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Kids, Humor, and Writing

THE PREAMBLE

Sometimes I think I’m funny.

Then I read Chase McFadden’s blog, Some Species Eat Their Young, and think he’s funny.

Then I come across some writing by my kids or someone else’s kids and think they’re funny. Because they are. And, while Chase and I try to be funny (sometimes too hard), kids do this naturally, like little poets seeing their world through Groucho Marx glasses.

THE EXAMPLES

Take the manifesto Chase’s son wrote to the Easter Bunny. That was funny. I mean, the first 28 items were funny, but by number 83, the note was downright hilarious.

Take Vivian’s note that she left for me on our front door: “Dear Mom. You have been gone for a long time. I have no mommy.” That was funny, if you’re okay with laughing at abandoned children.

THE PLAN

Put these ideas together and you get a new website that Chase and I are starting that features pictures of the humorous stuff kids write, intentional or not. We want to showcase the natural humorists among us.

THE ROLE YOU PLAY

We need you to send us photographs of notes, cards, letters, or stories that kids have written that are funny. Or could be perceived as humorous. They can be current (scribbled yesterday) or ancient (pulled from the preschool file).

Just email the photo, the child’s initials, and his/her age at the time of writing to stuffkidswrite@gmail.com.

THE INCENTIVE

Every person who sends us an entry by Thursday, May 5 will be entered to win a Starbuck’s gift card, lovingly stuffed into an envelope by either Chase or me. Nothing says we love you like a piece of plastic that can buy you a latte.

THE PROMPT

You say you have no funny notes or letters or stories? Well, Mother’s Day is around the corner. Grab a kid near you and give him or her this prompt:

THE PUSH

Go do it. Help us showcase the real humorists.

Filed Under: On the Move Tagged With: Chase McFadden, humor, Ironic Mom, kid notes, kid writing, kids, Leanne Shirtliffe, mothers day, prompts, Some Species Eat Their Young, Stuff Kids Write, writing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Meet the Buttrams says

    April 29, 2011 at 7:49 am

    Brilliant. I mean, you guys are. And so are the kids you’ll be channeling. Can’t wait to add my own anecdotes. By “my own” I mean “my offspring’s.” I do love lattes.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 11:52 am

      Thanks, Latte Queen! Get those kids writing.

      Reply
  2. educlaytion says

    April 29, 2011 at 7:57 am

    You guys are onto something super cool! Love it. I think I’m going to be a man on the street reporter for you. I have lots of contacts under the age of 8. I’ll leverage those and get some serious interviews. I hear Little Jimmy Deluca might even give me an exclusive! He wants a case of juice boxes though.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 11:54 am

      Thanks, Clay. You get out and bribe your contacts. There’s linky love in the offering, too.

      Reply
  3. KristenSays says

    April 29, 2011 at 8:05 am

    OK i need to find some kids so i can enter this. or teach my cats how to write… will that count?

    great idea! these will be a fun read.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 11:55 am

      Just grab some random kid. 😉

      Reply
  4. Bellymonster says

    April 29, 2011 at 8:06 am

    This is such a great idea! Brilliant, both of you!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 11:55 am

      Thanks, L! We await your submissions with crooked grins.

      Reply
  5. chibichunsa says

    April 29, 2011 at 8:10 am

    Great, now you’re going to create even more reasons for me to embarrass myself at work from laughing too hard at a computer screen? Simply diabological.
    Can’t wait to see the hilarity!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 11:56 am

      Thanks. And laughing at the computer screen beats the alternative. Which is either crying. Or working.

      Reply
  6. Janet says

    April 29, 2011 at 8:38 am

    Hi, kids are totally funny and I found your blog refreshing. I had six kids, now I have grandchildren. I’m able to step back and really enjoy them. I’ll take your advice and ask some of them that question. It should be a hoot. Thanks for the idea, Janet

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 11:56 am

      Thanks, Janet. Somehow I think kids would be even more honest with grandma!

      Reply
  7. Annie says

    April 29, 2011 at 10:00 am

    This is awesome. My kids are full of it – like the love note I posted from Dictator’s little lady. http://sixringcircus.com/2011/04/13/marriage-proposal-the-kindergarten-way/

    Can’t wait to see the new website!

    Reply
    • Chase McFadden says

      April 29, 2011 at 10:14 am

      Thanks, Annie. And I remember when you originally posted that love note. It was spectacular. I’m going to go read it again.

      Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 12:07 pm

      That is a brilliant letter. And hilarious. Thanks for the link. We look forward to more!

      Reply
  8. Chase McFadden says

    April 29, 2011 at 10:12 am

    Point of clarification: I try too hard to be funny. It comes naturally to you. And that sickens me.

    This is going to be a lot of fun. Thanks for the support, everybody.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 12:10 pm

      Chase, you’ve clearly missed my tweets that say “Funny has left the building.” But I’m glad I make you sick anyway. Kind of.

      Reply
  9. julie says

    April 29, 2011 at 10:29 am

    Such a great idea!

    Can’t wait to be a faithful fan of this site (even though my kids are too old to participate. No one would think it was cute if my fourteen-year-old contributed a multi-paged expository essay on my animal nature).

    Roar.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 12:11 pm

      I don’t know, Julie. I’m pretty sure your offspring might have a lot of fun with this prompt with you as the mom. The question is: would it be printable? 😉

      Reply
  10. BigLittleWolf says

    April 29, 2011 at 10:46 am

    Once upon a time, I was funny. My kids were funny. They’re still funny – which I take as a good sign that I, too, might find my (MIA) “funny” again some day.

