That camping trip your family still talks about? Science says it’s worth more than any toy under the tree.
Who needs a cell phone when you can write a letter?
On Dec. 1, Brooke Wertz — an influencer and mom of three boys under five years old — took to TikTok and Instagram to share her creative hack to keeping her family connected despite being far apart.
And what better way to do that than with a pen-pal program for her and her sisters’ kids.
“Starting cousin pen pals this year because childhood goes by fast and I want them to remember each other,” she wrote in the caption.
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In the video, Wertz can be seen stocking her pen-pal writing station with various goodies.
And it’s not the first time she shared her brilliant idea.
Wertz initially introduced her pen-pal program to social media in April 2024 — when she provided even more detail into why she decided to start it and how she makes it fun for her children.
“What kid doesn’t like mail?” she wrote in the caption — adding that her relationship with her sisters has improved since starting the idea.
“Since we live away from all our family, this is another way to show you care and cherish building relationships with your family!” she added.
And bonding with cousins is one of the easiest ways to keep everyone together.
Some of the items she stocks her pen-pal station with include stamps (yes, those still exist), envelopes, stationary, paper, art supplies, crayons, markers, paint, polaroid camera, tape, stickers and confetti.
Wertz’ pen-pal idea helped ‘strengthen those cousin bonds’
Wertz is the proud mother to three boys — a 4-year-old, 3-year-old and 3-month-old — according to her Instagram bio.
In an interview with People, published Jan. 16, she revealed that she was living in California at the time of her initial video and was looking for ways to keep in touch with her sisters’ cousins in Utah and Idaho.
"They saw their cousins only a few times a year, and I wanted to find more ways to connect with the cousins so that they could have a deep friendship,” she told the outlet.
"We try to stay on top of it by writing back immediately when we receive a letter, so we don't forget,” she added.
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Wertz and her family have since moved back to Utah, but her kids are still pen-pals with their cousins.
"Even though we live only minutes away from cousins now, they still enjoy writing and receiving letters,” she told People.
“Their relationships are very close-knit, and I think by doing all the small extra things — like cousin pen-pals and FaceTiming — [it] really strengthened those cousin bonds," she added.
Despite being an old-fashioned way to communicate, Wertz says her kids get super excited when they receive a letter.
“As parents, we receive so much mail (bills, statements, etc.), and seeing how your child's face lights up with a simple letter is worth it,” Wertz continued.
“I didn't have many cousins growing up, and I wanted to do everything in my power to help my kids feel loved and supported by everyone in their circle,” she added.
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“But that's not an overnight achievement. It takes time, it takes creativity, it takes effort,” she concluded.
