Cute Idea or Another Way of Torturing the Kiddo?

Back in June, I got the idea of starting a dialog journal with the kiddo, for us to write notes back and forth, and I mentioned it in this blog post. Well, you know how it goes: summer got busy and I didn't get around to doing it. Until now. I bought this notebook for $1.50 at Target

and wrote this note for the kiddo

then showed it to her, then we decided how this is going to work:

• The notebook is only for our notes to one another. We won't tear pages out or use it for anything else.
• We can write notes or draw pictures.
• Once we write or draw something, we will wait until the other replies before we add anything.
• The notebook stays in the kitchen and will be kept in the same place.

This kiddo was excited at first, until she realized she would have to read what I wrote and worried that she wouldn't know all the words.  Then she agonized over not being able to write all the words she might want to say (and I do mean "agonized"--it was a dramatic moment). That was how we agreed on pictures as well as notes.

I got my first response from the kiddo

How sweet! She doesn't seem very enthusiastic, but I know darn well it's because she doesn't want to put any effort into it. I'm going to work on that, because I want to create opportunities for her to read and write outside of school, and this idea could be quite useful for keeping the lines of communication open when she doesn't want to have much to do with me.

Or, I could just force her to write in order to earn TV time, like the friend I wrote about in Another Note! Or, if I'm mean enough, maybe she will write something like this!

Anyway, I will see how it goes and keep you posted.