Journaling for your child!
When my son was born, I promised myself that I was going to chronicle just about everything that was going on in our lives, and also write down the cute things he did. I bought a spiral college ruled notepad and put it in my nightstand so it would be easy to remember to do each night.
When my daughter was born, I started one for her as well, and each night after they were in bed, I pulled out their journals and wrote about what we did that day, and funny things they said or did. It didn’t have to be a long entry, but just a paragraph or so. I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that I did this, and if you haven’t started one, now is the time!
I always thought I would remember every, single thing my kids did. I was reminded just how much I do not remember, when I pulled their journals out a few months ago. While leafing through the pages, I cried, I laughed, I smiled. I smiled really big. My heart overflowed with love as I read some things that I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of knowing, had I not written it down.
In reading my son’s journal, I had a big “awww” moment when I read about one night when he was about 3 or 4 and I was putting him to bed. He gently grabbed my face, smooshed my cheeks and said, “I love you sweetie”. Yeah. My heart melted completely.
From my daughter’s journal I read about the time {she was about 3 or 4} that I was discussing something with her. She was staring at me intently and I was impressed at how well she was listening. I was really making an impact! Finally she said to me, very innocently, “Do your lips get tired of talking so much? Maybe you should give them a rest”. I was flabbergasted, but of course I had to giggle. She was just calling it like she saw it!
I stopped writing in the journals when the kids were about 12 years old or so, because…well, they were pretty much teenagers and barely said anything, much less anything cute. I may start again one day.
I also tried to include as many funny parenting stories as I could too, including our stupid question about finger foods (the doctor probably thought we were soooo dumb).
There were so many more cute and fun things in the journals and for each and every one, I am thankful to now have those memories and times that I can never have back. They are priceless. I will give the journals to my kids when they are older and will enjoy them as much as I do.
How about you? Do you keep a daily journal for your children? It’s not too late to start! Below are a few of my favorites (click on the photo or link to view):
Just Between Us: Mother & Daughter: A No-Stress, No-Rules Journal
Thick Classic Notebook with Pen Loop – Lemome Wide Ruled Hardcover Journal with Pocket to Write in + Page Dividers Gifts, Mothers Day Gifts, Banded, Large, 180 Pages, 8.4 x 5.7 inchFineliner Color Pen Set, 0.38mm Fine Line Drawing Pen, Porous Fine Point Markers Perfect for Coloring Book and Bullet Journal Art Projects, 10 ColorsLollipop Tree Journal (Diary, Notebook)Q&A a Day for Moms: A 5-Year JournalBetween Mom and Me: Mother Son JournalGrandmother’s Journal: Memories and Keepsakes for My GrandchildJournal: 8.5 x 11, 160 Page Lined Journal/Notebook (Large Paperback)Journal : Notebook: 8.5×11 160 Page Lined paperback Journal/Notebook (Birds Theme)48 Assorted Fineliner Color Pen set – 0.4mm Ultra Fine Tip – Art Markers for Adult Coloring Books,Drawing,WritingPlatinum Art Supplies Micro-Line Ultra-Fine Point Ink Pens (Set Of 16)DreamCatcher Arts Gel Pens Set Includes 48 Unique, Ultra Fine Tip Coloring Markers
37 Responses
I so wish I would have done that because I now have a 19 year old, 14 year old and I can barely remember details. I remember the big stuff but cute little things they said are gone POOF. I am writing now.
This is great! I also did this for my kiddos. Although, it got a little hard to keep up with eight journals. That is one of the main reasons I started my blog!!
Sara
http://www.8aplenty.blogspot.com
LOL wow – 8 journals would be really hard to keep up with – and also hard to remember one day of cute sayings!
EXCELLENT post!! What i love is charlottes school does this and i really had a great time going back to read her one from last year. It was so full of rainbows and dogs and i just got to see a little incite to her world.
trisha
How sweet!!!! I think this would be harder to keep up with if you had lots of kiddos but this is a wonderful idea!! You’re going to be able to remember so many things you wouldn’t have otherwise and your kiddos can look back to see a “real time” account of their lives! So sweet!
I wish I would have thought of keeping a journal for my kids. My youngest is 2 1/2. I have baby books for all my kids, but I know I could have done a better job updating them. Luckily, I have blogged about many things they have done throughout the years. Hopefully they will be able to read them online someday when they are older.
Awww but you can still journal for your youngest! That is such a fun age, and you’ll get some really good things to write about 🙂
I love this…..and what your daughter said is just hysterical….I would have died. I am actually keeping a small journal for my son because his baby book only went until 1st grade, that is where I was keeping everything, funny comments, something he did etc. I have a book for Zoe and jot stuff down so I don’t forget to write in her baby book. It’s a great idea, kids do so much.
LOL thanks! I am so glad you are doing this too – it’s fun!
That’s a great idea and HILARIOUS comment by your daughter! I’ve kept an annual calendar in the kitchen where I write down a cute thing my daughter says or a fun activity/place we go, or when family visits. Hopefully one day she’ll like flipping through the calendars.
