To let me daughter put 'no address' letters in the post box every few days? Or is it causing too much extra work for Royal Mail?

[FiveSugarsPlease]

My daughter is 5 and has HFA.

For the past few months, she's been telling me about a teddy bear friend called Jerren who lives in Africa. She likes to draw pictures and letters for him.

For the past few weeks, she's been wanting to post them each time. I agreed to this as i thought there was no harm. It's just 2-3 sheets of paper in the post box each week that can be recycled/put in the bin quite easily, and it keeps a little girl happy.

But posting one of the pictures today, a man and lady stopped me and said i was causing a lot of extra work for Royal Mail by littering the post box with nonsense.

DD tried to explain to the lady about her bear friend, i tried to subtly explain, too. The couple just rolled their eyes and walked off.

I'm now wondering if I'm BU letting dd post these letters? She'll be heartbroken if i make her stop before she's ready or before this phase naturally wears off. But if it's some sort of crime and/or giving the postal workers extra work, I should stop, yes?

Opinions would be very much appreciated.

[AlexReidsLonelyBraincell]

A bitch? Gosh you're easily offended.

The op has clearly stated that her daughter doesn't expect, nor want a reply from Jerren. It keeps her happy to be in control of the letter writing.

She's only a child and it's really not doing any harm. She wont be doing it forever, and a previous poster has explained that the letter sorting is machine operated so the letters will probably end up in the recycling pile without a human even laying eyes upon them. (Though I too secretly hope there's a 'Jerren wall' in a sorting office somewhere).

[vintagecakeisstillnice]

I really really want a Jerren wall.


Is anyone else starting to really like the name Jerren??

[QuintessentialOldDear]

I think I will rename my notice board a "Jerren board" - this is where I put random "bits of nice"

[Robinredboobs]

People bolding out sarky replies usually does rub me up the wrong way, yes. I've just seen her reply now my tablet was open on the posting page for a while before I posted. I realize its not a massive problem and also think its quite sweet. Just see it as an opportunity to learn how the mail service works and that's its not OK to put random stuff in a post box!

[vkinski]

Miserable old scrotums! I would have told them to piss off.

[herethereandeverywhere]

Life needs more whimsy, and your DD is showing us how to do it properly

^ this^

[vintagecakeisstillnice]

Life needs more whimsy, and your DD is showing us how to do it properly

Again

[SweetBabyJebus]

Quint, I'm pretty sure jungle book was set in India, not Africa, otherwise how do you explain Shere Kahn - there are no tigers in Africa!

[QuintessentialOldDear]

Yeah, I know it was set in India, but Africa is sort of the same south, so figured if there are no bears in India, there probably are no bears in Africa either. It was just one of those throwaway thoughts that sometimes enter your head!

[AcrylicPlexiglass]

Jerren is a fab name for a bear.:) Long live the post box pictures.

[EduCated]

When I was about 17 me and my friend used to write messages to the RM staff telling them to have a nice day

I think it's sweet and pretty bloody harmless for th extra second of time it might take out of someone's day.

[Jacksmania]

We have bears here in Canada :)

In fact, one of my friends who lives 5 mind away and on a busy steeet just had one stroll through her back yard this morning [a little too close for comfort].

I'd happily be Jerren for her. If she's very picky about a reply, I'd gladly take direction :o

[Jacksmania]

mind => mins (minutes)

Bloody autocorrect.

[sashh]

Contact the sorting office, and tell them to dump the letters. I think they have to try to deliver letters even without an address, if they know she is not waiting for a reply they can just bin them.

[marchduck]

Reading about Jerren has made my day - your DD sounds lovely!
My DD (4) has autism. Her language is fairly functional; she hasn't really talked to me about her thoughts or feelings so far, but I'm hopeful someday she will. When she goes to bed, she lies there with a big smile on her face - I'd really like to know what she is thinking about. I'd love to think that she is thinking about her own version of Jerren
It's lovely your DD gets so much happiness from her letters; long may it last.

[Sokmonsta]

When I originally posted I said put a stamp on it. But seeing as people have posted that there are a) worse things going into a post box and b) it probably makes the postie smile, there's probably no harm in doing it. Although I'm sure there are people who would love to be jerren and receive even if jerren cannot write back.

Dd cones home from school with so many pictures these days that I've taken to doing as I think someone on mn has suggested and posting the older pictures out to close friends and family, displaying the latest one. It certainly brings joy to elderly relatives and friends on the other side of the world.

[WaitMonkey]

I love this thread so much.Op, your daughter sounds wonderful.

[DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved]

Ahhh, tis a lovely thing to do, next time take a stick to poke the Poe faced away from the Whimsy :)

I'd be defo trying to sneak an address & stamp on so I get to keep a few though, can you put them on the other side from the drawings, or do the drawings cover everything?

[thefuturesnotourstosee]

They sound miserable. DD would love to be Jerren. She's a great drawer and I'm sure she'd send a lovely letter.

When dd was 4 she posted a letter to my mum. She decorated an A4 envelope, wrote the address herself and basically put loads of time and effort into it. - stickers, glitter, drawings After all that we forgot the stamp but it was delivered anyway. The postman knocked on my mums door and told her that someone had decided it was so lovely they'd had it all sent through the system, the delivery office had treated it carefully not putting it through machines and it had been given to him seperately from all the other mail so it didn't get knocked about in his bag. There are some lovely people working in the system really. Mum still has that envelope :)

[LondonMan]

But, do bears live in Africa? I am wondering, because I just saw the JungleBook again, and was wondering about Baloo. So does anyone know if Bears live in Africa or India? I dont think they do....

Jungle Book is set in India. No bears in Africa as far as I know. (See someone has already point out that the tigers occur in India but not Africa.)

[LondonMan]

After a quick Google

Indian bear info

www.wildlifeindia.co.uk/wildlife-species-india/wildlife-bears-india.html

Apparently there used to be a African bear, now extinct.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_bear

[Spermysextowel]

I can see the 'Olds' point. For many of them post is still their preferred/only method of contact & costs have risen massively. One child's unaddressed letter that has to be sent to Ireland is one thing; multiply it and it's another & it has to be paid for. I doubt the postmen find them amusing or endearing after the many they've seen. They're probably just glad it's not poo they're dealing with.

When I was 8 I exchanged letters with a friend in an envelope barely big enough to contain the stamp. After about 6 of these the post man complained to my parents & we were severely told off.

Both your daughter & Jerren sound adorable, & quashing her very imaginative talent would be a crime, but I think those who have posted derogatory remarks about the couple concerned are being a little one-sided.

[mrsjay]

och no kids post santa letters every year and they are not addressed bless her dont stop doing it and don't listen do grumpy buggers

[Sallystyle]

Maybe I am hormonal but I actually cried at the sweetness of this

//😍