When I was in college, I remember I had a huge fight with a friend. I went back to my dorm room and I remember not wanting to talk about it with my roommate. Her advice was to write it down. She said to get it out of my head. And then she said to burn it. Or throw it away. Or keep it. Whatever I wanted. But the point was to get it out of my head and onto paper. Such is the way of journaling. And I find that parent journals are mote than just memory keepers. They are a form of self care.
My journaling has been “spotty” (at best) through the years. But now as a parent I feel the need more than ever to journal. But journaling as a parent is much more than recording a memory for your children, It’s also a stress reliever, gratitude record, mental health and spirituality tool.
Baby’s 1st Album is a Parent’s First Parenting Journal
I must have 5 “baby’s first” albums lying around, half filled. Waiting for me to complete. You know the one. Starting with your family tree and ending with cute photos of the child’s 5th birthday or whatever. These are literally journals for us to gift our kids. It’s their 1st record of their lives. And for me it’s the first time as a parent that I started to journal.
But really, journaling as a parent now, is needed more than probably any other time in my life. Not just because as a single parent I live a rather isolated life with my child. (Although it’s a pretty big reason).
And not just because I am a cancer survivor and I have a lot of thoughts/feelings and emotions that need to be expressed. (Although it’s yet another pretty big reason).
But also because it’s going to be a piece of me that will remain for my child when I am gone. And someday she will be middle aged. She will get to read my words. And hopefully she will once again feel the connection that was always there. But perhaps when reading my words when she is my age now, she will really see me. And it will be a little more “eye to eye”. (Although I know she will eventually be much taller than me).
Parent Journals Are More Than Memory Keepers
Journals do so much for parents besides just writing out thoughts. And there are different journals for different purposes as well. You can keep just one journal which encompasses everything. Or you can even keep different journals for different thoughts/moods/days of the week.
Ideas for Different types of Journals:
- Gratitude Journal: (Oprah uses this! Remember to count your blessings over. It helps you focus on the positive).
- Daily Journal: Something to help you make journaling a habit. It doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be exciting. Just write everyday.
- Prayer Journal: Something to help focus your prayers. Writing out prayers might make them more clear. You can also observe how they shift.
- Meditation Journal: I knew a yogi who kept a meditation journal. She would write down the meditation she did and her thought and feels before and/or after.
- One Word/Sentence/Paragraph a Day Journal: For the busy parent: Write down just one word (or sentence/paragraph) a day. How would you describe today?
- Dear Child Journal: I like the idea of instead of a “Dear Diary” diary, you can write a daily letter to your child.
