Journaling Idea For PARENTS 

What are your tips? Let me know!

For the blank space you could add their dreams/goals…if they mention they want to be a vet, or whatever…maybe their interests…books, movies, music, games, etc.

I'm tracking and write down the quality time I spend with my children. It is stuff like playing 30 minutes in the yard our took them with me for fishing. It motivates me to find the time to do more of this. The same I do track for the quality time with my wife.

I like this a lot and really wish I would have been doing this when my 3 kids were growing up. They are now in their 20s and (mostly) out of the house, so sadly, it’s too late for me. As a dad and a middle school teacher, I would offer a couple of thoughts… 1) Tracking weight is something I would hesitate doing, esp for a middle/high school girl. Even if she doesn’t struggle with her weight, her dad weighing her (or asking her her current weight) every month communicates more than just your concern for her health. 2) I might change Grades & Sports to “Academics” and “Extra-Curricular”. Even if this is just for you and not them seeing it, emphasizing a more holistic look at academics is a healthier way to look at our kids’ school work, imo, than merely grades. Same w sports. My kids were more into other activities than sports, so broadening that category might be helpful. Maybe your kid is in the chess club or gardening or theater. 3) I would consider finding a place in the spread to invite your kids into adding their own artifacts. For instance, an academic idea we use at my school is student-led parent conferences, and kids show artifacts to demonstrate growth. So, if your child learned how to write a haiku and was proud of one they wrote, they could copy it there. Or they could jot down a fun fact or something they found fascinating in (our outside of) school. 4) I saw another journaling video in which the maker uses a tiny handheld digital photo printer that prints out sticky-backed photos. Not awesome quality, but good enough. It could be fun to build in a section in the spread to hold 1-3 small photos.

Great idea! Our 1st will be graduating college next week!😬

Blank space could be a memory space of something they want to add. Or a conversation they want to remember. Do they want to remember something a grandparent shared. A summer activity. A best friend. The loss of someone or something.

I used a calendar for this when my son was a baby. A friend told me about the sticker calendar, and I think the formula company gave me a free one. There were stickers for “slept through the night”, “first tooth.” This was actually better than the baby book which seemed kind of contrived. I kept a list of every new word he said when he was a toddler. I did this in a small spiral book. I still have it. Thanks for sharing your ideas. My baby is getting ready to leave the nest. So, I definitely understand what you’re saying. Parents everywhere, enjoy every minute!

Great idea!

Good

What pastors do you listen to?