Blogging has taken the world by storm over the last several years. More and more people have taken to the Internet to share their opinions on important topics, to outline their life’s journey, or simply to share cool photos and stories. But adults aren’t the only ones getting in on the action; kids are great bloggers, too!
As a parent, you might question whether blogging is a good idea for your child. Naturally, many parents are weary of letting their child spend additional time on the Internet, and understandably so. But unlike a lot of social media, blogging is usually centered around positive activities. It gives kids a chance to express themselves without dabbling in the dangerous negativity associated with the usual Internet-related activities. Still not convinced? Here are a few key facts about blogging and 5 reasons you can encourage your child’s interest in starting his or her own blog:
1) Blogging encourages kids to make and stick to a commitment.
Kids who set up a well-structured blog are making a commitment to report on the topic at hand. You can help them plan on blogging once per week, or at another interval that is appropriate for their age and schedule.
2) It’s a fun way to practice their writing skills.
Even kids who cringe at the thought of writing for school assignments find that blogging is a fun way to practice the skills they learn at school. Make sure they have their work proofread, by you, a tutor, or someone with strong literary skills, so kids can see where they make mistakes and learn to avoid them in the future.
3) It teaches the importance of self-editing. Help your child establish a checklist of steps they must complete before publishing each new blog post.
It should include things like running the post through a spell check, checking for repeat words and using a thesaurus as necessary to avoid duplicates, having it proofread by a 3rd party (as mentioned above), and proofreading their own work one last time before submitting it to be published.
4) Kids learn how to respond to feedback.
Part of the blogging experience is receiving and responding to feedback by those who follow your blog. For children, many of the responses will most certainly be positive. Other readers may ask them questions, which will encourage kids to think more broadly about the topic or may even influence future posts. Kids will also get practice responding to negative replies in a safe atmosphere. For example, if a young friend writes something negative about a food item, activity, or anything else they’ve recently featured in a blog post, you can help your child respond in a positive way.
5) It becomes a keepsake for the entire family.
Kids who dedicate themselves to a blog, whether they post multiple times a week or just from time to time, create a storyline of this time in their lives. Parents and family members will marvel at the opportunity to read about their view of the world, and children themselves can look back on it for years to come as they mature and grow older.
When parents stay involved and help their children manage a blog, it can become a bonding experience that brings families closer together. It’s a wonderful way for kids to express themselves and learn project management skills while telling their friends and family about something that truly matters to them. What a simple and rewarding idea for any family to try!
