I was reading a blog written by Rhonda Cratty about the importance of writing little notes to our children to boost their self esteem.  This is what she said about sharing a book together.

Open a book; sharpen a pencil and write your child a love note about a book you are enjoying together. I promise your words will last longer in your child’s mind, than chocolate on their tongue.

I responded to her blog with this experience.

When I was teaching third grade, my students had a “Take-Home-Journal”.  Every Friday they would write a short paragraph to their parents about the week.  But the most important part of this project was the Parent Response Page. Parents would write words of encouragement back to their child.  I will never forget the look of pride in the eyes of one little boy when he showed me his journal and said it was the first time his mother had ever written a note to him.  Loving words on a page last forever.

Write about a kindness you observed your child doing. Write about a positive trait that maybe reminds you of a relative. Share a special memory. Write about your feelings after reading a favorite book.  Pick a quotation to discuss and journal. There are hundreds of ideas to write about but make sure it includes feelings. A child’s self esteem needs to be nurtured.

Grab a pen and begin a wonderful shared experience of writing little love notes to your child.  Keep all those beautiful notes in a safe place and when your little ones become teenagers, pull them out to remind yourself who they really are.

Check out Rhonda’s  interesting article about starting a Family Reading Journal.