Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been cleaning out some old boxes I have been storing forever. You name it – I have saved it but, being stuck indoors during quarantine, it seemed like a good time to start cleaning it all out. In the first two boxes I went through, I found about five journals! I couldn’t believe it! Some of the journals I remember having and some I haven’t seen in years. I was amazed at how much detail I had written about my days as a young girl. The things that were so devastating to me then, are so humorous now. Apparently, I was at a complete loss when I misplaced or couldn’t find a Leif Garrett album! And, if you don’t know who he is, I won’t hold it against you. Leif Garrett was a teenage heartthrob in the 70’s who I fell in love with as a preteen. I played his album over and over! I am going to share a secret with you now, so hold on. Even though I played the album (on my record player), I really didn’t like any of the songs! Yes, I hear you over there asking me, “What kind of fan were you, Joann?!” Lol! I’m getting off track, so let’s continue.
I started showing my son, Alex, all of my diaries/journals and he seemed to be a little interested. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to see if I could persuade him to start a journal of his own. I had two reasons why I really want him to do this. One, I think it’s a great way to remember details of your life. As funny as it is for me to read my journals today, back then it helped me sort out of my feelings and give me something to look back on. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a journal has them all. They are your words, your thoughts and your life as you live it. My second reason is that I want Alex to improve his writing for school. I thought it would be a great way for him to continue working on his writing skills. So, once I spoke to him about it a little more, we decided to create a summer journal!
“My Daily Journal,” is a very simple form. I knew if I created something with a lot of ‘fill-ins,’ he would lose interest quickly. After playing around with it and deciding what would work best for Alex, I was able to create this printable for him. It has been working out really well and, more importantly, he is enjoying it! I do plan to use this for Michael as well. He has been practicing writing his name and, though it may not be as detailed, pictures work too! I thought I would offer this as my first free printable! If you have kids or grandchildren who you think might be interested in writing their memories, I think this would be a great place for you to start. You can print as many pages as you like. At the end of the year, you can always staple them together. Alex is going to make a cover for his journal by drawing a picture, coloring it and titling it “Alex’s Journal.” I think it will be nice for them to look back on. Let’s face it, this year has been a strange one and there’s a lot to write about.
Sign up here for your free “My Daily Journal” printable!
I truly hope your kids enjoy this daily activity. And. don’t you worry; I am working on a printable journal for adults too!
Hi Joann,
This is a great idea how I wish I kept a journal growing up I would have loved to
go back & read them. I guess for now I have to rely on my memories. I think every child would enjoy doing this. I will share this.
Love,
Aunt Chris