Helping Kids Journal

I have been a pretty faithful journal writer since at least high school.  Sometimes I went in spurts and wrote only every couple of months, but for well over ten years I have been pretty faithful about writing nearly every day.  I love journaling and I think that it is important for emotional and spiritual health. I’ve blogged about it on my other blog several times.  I am grateful to my mom who taught me to write in my journal every Sunday.

Liberty is also a faithful writer.  The boys in our family struggle however.  I feel it is important for them to learn to do this regularly though, especially since President Kimball encouraged it so much.  Through the years I’ve tried to help them get into the habit, but it hasn’t been successful.

The main reason they don’t like journaling is:

1. They don’t like to physically have to write anything more than they have too.  I think this is a boy thing?
2. They don’t know what to write.

I guess the first one they just will have to get over, but for the second one I’ve determined that when they write helps solve the problem. So for the last two months or so(?) we’ve struck upon another idea that seems to be working out better than the other ideas.  On days when it is possible they are in bed at 8 PM.  They then write in their journal.  Then they can free-read until 9PM.  After that personal prayers and lights out. On nights when we are out later (mutual, scouts, basketball practice, ward activities, etc.) we just head straight to the prayers and the bed part.  In the end they journal about four times or so a week.  This is a much better average and it isn’t as painful for them. 

But back to the what to write. I encourage them to either write about their day or to list five blessings they are thankful for that they saw that day.  I find they have a lot more to write about and they do it more willingly at night then in the morning as part of their “school work.”

Again creating the habit is the most important part and then the testimony of it will come and they will seek it out to do it on their own, and in their own way.