    Funny how it seems to disappear at times, and hopefully, will return for a few repeat performances. And ah, to dig out the entertaining writings (and drawings) that children create over the years… (So cool to see their humor evolve and work its way into their lives as wit and whimsy, not to be surrendered even in the face of the adolescent years.)

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 12:15 pm

      You make a good point: humour can be fleeting and is easier in good times (though likely even more necessary in trying times). I love how you describe the changes in humour in the evolving adolescent. Wit can take you far. It can also get you in trouble (like when 17yo me was in Chem class where all students and teachers were offering pairs of words that could be pronounced differently. E.g. is it to-MAY-to or to-MAH-to? is it of-FEN or of-TEN? I added is it Rick or Dick? — My teacher’s first name was Richard. I knew that). Sigh.

      Reply
  11. Shreya says

    April 29, 2011 at 10:59 am

    Soo looking forward to this new website!
    Just a side note if you guys need any technical help in putting together the website, I know a guy (by marriage) 🙂

    Good luck guys!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 12:16 pm

      Thanks, Shreya. Hmm, that’s a generous offer of someone else’s time. 😉

      Reply
  12. Kim says

    April 29, 2011 at 11:15 am

    This is an awesome idea!!!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 12:17 pm

      Thanks, Kim!

      Reply
  13. Hi, I'm Natalie. says

    April 29, 2011 at 11:54 am

    I’ll get back to you in a couple years? (Great idea! =)

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 12:18 pm

      Your little one will no doubt have some great notes in a few years.

      Reply
  14. ellieswords says

    April 29, 2011 at 12:08 pm

    That’s a great idea! I can’t wait to read it. =)

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 12:18 pm

      Thanks for the support!

      Reply
  15. Laura says

    April 29, 2011 at 12:22 pm

    What a great idea! I am going to have to look for some stuff my 6 year old has written. She has come up with some good stuff. Can’t wait to see the site!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 2:31 pm

      Thanks, Laura! Can’t wait to see your daughter’s work.

      Reply
  16. writerwoman61 says

    April 29, 2011 at 12:29 pm

    What a great idea, you guys! I save EVERYTHING…will be digging through boxes to see what I can find…

    Wendy

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 2:32 pm

      Brilliant, Wendy. I love the archives stuff.

      Reply
  17. Joy says

    April 29, 2011 at 3:12 pm

    http://joyinthisjourney.com/?s=money+song

    (My post isn’t funny, but the note is.)

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 3:53 pm

      The note is hilarious. I like money, too. Just in case you wanted to know. 😉

      Reply
  18. Kim Wilson says

    April 29, 2011 at 4:18 pm

    Fantastic, brilliant, and epic – this will go viral in no time!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 9:05 pm

      Thanks for the encouragement, Kim.

      Reply
  19. Renée A. Schuls-Jacobson says

    April 29, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    I love this idea so much. But my Monkey doesn’t really write me anything. Do numbers count? Monkey likes to write random numbers on things. Actually, now that you’ve got my wheels turning, he does have some pretty funny (ridiculous) collections that might make great pictures.

    Ahhhh, embarrassing my child. It seems to be what I do best. 😉

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 29, 2011 at 9:06 pm

      I think “embarrassing your child” is a skill, and more than worthy of a blog post. I think it’ll be our only defense in the teen years.

      Sounds like you have a numerologist on your hands. We could put them up as lotto numbers. 😉

      Reply
  20. monicastangledweb says

    April 29, 2011 at 11:47 pm

    Is my 26 year old too old to say funny things? Because he has said some doozy’s of late. Like, “Mom, can you do my laundry? I’m running out of underwear, ” or, “What’s for dinner?” Ok, maybe he’s not that bad, but you get the picture. So much for empty nest. Sigh.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 30, 2011 at 8:01 pm

      Hilarious. Once a parent, always a parent.

      Reply
  21. journeytoepiphany says

    April 30, 2011 at 6:02 am

    What a great idea! Can’t wait to read all the great notes!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      April 30, 2011 at 8:01 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  22. Canadianfamily says

    May 1, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    Sitting at the breakfast table Saturday morning I grab the honey for my tea. S (my two year old ) pipes up “mom you don’t use honey for tea, is for my sandwiches” and I say “no dear I can use honey for my tea- honest” she looks suspicious so i add “trust me- i’m old and i’m smart.” N (my 5 year old) says “oh mom….you’re not THAT old” and I was touched. “thanks sweetie”. Not to be outdone by her big sister S says ” Oh mom….you’re not THAT smart”

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe (Ironic Mom) says

      May 1, 2011 at 10:21 pm

      How hilarious is that! N is one smart cookie. She clearly gets it from her mom. 😉

      Reply
  23. H's Mommy says

    May 5, 2011 at 5:06 am

    My younger brother is 12 years younger than me, and 10 years younger than my sister. When he was in 1st grade, he was sitting in the kitchen doing homework and my sis and I were watching TV. Out of no where, he brings my sister a (badly) folded piece of paper, hands it to her, and then runs away. She opens the note to find this: “Dear Kenna. You have back fat. Love, Alec.” We still laugh about this to this day every time the three of us are together. I only wish I had a photo, or better yet, the note itself.

    Reply
  24. The Hook says

    May 5, 2011 at 9:39 am

    Good luck!

    Reply

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