How To Teach Your Kids To Journal

William Wordsworth, a poet from the late 1700’s who was thought to be one of the founders of English Romanticism once said, “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”  Journaling is becoming a lost art, but remains an important life activity. This is exactly why I’ve been teaching my boys about journaling and why I want to share with you how to teach your kids to journal.

Journaling is a tool that many people implement in their lives on a daily or weekly basis. There are so many ways to journal, but what matters the most is just getting the words on the paper. Journaling is a great way to breathe life into the memories we hold of our personal experiences, lessons, growth and even gratitude. It’s also a way to put legs to the deepest longings and prayers in our hearts. I truly believe that if we teach our children to journal from a young age, it will be something that they will carry through life and it has the potential to be something that can help them navigate life’s journey of twist and turns.  

As I’ve been teaching my own kids how to journal, there have been a few important things I’ve tried to convey about how to journal.

First rule: there are no rules! (only one strong encouragement… date every entry!)

I taught my kids that journaling is simply writing what is in their hearts. This is their opportunity to process thoughts, feelings and experiences in a safe place. When I was explaining to my kids the idea of journaling for the first time, here are the different ways I explained to them that they can write in their journal, along with some questions to prompt them of a starting place to write. Feel free to use these ideas for your kids as well.

A journal can be a memory of experiences.

What did I experience today that I want to remember?

What was special about today?

What went really well?

What could have been better?

A journal can be a place to write out your thoughts and big feelings.

What am I feeling? Why?

What happened?

How did I react?

A journal can be a place to write about growth.

 What am I learning?

How am I growing?

I’m really excited to have learned ____________.

 A journal can be a place to write about spiritual growth.

Bible verses I’m reading or memorizing.

What is God showing me or telling me?

What am I reading in my Bible?

How can I apply the things I’m reading and learning?

A journal can be a place to keep record of gratitude

What or who am I thankful for today?

What happened today that made me feel thankful?

Gratitude is also a life tool that both kids and adults alike can benefit from. In fact, joy and gratitude go hand-in-hand. Keep an eye out for an up coming post all about gratitude.

The most important point I wanted to drive home with my boys is that journaling can be as much or little as they want it to be. They get to be the one who decides what is the best way to journal. Because there are no rules, they get to decide what style they choose and what they write. They get to be in total control. I simply want them to write. Because when they look back on all that they have discovered, accomplished and experienced over their lives, they will have a tangible record of all of it, and recognize how rich their lives are, with a written account of their own legacy.

What a joyous day it will be when they realize they had dreams and goals and they watched how, with each sunrise and sunset, those dreams and goals took shape and became reality.

Do you encourage your kids to journal? What ideas have you given them about how to journal? Leave your ideas in the comments so we can all learn together!