Introducing My Daughters to the Concept of Pen Pals

Last week, I decided to introduce my daughters to the charming concept of pen pals, a delightful throwback to a time before instant messaging took over. With all the enthusiasm I could muster, I said, “When I was your age, I had a pen pal! We exchanged letters and became friends even though we never met. We shared our favorite things, asked questions, and sometimes even sent stickers! Imagine getting a letter in the mail that’s just for you!” My 7-year-old looked at me like I had just suggested we go back to using typewriters, leaving me wondering if I had oversold the whole idea.

But then, to my surprise, my oldest daughter’s thoughtful expression morphed into a grin. I was hoping to steer this conversation towards her cousin in New Jersey, who’s just a few days younger than her. With my older daughter on board, I thought my younger one would quickly follow suit. But I soon remembered that my girls are total opposites. What one finds fascinating, the other often finds boring. Nevertheless, my oldest, Mia, ended up writing a letter to a friend who had moved away last year. As for the cousin, I’m still working on it. At least one letter made it to the mailbox. Mission accomplished, sort of.

Honestly, I was a bit shocked by how much effort it took to get the girls excited about becoming pen pals. What I thought would be a quick chat turned into a lengthy process that spanned a few hours. You might be wondering if my kids have smartphones or social media accounts to chat instantly. The answer is no—they’re still free of phones and texts. So, they weren’t dismissing the old-fashioned mail idea because they’re glued to screens; they just didn’t seem as captivated as I had hoped.

This made me think about the art of letter writing. In our tech-savvy world, the need for it seems to have dwindled. I appreciate the convenience of quick communication, but there’s something undeniably special about receiving a handwritten note—not a bill or a random catalog. I can’t help but wonder if the charm of putting pen to paper is becoming a lost art. If sending a quick “like” is the norm, would a heartfelt letter end up buried in the chaos of daily life?

My daughters, at 7 and 10, might not have busy lives, yet I’m still unsure if they’ll embrace the pen pal concept or find value in it. At the very least, I’m glad they now have a taste of letter writing. Even if they only exchange one letter, I hope they experience that pure joy of finding a letter from a friend waiting in the mailbox.

Conclusion

In summary, introducing my daughters to the idea of pen pals was a fun experiment, albeit one that took longer than expected. While they may not fully appreciate it now, I hope they find joy in the simple act of receiving a letter.

Introducing My Daughters to the Concept of Pen Pals

Further Reading

Conclusion

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