As a teenager, I got tired of hiding my diary from my family, so I chose to stop journaling. Much later, as a working adult, I had a day planner I loved to plan the day on. 

Even after phones became the norm, I kept a physical planner with me. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of making a hand-written checklist and crossing them off as you complete your tasks.

Why Journal?

It was only in the last two years that I have gotten back to writing a daily personal journal. And it just happened to coincide with the year of a global pandemic. I found it therapeutic to write down my day and feelings. I also wrote what I was grateful for each day and it helped me stay sane during a tough time.

I wanted to inculcate in my child this habit of talking about our days and documenting whatever we wanted to. I bought two journals for my 5-year-old. One was total fun and the other a little more serious. 

He’s just 5 so he still needs to be reminded and coaxed to do either of them. We try not to push so that it doesn’t seem like a chore, but otherwise we have a nice time filling out the prompts.

Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith

This is such a fun book. I’ve gifted this to other kids in the past and they’ve loved it. It was so nice to see my son enjoying it. 

At first, he wasn’t sure what to make of this. He had to check with me if he really could throw the book in the air or stamp on it. Once he got in the flow, it kept him entertained the whole day. There are some outdoor prompts we still need to do, but he did a lot of the pages in one go.

I could see myself using this book as an adult to explore my creativity. We’re taught to live within the lines and after a point, it becomes almost impossible for us to think outside it. This book is a way to push your boundaries as well.

The author, Keri Smith, has a few more journals that sound like fun. Will surely be trying them out in the future.

My Little Big Day by The Journal Lab

This one is for kids from age 5 to 12, but even younger kids could start with it. My son hates to write, so just to get him into the habit of journaling we don’t ask him to write. He talks, we write. 

We talk about his day – what went right and what went wrong, and we talk about what we are grateful for. Each week is designed around a theme – honesty, money management, etc. 

There’s also a habit tracker for each week. We’re tracking the days he doesn’t hit anyone, and the nights he sleeps in his room through the night.

Do you keep a personal journal? Has it helped you through a tough time? Let me know in the comments.

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