The pen is mighty. It can weave fantastical stories that distract us from our problems, help us make sense of our thoughts, and place things in perspective. Journaling is a brilliant way to experience the power of the pen in daily life.
Yes, it turns out your high-school teacher who first suggested writing your thoughts on paper knew her stuff. NPR reports that writing letters on paper instead of typing on a tablet is better for learning and memory. Handwriting is a complex motor skill that encourages active brain function and boosts recall.
Besides, it can be liberating and freeing to see whatever is bothering you down on sheets. It lets you feel more in control. Since maintaining a journal can be therapeutic, why not let children feel its power?
You can encourage children to journal as early as you want. They can make memories with finger paints as early as four years. The habit will hold them steady through the numerous life changes they undergo. It isn’t a fluke that “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” has gained cult status.
As a parent, you can try these ideas to build a journaling habit in your children. (You can also use them for yourself!)
#1 Explore Different Formats for Different Kids
Parents of multiple kids know how starkly siblings’ personalities can differ. Your six-year-old may be reluctantly scribbling sight words, but your preteen can fill pages with stories about her friends.
While getting started with journaling, introduce your kids to various formats. A bullet journal can be a great starting point. All they must do is enlist highlights of their day or any other subject that fascinates them in a bullet format. When they are older, they may change this into a to-do list with reflections, long-term goals, and musings.
You can also suggest keeping a diary of nature, artwork, or even Legos. This scrapbook-journal combination is a good way to spark kids’ creativity. The Conversation finds that summer journaling can help mitigate summer loss – that phenomenon when kids seem to lose whatever they have learned in school during the long holidays!
Like a theme journal, why not explore gratitude journaling with the kids? It can be a family exercise when you sit together to discuss the good things about the day. What the kids remember and value might surprise you. For example, maybe your taciturn teenager will express gratitude for your staying quiet during the car ride home from high school!
#2 Get Them Their Very Own Personal Notebook
There’s a reason toddlers often address themselves by their first name. Many parents receive enthusiastic reactions when they plant their child’s name into nursery rhymes and stories. Call it vanity, but things seem more interesting when they focus on us.
You can get your kids their personalized journals to get them interested in filling it up with their thoughts. Some custom notebooks let you personalize the name, the type of pages, and the binding. For example, you can pick lined, grid, or blank paper depending on your child’s comfort level with writing.
A specially created notebook will make journaling seem more fun. Plum Paper recommends picking a notebook cover that matches your style. Besides your child’s name, you could add a quote or even a cute picture. Many kids enjoy caring for their possessions, often showing fierce responsibility over small belongings. Their journal will be their very own treasure.
#3 Build a Bank of Personalized Prompts
Children will need more guidance with journaling than the standard blank page adults can work with. Intriguing prompts focused on their hobbies or activities will pique their interest.
You can write these prompts on the journal page and encourage them to write as they please. For example, a science-loving child will find a prompt around inventions interesting. Ask them what they’d like to invent and why.
They needn’t stick to a format or a set number of words. The entry can definitely include doodles and drawings (or stickers).
Parents magazine has a good collection of journal prompts across niches like science, gratitude, and open-ended questions. For example, your child could write ten words that describe them best. Maybe they want to write about their favorite food.
Prompts are an excellent way to make journaling fun for children instead of another homework-like chore they must endure.
Morning or Night? The Optimal Time for Kids to Journal
You don’t have to maintain a strict schedule for journaling. Again, this is not homework.
Generally, bedtime can be a good opportunity to recollect the day’s events and document your thoughts. For some families, evenings might work better. Morning journaling can bring peace to hassled parents and professionals. But it may not be sustainable on hurried school days.
Journaling can also be a weekly exercise for the whole family. A Sunday night family dinner can be a good chance to revisit the week and pen down your reflections.
Encouraging kids to journal will help them tackle the problems in their lives by understanding them better. Writing things down often minimizes dread and improves accessibility to our subconscious self. It can prove invaluable to tweens and teens as they try to make sense of puberty, hormonal swings, and heartbreak.
While encouraging the creative writing habit in your children, you may find it reigniting your urge to document and discuss. Your journal is waiting for you.