series. Although his writing is simple, the drawings are quite detailed. In a short time his art work, penmanship, and spelling has improved. I was amazed. I am proud. The best part is, these creations were all spontaneous. Saturday mornings while watching cartoons, he is often at the table writing at the same time.

My eldest son did the same when he was about the same age. His stories consisted mainly of Sponge Bob adventures, but the style was the same. With two teachers for parents, my kids are clearly exposed to a tonne of books. Our collection is unlimited...and dramatic! Still, I couldn't help but feel so proud that my boys feel a need to be creative and use language to create what they have in mind. Keep it up, kiddos!