Love it Forward List

When writing to children, it is important to keep the letter light, colorful, and positive. Put some thought into decorating the envelope, keep the message short enough to hold the child’s attention, and choose words that feel joyful and encouraging. Avoid writing phrases such as, “I’m sorry for what you’ve been through.” Even when meant kindly, words like these may draw a child’s attention back to painful experiences. Instead, focus on courage, friendship, love, and hope. In Elian’s case, I knew that faith was an important part of his world—he is only seven years old, after all—so I included stickers, pictures, and messages about Jesus. I also added a Psalm for him to color from a book I had at home. It would be easy to print something similar; you can find many free coloring pages online. On the card, I wrote: Dear Elian, My friend Jesus told me that you are a very brave boy. He also told me that He is always by your side because He loves you very much! When writing to children, you...