By Janine Rosche, @janinerosche

Kimmy Gibbler. Cousin Oliver. Steve Urkel. Screech Powers. Scut Farkus. Vickie from Small Wonder. Caillou. What feeling do these names awaken in you? Nothing positive, right?

An annoying, poorly written child character can irk your reader quicker than my kids can slam a bag of Takis.

But a well-written toddler, grade-schooler, or teenager can add dimension to a cast of characters. Today, I’m discussing five benefits of including a young one in your book and five pitfalls to avoid when you do.

The Benefits

1. Comic Relief

KIDS ARE FUNNY, RIGHT?! They can add humorous moments to an otherwise tough scene, like in This Wandering Heart when single dad Robbie kneels to tell four-year-old Anabelle that the mother who abandoned her wants to visit. Anabelle uses her dirty hands to mash and stretch Robbie’s cheeks and lips into funny faces as she listened to his heart wrenching explanation. It’s just enough to give the reader hope she’ll be just fine no matter what happens.

2. Innocence

Unless it’s a Stephen King book, the presence of children signifies innocence. They serve as a standard of what’s good and pure—the way people are before they receive those deep wounds. In the prologue of my story Glory Falls, Blue (Cecelia) and Thomas are simply two eleven year olds sharing cookies, a thermos of milk, and even a first kiss. That scene provides a sharp contrast to Chapter One, where Thomas is a firefighter with PTSD and Blue is mourning the loss of her career, her marriage, and her daughter.

Children can also draw innocence from other characters who may have lost their way. Like fallen pastor Shane Olson in Wildflower Road drawing chalk animals with Anabelle. Or Jerry Maguire’s relationship with Dorothy’s son, Ray.

3. High Stakes

We want our heroes and heroines to win the game, solve the mystery, find justice, etc. But when that hero or heroine is a parent? Or if they are working on behalf of a child? We NEED them to succeed! Just watch The Pursuit of Happyness for an especially weighty example of this.

4. Authenticity

Kids mess stuff up. It’s kind of their thing. To learn and grow, they have to try new things…and they’ll probably fail or make a mess of things. Most likely, your main character’s plans will take a hit. They may even get upset or lose patience as a result. Bam! Authenticity. No critic will complain about having too “perfect” of characters or unrealistic scenarios in your book. 

5. Priorities

Kids remind our characters what really matters in life, even when other motivations threaten to derail them. In Aspen Crossroads, Jace teaches Elijah that we have a responsibility to protect others, even worms in the garden. And in Mistletoe Menagerie, Luke cares more about giving the kids from the group home a perfect Christmas morning at the zoo than he does about other tempting opportunities.

The Pitfalls

1. Plot Device Usage

Don’t simply throw in a kid just to give your characters a complication. Give them personality, fascinations, fears, and a uniqueness that sets them apart from any stock photo kid out there.

2. Age and Developmental Inappropriateness

Because my background is in Child and Adolescent Development, this is my pet peeve. In general* eighteen-month-olds do not speak in complex sentences. Nine-month-olds don’t welcome strangers with a big smile. Six-year-olds aren’t just learning how to count to ten. Nothing takes me out of a book faster than a developmental anachronism. I think “has this author ever met a child before?” Then I put on my professor hat and start pulling research. 

*Of course, there are individual and cultural exceptions to all developmental standards and milestones. This could be part of the child’s uniqueness as I mentioned above. Maybe a child has a learning difference that impacts their ability to speak or count. It should be referenced though, even if it isn’t a big plot point. 

3. The Wise Ol’ Soul

A motion or word from anyone, even a child, can spark a life-changing thought in a character. The world would be better off if we listened to children more often! But be careful that your hero’s second grade nephew doesn’t deliver an introspective Socratic soliloquy in his best Morgan Freeman voice to inspire your MC’s “aha” moment. 

4. “It’s eight o’clock. Do you know where your child is?”

During your story, don’t lose track of the kid for several chapters. They can’t be off unsupervised or napping 24/7 so that your main character can progress through the story more efficiently, tempting as it is.

5. Closeness to Home

If you use details or scenarios about kids in your life, ask permission or mask it completely. Kids deserve privacy and won’t appreciate it if they realize you told the world about their favorite holey underwear. It’s not worth hurting/embarrassing them or breaking that trust.

YOUR TURN: What do you like about child characters? Do any well-written ones come to mind? Which authors write children well? One commenter will win a copy of one of my books* I mentioned above.

*Winner’s Choice. US residents may choose between a paperback or ebook. Residents outside the US must be able to accept ebooks through Amazon.

Moderator note: Comments may take up to 2 business days to appear due to spam filters.

Links: 

This Wandering Heart https://www.amazon.com/Wandering-Heart-Madison-River-Romance/dp/0593100506/

Wildflower Road https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/469514

Glory Falls https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/469516

Aspen Crossroads https://www.amazon.com/Aspen-Crossroads-Whisper-Canyon-Romance/dp/0593335759

Mistletoe Menagerie https://dl.bookfunnel.com/i3zhhk8rej

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Aspen Crossroads

To protect those most vulnerable, Haven Haviland must trust her heart–and her regrets–to a mysterious newcomer in this moving contemporary romance.

Few in the community of Whisper Canyon have actually met Jace Daring, a handsome recluse who lives at Aspen Crossroads, the farm at the edge of town. But that doesn’t stop the rumors about the multiple women who live with him. He must protect the truth–that his farm-to-table restaurant will provide new livelihoods for women rescued from human trafficking–or he risks the safety and futures of those relying on him. But he can’t do it alone.

Haven Haviland has always been everyone’s safe place to fall until one mistake closes her counseling practice and leaves her open to the town’s gossip. Trusting men has gotten her in trouble before. However, accepting Jace’s job offer to mentor the rescued women seems like the perfect way to right her wrongs.

When the mayor’s campaign to clean up Whisper Canyon targets Aspen Crossroads, the restaurant comes under fire, dangers from the women’s pasts are awakened, and Haven’s sins are exposed for all to see. Jace would sacrifice himself to save Haven and the women under his care, but his efforts might not be enough. And in the end, it might not be the women most in need of saving after all.

Prone to wander, Janine Rosche finds as much comfort on the open road as she does at home. This longing to chase adventure, behold splendor, and experience redemption is woven into her Madison River Romance series and her upcoming release ASPEN CROSSROADS. When she isn’t writing or traveling, she teaches family life education courses to college students, takes too many pictures of her sleeping dogs, and embarrasses her four children and husband with boy band serenades. Chat with her on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.JanineRosche.com for a free Whisper Canyon Romance prequel novella.