Journaling... and why I make my kids do it

Every morning my kids wake up and sit down to write in their journal... because I make them do it. Most of the time they don't hate me for it.  It is a habit that they will likely drop like a hot potato as soon as they leave for college (or whenever I decide to stop making them do it). But for now, it is pretty much a house rule. If you want to have breakfast and watch tv, you have to do your journal entry (and help make your lunch). Pretty hard core... I know.

The #1 reason why I make my kids journal... 
I think it is valuable. No one captures my thoughts on the topic more completely than Andi Ashworth. In her beautiful essay The Work of Love. Andi talks about how she was inspired to keep written accounts of her daily life after inheriting some of her grandmother’s diaries. "By keeping track of her daily life, she gave a cheerful dignity to all the particulars.

The second reason why I make my kids journal...  
"We all have our version of the details" (a quote from The Work of Love). My kids are each experiencing our life together in a different way... and as their mom, I am curious about their experience. It is very easy to forget that we are more than a family unit... there are six individuals in our crew with very different personalities, preferences, frustrations and passions. Journals remind me to be aware.

The third reason why I make my kids journal...
I don't scrapbook and have a terrible track record with baby books. I love the idea of having something tangible that I can pass along as a reminder of childhood. It is sort of a "do it yourself" keepsake... not very sentimental but practical.

The final (and most important) reason why I make my kids journal...
It is a good medium for communication. I can ask questions, make comments, and start a dialog about what is going on in their life. Every few days, to break up the monotony, I put a card on the table. Instead of writing about what happened the day before, the kids answer the question on the card. It can be a great way to (sneakily) get some insight into their hearts and lives without putting them on the spot or drawing attention to a particular issue.

If you like the idea of journaling, but aren't ready to go full-on... this book can be a great starting point for dinner time conversation. Happy journaling!

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