5 Things About Writing Content I Learned From My Grandchildren

You wouldn’t think professional content writing and grandparenting have much in common, unless you’ve spent time with grandchildren. Then you know that tiny humans are basically master classes in creativity, curiosity, and unfiltered communication. They don’t overthink. They don’t talk themselves out of trying something new and they don’t get stuck in perfection paralysis.

They just go.

My grandchildren have taught me more about writing content than most courses, conferences, or “10x your content strategy!” webinars ever have.

Here are five lessons straight from the playbook of my favorite little people:

1. Ask Lots of Questions and Stay Curious

Spend five minutes with a grandchild and you will be asked no fewer than 27 questions.

Why is the sky blue?

Why can’t dogs talk?

Why do grownups drink coffee if it tastes so bad?

How did you get your boo-boo?

Their curiosity is relentless, joyful, and non-negotiable.

That’s the exact mindset great content requires.

Curiosity pushes you to research deeper, understand your audience better, and challenge your assumptions. It forces you to explore angles others miss. It keeps your writing sharp, insightful, and fresh instead of predictable and recycled.

Every piece of content starts with a question, often dozens of them. My grandchildren remind me that curiosity isn’t optional. It’s fuel.

2. Keep Learning New Things Every Day

My grandchildren will watch the same children's show 14 times until they’ve mastered a dance, learned how to draw a dinosaur, or discovered a new trick with a soccer ball.

They want to learn, expect to learn and most importantly, they love learning.

As content creators, we can’t afford to forget that mindset.

Algorithms shift, and industries evolve. A topic you wrote about six months ago may already need a refresh. And if you’re writing for clients, their world moves even faster.

When I stay in learning mode, my writing stays relevant, interesting, and useful. When I don’t, it stagnates.

The kids have it right. Keep your brain open, eyes wide, and curiosity dialed up. The content will follow.

3. Don’t Be Afraid of Hard Things

Watching a toddler tackle a challenge is humbling:

A puzzle that seems impossible.

A tower that keeps falling.

Shoes that refuse to cooperate.

A scooter ride that ends with two skinned knees and a very dramatic sigh.

But they go back in. Again, and again, and again.

That’s content writing.

Some pieces flow like water, others fight you from sentence one.

A long-form article with a complicated topic.

A newsletter you know will matter but can’t quite nail.

A client whose voice is so specific it feels like learning a new language.

The hard things often produce your best work, the work with depth, nuance, and resonance. Watching my grandkids push through frustration reminds me to do the same. The breakthrough always comes after the “I can’t” moment.

4. Tell the Truth Even if It’s Messy

Kids don’t sugarcoat.

They don’t dance around.

They don’t cloak opinions in business jargon. (Thank goodness.)

They just say it.

If a meal tastes bad, you’ll know.

If your outfit is weird, they’ll inform you.

If they’re bored by your story, they’ll wander away mid-sentence.

Effective content needs that same honesty.

Readers can smell fluff, filler, and fakery a mile away. They crave real stories, real insights, real emotion. When you write with candor and not perfection your audience trusts you. And trust is what converts readers into followers and clients.

My grandchildren remind me that truth is refreshing, even when it’s not polished.

5. Play More

Kids don’t sit down and say, “Let me produce strategic, engagement-optimized play.”

They just play.

They create worlds.

They make up rules.

They get silly.

They experiment.

Play is where imagination is born, and imagination is the heartbeat of good content.

When I approach writing with joy, playfulness, and experimentation, my best ideas show up. When I’m stiff or overly serious, everything flattens.

We need more play in our writing. More color, spark, and delight.

My grandchildren are basically joy consultants.

I may be the grownup, but when it comes to content creation, my grandchildren are some of my best teachers. If your writing feels stale or stuck, take a page from the kids’ book.

Magic guaranteed.