A few months ago, I started journals for both my girls. I am no stranger to journaling. I have been writing journals from as young as 10 probably. It’s always been a way for me to clear my mind and refocus on what is important. Journaling also allows me to release and work through every emotion that I am feeling at any given time. Journaling helps me to keep track of my growth, lessons learnt, setbacks and failures, prayers answered. It’s all in there! Recently, I have completed reading ‘The Resolution for Women’ by Priscilla Shirer (very inspiring read, maybe I will do a post on it) and she mentions that she started journals for her boys. I thought to myself that is a great idea. I write significant moments in my own personal journal, but I thought it would really be a treasure to be able to pass on to them a record of those moments for them to keep and maybe pass on to their children. So, I have started this on their 2019 birthdays, and I try to write on their birth-date every month of the year. I have reminders set in my calendar each month, on those days, to complete an entry. It’s not the only time I write in their journals, sometimes I just record something they said or something they did that blew me away.
I thought I’d share with you some of the great reasons why you should keep journals for each of your kids.
1. It helps me to keep track of big moments. I’m terrible at the baby book thing. I mean to be honest most of them only go as far as 2 years. These days we try to record a video clip or take a picture and that’s great as well, but if you’re like me and get caught up in the moment, you may forget to press the record button. But being lost in the moment allows me to really be able to remember all of the details, so I can write them down along with the feeling and emotion I experienced.
2. I feel like I’m leaving a bit of legacy and a guidepost for growing up with them. I want them to know the prayers I prayed for them and how God responded.
3. It has helped me be more intentional in how I connect with them daily. It allows me to reflect on my role as mom, friend and teacher and holds me accountable to the quality of young ladies that I am trusting GOD to help me raise. When I pen my heart, my dreams and my hopes for them, those words become a mirror for me that draws me into examining myself and how I parent. Is my parenting guiding them and helping them grow into the purpose to which GOD has called them as individuals? Am I modelling the kind of mom I hope they would be? Am I modelling the God- fearing woman I pray for them to mature into?
4. Journaling for them has helped to keep me accountable to the goals and intentions I set for myself as a present mom. It makes it much easier to remember to extend the grace and kindness that I want them to experience in our home.
5. I can speak & pray the promises of God over their present and future. Journaling prayers and quoting scripture enables me to put all that’s good and perfect into the atmosphere for them to grab hold of at the right time with GOD’s leading.
6. And lastly, it’s something for them to cherish and maybe even pass down to their children.
I must add that it’s important that you write one for each of your children. (Easy for you Niclair, you’ve only got two!) Sure, it would be easy to just write one for my kids to share, but there’s something very special about having your own little book about just YOU! Writing separate journals gives me a chance to see the differences in their nature, their attitudes and their spirits. Each of my girls have their own unique personalities and this allows me to tease apart and appreciate their individual strengths , abilities and challenges as well as to pray specifically towards such.
I really recommend this, especially if you’re in the practice of journaling already. You don’t have to do it, every month, like I do. That’s just my preference. It’s totally up to you how often you do it. You can record in it once a year if you like.
A previous tradition of my parents was to keep photo albums, and they would record special moments in the caption or behind the photograph. My problem with that, is I never get around to printing photographs in this digital age. You can make it your own. Maybe you just want to record encouraging scriptures or uplifting quotes in your kids’ journals instead. That is totally fine, but create something that they can cherish, that they can hold long after you’re gone that will remind them of your love and desire to see them fulfil their purpose in Christ.
So, grab a notebook and a pretty gel pen and start with the first prayer you prayed as you held your little one for the first time and go from there. I promise it will add to the beauty of parenthood!
Share with me, how has journaling for your kids, helped your parenting journey?
Purpose Driven Mama 