When I was a young child growing up, journaling and having a diary was a big deal. Teachers, parents, even church emphasized the importance of this. At school, journaling was used as an assignment for many things. Our church believed it was a way to communicate our history to future generations. I love when I can look back at some of my favorite journals (like my trip to New York City on a class trip), and have even shared some with my children.
Journaling is now recommended for both children and adults for many things. From tracking eating and exercising habits to life goals and even thoughts and feelings. Journaling can be a great way for your child to express their dreams, thoughts and feelings even in this time of uncertainty. I have put together a PDF journal that you can download and print for your child to use. As they are filling in the pages, ask your child if they would like to share with you their thoughts and pictures.
I have included many different types of pages. Please feel free to print just what you want or multiples of any pages that you want more of. Allow your child to be as creative as they wish. Some of my own journals, like my travel ones, have items I collected and pasted right into the journal. I even pasted most of the pictures I took on that New York trip. Funny sayings we heard while in New York and special memories from the other students I traveled with are also included.
While making this journal, I tried not to focus on the negative of what is going on. Instead, I wanted to help your child focus on the positives in the world around them. Help your child find things to do, no matter how small, to help others and yourself. It will make them feel much better about themselves and help take their mind off the bad in the world today. Your child can keep the pages in a folder while they work on them and bind them together when they are finished. After the library opens back up, please encourage your child to share their journals with the Children’s Services staff. We would love to see them!
Help your child find the silver lining!