And gosh, this makes me dread the teenage years! I better enjoy all the mama lovin’ while I can!!
Absolutely! They are not quite as charming as teens 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. Yes, my hubby was quite disappointed to see the flapper outfit show up from Yandy. I think he was hoping for a little somethig less…covered 🙂
I am so picking up a notebook tomorrow. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful idea.
I am glad it was helpful – you are most welcome, and you will never regret it!
What a great idea! My mom started one of these when I was a baby and I still look at it today and I’m 22. She wrote down the exact dates of the first time I laughed, smiled, cried, first word, ect! It’s so sweet to look back and see how much she loved me.
What a great idea- there’s a lot of little moments that made an impression on me when my son was little that I would have loved to capture like that.
I keep thinking I need to start this.
Aw! What a great reminder of the early years you shared with your kids 🙂 That’s a fabulous idea to keep a journal-I’m really admire you for keeping it up so long!!
This is a great idea. That’s great that you did that with your children! You should try a two-way journal – very insightful for both you and your children.
=)
That’s a great idea. I wish I had done it for my child.
I so wish I had done a journal for each of my children…Then no one was journaling or scrapbooking done when I raised mine but my DIL’s are both scrapbooking evente for each of their children
Great idea, will do it when I have a kid
I loved my journal as a child
I had pregnancy journals with each of them. I never thought to continue it. Your son’s a goof ball. That’s something I could hear one of mine saying, even now.
This is such a great idea, I wish I had done this when my kids were little. I was journaling when they were little, but I was writing to keep my sanity then.
I really have thought about doing this. It would be great to note down all that my three year old does/says through out the day because he by far is the one that speaks the most and sometimes I have no clue where he comes up with the silly things he says and does. I also thought about just setting up cameras in the house to record our family moments lol
Did you see the perpetual calendar version? 365 index cards labeled for every day of the year and then you write one thing on each daily card for every day of the year and after a few years you’ll have 3-5 years worth of sayings/ideas/thoughts on each card! I thought it was a fabulous idea – only 20 years late for me!
Oh my gosh – I did not see this! What a great idea (and yeah, about 22 years too late for me!). Thanks for sharing this!
I am so going to do this tonight i didnt do this for my youngest son but i am going to do one for both of them starting now i want to remember every detail in my lil boys lives!!!
Yay!! It really is so much fun to look back on this. It’s so easy to forget the cute things they say and do. Have fun!
Gawd this has given me a kick up the butt. We were so on the case with our daughter’s progress book and then we relocated, had a second child and I’m behind. Not hopelessly behind but behind enough to make it quite a task to catch up, but not an unenjoyable one. Reliving the changes is always funny. And I need to get on the case with second bubba’s progress book. Thanks for the reminder!
I started a journal when my son was born, making notes on the back of grocery receipts or scrap paper, or whatever I had in hand (before cellphones had notepad apps) and then threw them in a file. Then I made a Word file on the computer where I wrote out the stories in more detail when I had a little time. The notes were so I wouldn’t forget the gist of the story.
I absolutely agree, there is no way I would have remembered these stories otherwise.
It kind of fell off when he was a teenager, but before he went to college I edited the master file and then added some short stories he’d written in high school and some of his college essays that I thought were wonderful (some colleges ask very open-ended questions that allow for creativity). I thought his own words kind of showed a side of him in the same way my stories did. I put it all together and produced a paperback book and made copies for us and some family members.
It is so much fun to read! It’s the little things, the funny unexpected moments, that are truly memorable. And when kids are young they are little firecrackers, seeing the world in ways that are so truly original.
Everyone takes pictures these days. IT’s so easy with the great cameras on phones. But I think stories are still the best way of remembering.
Oh my gosh, adding his stories is a FANTASTIC idea! I also kind of stopped when he was a teenager, but now that he is 25, maybe it is time to type it all out and add things in. Great idea!
We started our children, at a young age, to journal, and they still do as adults.
I just recently thought of starting to journal for my two year old son, he says and does so many sweet and funny things I would love to be able to capture them all and then reflect on them later on in life. I know it’s something I would definitely cherish, and hope he maybe will too someday. I really wish I would have started when he was a baby but we have a big change coming with his baby sister arriving in a few months, so I thought this was as good a time as any! And this way I’ll be able to capture memories of her as a baby and the two of them growing up together. I cannot wait to get started! My question for you is if you would recommend I start a separate journal for my son and a separate one for my daughter, or just start writing in one with notes about both? Also, when you ran out of room in one of your children’s journals did you just buy a new one and pick up where you left off? I’m not sure how many years I’ll continue to journal but if it is something I end up up writing in each night for several years I could definitely see myself running out of space! Thank you in advance for your thoughts and advice on this! 🙂
Hi Lindsay! I am so glad you will be journaling too! I have a book for each of my children (separately). I did mine in a simple ruled paper book, but I wish I had used a large journal of some sort. Maybe there is one that you can add paper to? I’ll have to look into that. But if not, then yes, just start a new book. I made sure to put the date at the top of each entry. It really was fun, and is definitely fun to look back on now! Enjoy 🙂