Mail Game

Most kids love to get mail, so my daughter developed this game.

She writes "letters" to us and then
"delivers" the letters as the "postal carrier."

This past week they were Valentines. But sometimes they are ways she wants to communicate when she has issues that she doesn't know how to resolve.

I've gotten letters that start with "I'm mad at you." Through the "game" we can sometimes get to the heart of the issue. I write back, using simple sentences, and ring for the postal carrier. Sometimes the issue is to big for the game, and we sit down and talk. But it gives me a frame of what might be at issue.

To prepare for a recent day off, we used the postal game to establish an agreed-upon agenda for the day. She wanted to go out for lunch and order all her favorites off the menu. I replied back that she could order X if she wanted to have Y later. Through a series of letters, we agreed upon an in-home lunch with an ice cream bar (non fat, no sugar).

In the end, it's a fun way to open communication.