Two Writers, Ten Years

In addition to being a homeschool blogger, I am a consultant with The Pampered Chef.  As a consultant, I do live cooking shows in a host's home.  Sometimes children attend the cooking demonstration with their mother.


Recently, two sisters (ages 7 and 5), came to one of my cooking shows.  They wanted to help me, so I let them.  We were using a spiral cutting tool to make zucchini 'pasta'.  The ladies attending were enjoying fellowship and the girls were enjoying making zucchini spirals.  

 When the zucchini pasta dish was finished, I moved to a table to get my computer set up to take orders while the guests enjoyed the food.  The girls were not familiar with zucchini and did not want to try the food they helped prepare.  The girls came and sat with me at the table and asked the host for some paper and the older sister started writing about her day.  

I wasn't really paying much attention to what she was writing, but I did notice it was about her day at school.  She eventually tried the zucchini and decided she liked it.  She continued to write and asked me how to spell 'zucchini'. 

Before I left, she gave me her paper.  I put it in my bag, but didn't look at it until several days later.  This is what I found:

I'm not sure what some of those sentences say, but did you notice that zucchini is more amazing than a limo ride and build a buddy?  Did you notice that it is beautiful and green?  After she wrote this she repeatedly asked her mother where to buy zucchini.  

Remember, the author of this paper is only seven years old.  She wrote this on her own initiative.  She had something she wanted to say.  I think she did a great job.  I think she knew her spelling wasn't entirely correct, but she will learn.  

If she continues to be encouraged in her writing, I think in ten years she will be telling amazing stories and writing fantastic essays.

The second writer I want to mention is my son, Jesse, who is 17 years old.  He has always liked to write and create stories.  

Earlier this year, an essay contest, Stossell in the Classroom, was brought to my attention.  Even though the deadline was only a week or so away, I had him write an essay and enter the contest.  There were cash prizes to be won, and if he didn't win, it would be a good experience. The essay topic was "Food Nannies:  Who Decides What You Eat?"

He was selected as a Semi-Finalist and won $100.  It's not a lot of money, but many writers are never compensated for their work.

These two writers, with a ten year age difference, share a love of capturing thoughts with the written word.  I love that they are both pursuing their craft.  

Encourage your writers; you never know where that will lead.