Keeping a journal is a wonderful experience for everyone. It can give you the chance to reflect on the problems that we are currently facing. It also helps us to remember the small moments in our lives. It is just as important that we give our children a chance to keep a journal as well. There are some easy ways to help your young and older children keep a journal.
1) The first thing you should do is to buy your child a journal. Ask him to pick it out. Some people prefer three ring binders, others would like a simple notebook, or a more formal journal. If your child is comfortable with the format of the journal, he will be more likely to write in it. If you have a young child, you may just want to provide a three-ring-binder, and allow him to use blank paper for his journal.
2) Set aside time each week for a family journal time. Sunday is a great day for this activity. You can provide different color pens, and stickers for your children to decorate their journal with. Make sure that your supplies are archival quality. If you provide the extras then keeping a journal will be more enjoyable for your children.
3) Provide topics for your children to write on if they are having a hard time coming up with something to write about. You could have a journal jar with different topics to write on inside and draw a topic for each week for the entire family to write about. Or you could have family members draw their own topic if they are struggling to find something to write about.
4) If you have young children, you can have them draw you a picture. Then write down what they tell you about the picture. You can also have them dictate a journal entry to you. My husband enjoys reading the journal that his mom helped him with. She included funny things he said, as well as pictures he drew, and stories that he told her. If you are writing down a story that is being dictated by your child, refrain from correcting the grammar. This adds personality to the journal.
5) Privacy is important. If your children are not comfortable sharing what they have written, then don’t force them. You should also respect their privacy and not read it when they are not there without their permission.
Journals can be a great keepsake. You can watch how someone has changed and grown as you read the journals. Your children will be proud of what they have done, and treasure their journals. It can be an easy and fun activity for the entire family. We are each told to keep a journal, and it is easy to help our children keep this commandment as well.