Getting your kids journaling early is a fantastic way to get the spaghetti dinner of thoughts and feelings out of their minds and into a train of thought.
A child’s journal, like yours, doesn’t need to be formal. He can practice sharing thoughts and feelings that he may feel he’d be teased or judged for if he shared them with someone.
But it can also be a place for creative expression like writing stories or songs or drawing pictures.
Those are forms of expression that may feel less daunting than finding the exact words for what they’re going through.
One idea I’ve heard of for journaling is a mother and child journal where instead of a child feeling pressured to talk, she can write what she wants to share. Then her mother would read it and respond in the same journal.
That way, communication happens without the exchange of tense facial expressions and harsh tones of voice that can derail understanding.
My daughter is our youngest, and she’s quite expressive, but I wish I knew about this when our boys were younger. The Motherhood Unmasked journal would have been perfect for it!
And don’t get discouraged if you give your children journals, but they don’t use them regularly. They’re kids!
But you can encourage them to write by giving them a writing prompt to respond to in the journal before they can watch television or play video games.
The prompts don’t have to be emotionally heavy, just something that causes them to reflect.
And who knows? You may find out you have a best-selling author or songwriter in your family. But at the very least, you’re raising a child in touch with his/her mental and emotional health.
I’m rooting for you…
GET THESE IN YOUR INBOX
Copyright 2022 to date. Vanessa A. Harris. All rights reserved.
Motherhood Unmasked 