I sent my first kids snail mail and the response made me cry

[erronis]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Positivity/comments/1ukocvf/i_sent_my_first_kids_snail_mail_and_the_response/

I started a snail mail club in April. I have maybe 2 subscribers now by June.

This week one of them, a mum, wrote to tell me her four-year-old daughter received her first letter on Sunday. It's a letter from a shy hedgehog called Prickly (I write a children's version too, where the letters come from a fictional hedgehog in a hawthorn hedge).

In the letter, Prickly invites her to write back to him, to the woodland, with the help of a bee called Buzzy who fetches the post.

The mum told me that on Sunday morning, her daughter sat and wrote a letter to the woodland, thanking it for the trees and the plants and the animals. They walked out to their garden (which backs onto woodland) and "posted" it into the trees.

That same afternoon, Prickly's letter arrived. The kid had spent the morning having a tea party with her stuffed animals. And the letter from Prickly was all about him having his first ever tea party with the bee.

Coincidences like this are the whole reason I do snail mail. Anyway, I just wanted to share with people who would understand.

Snail mail still does something nothing else can!

[TommieMommy]

1. Awww that makes the kids feel happy and special. That's fantastic 💙💙

[erronis]

3. I have some friends who will only send postal letters/postcards.

They know how to use emails/web forms/etc. but when it comes to personal communications, they like to write, and get written responses. More power to them!

[Bumbles]

5. I have a young friend (36 years old) who sends me snail mail thank you's and words of encouragement.

It was such a peasant surprise when I received the first one.

[ultralite001]

2. Thank you for this...

I have some letters that need to be written + posted...

Now, where did I put those "Forever" stamps???

[Coolgoober]

4. My Wife And I Encourage

Snail mail use. And we send post cards when we travel by rv. It's hard to find post cards. And sometimes if the person you ask is young, they have no idea what you're talking about. It's kinda funny

[electric_blue68]

8. I think if you get blank index cards you can use those.

[Coolgoober]

11. Thanks

I think we'll try that. We've also picked some up at flea markets.

[electric_blue68]

15. You're very welcome!

[TommyT139]

25. Check the size & thickness requirements

...which are probably related to the mail surviving the USPS machinery:

https://pe.usps.com/businessmail101?ViewName=Cards

[electric_blue68]

27. Oh , good advice!

[BidenRocks]

6. I got excited about the mail at 6.

That's when I started receiving mail addressed to me!
Does anyone remember "The Weekly Reader"?

Does an e mail carry the same physical impact? No.

Excellent project! I can picture the happiness!

[AllaN01Bear]

9. raises hand !! . me.

sadly it closed.

[Coolgoober]

12. Yes

The Weekly Reader

[bobalew]

14. We got those in the first grade in 1959...

I being the smartass I was, diiscovered all anwers to the questions upside-down on the back last page...

[electric_blue68]

7. Wonderful pratice! should probably do a bit of that.

[niyad]

10. That is absolutely adorable. Thank you.

[Coolgoober]

13. I also have my grandchildren

Write letters and send them to their great grandparents. The later appreciates it very much and then so do the grandkids because they get a reply letter.

[Figarosmom]

16. My cousin and I still write cards. And my grandkids will

Write letters. I like to save them. You can save email but it's just not the same.

[10 Turtle Day]

17. That is so cute!

I am old school, and still send snail mail thank you cards, Xmas cards, get well cards, etc. Just wrote and mailed a letter to my 95-year old mom yesterday. I was doing some mending and started thinking of all the useful life skills my mom had taught me and needed to express my gratitude for being such a great mom and passing down that knowledge.

[erronis]

20. You are so lucky to still have your mom to write to, listen to.

I would love to be able to give my parents the thanks that they deserve for having raised me - it wasn't an easy job.

[Wonder Why]

18. Years ago, when my 15 y/o grandson was about 7, I sent him a letter. He was so proud of his first "email".

[MLAA]

19. How delightful! What joy you are creating!

[erronis]

21. Thank you, but it wasn't me that wrote the original article.

But we can both give thanks to that author.

[HeartsCanHope]

22. When my son was little my mother-in-law would send him snail mail every week.

She lived in Florida at the time and my son only saw her a couple of times a year.

Every week when his letters came he would dictate a reply. It kept them close.

He would also receive phone calls from her every other week. He called on the weeks she didn't call.

She sent him coloring pages in her letters, and he would color them for her. She would post them on

her fridge. I remember taking him to visit her in Florida and her fridge was covered in his colored pages!

Thank you, Erronis, for this lovely post. It brought back so many great memories!

[bluescribbler]

23. Exactly

My niece gave birth to her first child, a baby boy named Oliver on May 12. Susan and I sent a card, addressed to Oliver, saying, "Welcome to the family, glad to have you aboard." That would not have worked with email or Instant Messaging.

[duhneece]

24. I subscribed to the International Wildlife magazine for children and grandchildren

They have 3 (i think) different age groups for magazines for children.
Kids DO like getting something in snail mail with their own name on it.
Great organization, great magazines.

[ms.pamela]

26. Wonderful

It would be wonderful if you could write a children's book using these letters from children.