My daughter is a funny writer. When she puts her mind to it, she can write witty commentary filled with wonderful adjectives and characterisation. But she’s easily bored, and – if I’m going to be more honest than a loving mother ought to be – a tad lazy. Her teachers, enjoying what she writes when inspired, have always seen fit to encourage her into increased written productivity. It hasn’t always worked.
Creative writing: This year she has a lovely teacher who has ventured into the dangerous waters of loosening the reins on her creativity. For our recent holiday to Florida, she gifted GG a large, brand new exercise book. What I could write on those immaculately tidy, lined pages! The idea was to let her mind run free, to scribble her adventures unrestricted by the national curriculum, fired up by her once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It was a nice idea, in theory.
Describing words: On holiday she claimed she was too busy experiencing the thrill to put pen to paper. A promise was extracted from her to dedicate half an hour a day to her assignment once home. When asked to jot down a word or two to sum up her emotion, as a reminder once home, she wrote “EPIC.” A lot.
Homework ethic:
I might have predicted the daily wrangles that would ensue once back on home turf. She whined, I bossed; she wheedled, I stood firm; she stropped, I didn’t once bat an eyelid. Finally, she acquiesced, wrote one glorious page, and chucked a tantrum. I resorted to emotional blackmail:
“You’re the luckiest girl in the world! You’ve just had the most incredible holiday ever – in term-time (I was laying the guilt on thick by now), doing things I never dreamed I could do, and you can’t fill a schoolbook with all your adventures? You don’t want to impress your lovely teacher?”
She glared at me, and disappeared. She was gone for hours, past teatime, past bedtime, locked up in her father’s study. When she emerged, she had filled the book:
What do you think? Do I give her points for ingenuity? How do you inspire kids to write? All tips appreciated!
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I think points for ingenuity and boldness! Well, she filled the book, right?! At least she leaves the reader wanting more. π Wonder what the teachers thought of it?!
I handed it in before I’d read all those pages, and then discussed with her teacher, who said the first few pages were great! I was mortified when I went through it properly!
All credit to her, I think this shows her creative brain excelling. I’m reminded of that well worn saying ‘you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’ Hopefully, given space and time, she’ll get really thirsty!
Lol!
Full credit for her creativity!! She did what she was asked albeit in a roundabout ‘not quite’ kind of way :o)
Yep, she certainly knows how to think outside the box!
I love her ingenuity! Clever one you’ve got there. I’m one of those who doesn’t like the It’s a small world song (argh, it’s in my head now!!!)
It’s a world of laughter a world of tears…
Sorry π
I fear we will be having similar books from big man when he is bigger! She has made me giggle tho and I love her dolphin.
Thank you!
There is no right or wrong with creativity which is the fun of it.
I’d be happy with what ever she had decided to do, even if she did one page it was her choice and it must be said what she did do was brilliant
Thank you – actually I’ve done her a disservice as there was quite a lot more good stuff in there. I shall redress the balance with another post soon π
She is very talented. It really comes through in all her messages and writing. I would say she might even take after her mum!! π
Mwah!
umm – it made me laugh. That’s all i’m saying! I’m selling mine before she gets to the age of needing proper parenting… i just know i’ll be shit at it… lol! xxx
Na-uh! You’re in it for the long haul. Can’t wait to see what you have to say when you get there!
Writing is over-rated – it’s drawing and being creative that rules! Go GG!!!!!
I love her book – I love the ‘Stop looking it’s wasting my pens’ one!
I agree with the others – full marks for ingenuity! She did something without really doing anything at all! At the moment Grace gets a massive amount of praise – she has had 6 out of 6 for the past three weeks in her spellings….I’m wondering when the novelty is going to wear off!!
Oh she’s always been one for shirking if she can get away with it. I wouldn’t worry too much about Grace π
EPIC is a good word to use though, don’t you think? Especially for girls her age π
We hear it all the time here, every day. Wonder what it is that’s made it so popular recently?
LOVE it! Absolutely ten out of ten for ingenuity!!
Now that’s creative (and funny) writing! Genius!
I wish I had a great tip to inspire, but I don’t. Getting my oldest to write anything was always like pulling teeth. He would never have gone to that effort! I think it’s great. Parenting win π
Very creative and very talented. How lovely x
Uh-oh, I think you’re in big trouble: you’ve got a clever & cunning one here! And creative with it!
I think this is probably the first time something written by an 8-year-old made me laugh out loud: quite brilliant! You should be very proud. And very afraid π
Oh believe me, I live in fear of my fifties π
Very clever, Very Ingenious and very cute!
This is great! She’s a clever one!
Oh, that made me chuckle – clever girl π What a creative way to fulfill the requirement, after a fashion! And, a picture does say a thousand words…?! I can so see my 6yo doing this – trying to get him to write his ‘creative sentences’ for story homework is like pulling teeth! He takes after his dad – why use more than one word when a single one give the ‘correct’ answer π
Yup, Daddy’s girl here too – lazy things! π
GG has great skills, I may have to borrow her. I can offer no sensible advice as I’m trying to convince POD she’s not an elf. Great post π
lol – thanks x
What a marvelous imagination! Clever, clever girl! I am a writer-in-residence and I get the kids to write by sparking that imagination. There is always something that will do it. Some story that can be told. Some statement that can be made. Sparking that girl’s imagination would be a rare experience. And the rewards? Endless!