Your Child Is Already an Author
One of the key concepts that I teach in writing is that kids are authors, not just students trying to write.
Children ought to have authorial control over their own writing. They get to decide what they keep and discard, and they decide which editing concepts to apply to their work.
A Truth
When we put our children in the driver’s seat of being authors rather than student writers, they actually care more about the end result.
Initially, they may prove they’re in charge by not taking any of your advice on this one paper. But if you continue to celebrate their right to determine what goes in their work, they may apply the advice from this paper that they discarded to the next one that they write
Be respectful, and share joy in their self expression. Nature journaling can be a great place to start.
P.S. For a collection of my reflections on my own kids’ writing, watch this!
