FAQ

When it comes to journals made for kids, they have a slightly different spin than ones you might find for teens or adults. Journals for kids offer space to create and interact through things like drawing, selecting multiple choice, circling images related to mood or emotional expression, and sparking creativity through imaginative prompts.

Journaling is a great tool for your child’s personal development. A journaling practice can instill a sense of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and confidence in expression.

Journaling can start at any age! When children are younger their journals might take shape as a collection of drawings, and later grow into a written format.

Kids can begin journaling at any age, but introducing the habit during the transition from child to teen years (known as the “tween” years of 9-12) can be especially helpful for navigating physical, mental, and social development.

One of the best topics to journal about with your kids is emotion. Our emotions impact how we see ourselves and others; so understanding the emotions we are feeling can give us a greater understanding of our perspective in friendships, relationships, and how we approach life.

Encourage your child to write about their day. Writing about their day can help instill a habit of reflection, which teaches them to view relationships and experiences from a new perspective. If they are reluctant to sit down with their journal, set a timer for 10-15 minutes that can be used to create a routine of commitment each day.

A kid’s journal can include anything that allows them to express their emotions. Some children might choose to draw, write lists, recall their day, write about family members or friends, set goals, or leave themselves reminders of what they are grateful for or what went well during their day / week.

A kid’s journal is an opportunity to reflect and express. Make sure to encourage your child to open up about their feelings; instead of qualifying certain emotions as bad or good, try to build a bridge of awareness between what your child is feeling, and why they might be feeling that way.

Journaling can take on many forms including: drawing, poetry, bullet pointed lists, short form reflections, long form storytelling, and more. When it comes to journaling don’t limit yourself, instead ask yourself: how would I like to communicate what I am feeling?

Journaling teaches children how to perceive, interpret, demonstrate, control, and use their emotions to communicate and relate to others in an effective and constructive way; all of which are the basis for healthy relationships with self and others.