Writing a contact letter

[LS2142]

What sort of things can I include in a letter to birth parents and grandparents please?

Need to bare in mind my son is only just turned 2 and the birth family are vary limited on reading and writing skills....so unlikely will get a letter in return and its needs to be kept simple.

Thanks

Tricky at that age, but I'd write what we did for birthdays, and what present he liked; his favourite foods; what he enjoys watching on tv; fave book; anything funny he's said, how well he's doing with being kind/clever/arty... a bit of reassurance he's being looked after. Maybe a 'drawing' from him.

This is the one I wrote this year. DD is two. I have edited names and places for anonymity.

We hope you have had a good year and are doing well.
X has had a great year. She is a very happy little girl and is always smiling and playing. X still loves X and has some of the characters that she plays with, she also likes X.
X loves getting involved with crafts and all things messy. X is very imaginative and loves playing with X. She got lots of little bits to add to it for her birthday/Christmas and enjoys X. X also loves pushing prams/trollies around and has lots of dolls to go in them.

We have had been away a few times this year. X has visited A, this month. X really loved the shows and joined in dancing and shouting with the other children. She played on the rides and in the arcades and danced at the disco each evening.
X has had a very busy year learning new things and becoming her own little person, we hope you have had a good year too and would love to hear about it.

I had edited out a lot but it gives you an idea. I found it very hard and it usually takes me a few weeks.

We do letters like Hiding covering some but not all each time of:

• health / development
• interests
• schooling
• character
• achievements
• occasional reassurance that BPs are mentioned positively

Always emphasising positives and only touching on negatives as our BPs worry.

We get a letter back which a SW helps the BP write, which is great because it is always appropriate.

What Sanders and hiding said. You know how you bore everyone who'll listen with that cute thing that your DS did (or is that just me?), well stick one of them in. Keep everything light on details.

You can check the language level of your text- search 'reading age checker' online or there is an option under proofing in word. Short sentences, with no additional clauses- like you are writing a recipe- is they key to readability. Fourteen point comic sans should be easily readable.

Sorry if that's stating the obvious, it's the teacher in me :-)

P.S. Nobody find writing these things easy.

I would also chase up to ensure it has been passed on and received. Some LAs can be awful at contact.