• “I love you”. Most people still appreciate the value of these words when handwritten as opposed to typed font. Kids appreciate reading their parents’ writing. I remember my parents’ handwritten notes in my lunch box (it was also fun and felt cryptic, because I had to work hard to decipher their handwriting!). For a parent to receive a handwritten birthday card is much more meaningful and sentimental than a typed email. Don’t you think? I recently received a handwritten card from my family, and it meant so much to me, and I realized how long it had been since I had written anything! Which got me thinking…

    Modern day communication is mostly done by typing, texting and emailing. When was the last time your children saw you write something with a pen? Will they ever learn cursive writing? Today, most kids learn to print in Kindergarten and refine their skills in Grades 1-2. Yet many schools have phased out learning cursive altogether. Is this a bad idea? One might assume that children need to learn to write cursive to create their signatures, if nothing else. Unless…e-signatures or finger scans will reduce the need for writing. It is possible that the world will be entirely communicating by keyboard alone, in the not so distant future. So what do we want our children to do – only learn to type, or continue to keep the art of handwriting thriving?

    There is a considerable amount of research showing the benefits of handwriting, both in terms of motor training, as well as brain development. Using a pen goes beyond just writing, as pens can enhance creativity. We can often entertain ourselves by doodling, especially during meetings. Though we often equate this as being bad, recent research found that students who doodled while listening to a recorded message had better recall of the message’s details than those who didn’t doodle. So, don’t get too mad at your kids for doodling in class because they are still paying attention (somewhat). So, what’s the message here? Break out with the old pens and pads and write people notes. Let your children see you writing the old-fashioned way and hopefully, it will rub off on them. Not only will the personal touch make others feel special but it will also get your creative juices flowing.