Journal Tips to Motivate Kids—
Writing in a journal is a great way for children to process and express their thoughts, feelings, emotions and creativity. When children begin writing at an early age, it increases the chances that this habit will continue on through adulthood.
Children tend to have a better response to writing in a journal if you provide consistent encouragement as they begin their journal keeping. If the child shows signs of discouragement or disinterest, suggest journaling topics that are exciting to the child such as talents, hobbies, special skills, friends and/or school.
Engaging the child’s interest is key, which is why fun and enjoyment are essential to the journaling process.
Here are a few more simple, easy journal tips for you to share with the children in your life. Enjoy!
Journal Tips – Choosing a Journal
When the decision to begin journaling has been made, choosing the journal can be a fun outing for the two of you. Let him/her choose one that is in a favorite color or with a binder they can decorate with their choice of accessories. Suggest to them that they choose one that makes them feel happy when they see it. By doing so they are much more likely to use it!
Journal Tips — Writing Prompts
Engaging a child’s interest in journaling is simply a matter of providing him with lots of journal topics to write about in his new journal book. Suggestions could include topics such as what do you like to do? What are favorite subjects in school? What sports do you play and why do you enjoy them? The subjects a child could write about are endless!
(There are lots of journal prompts on this site for your kids to use.View our favorite list of kids journal prompts by clicking here.)
Journal Tips — Daily Writing
One of the journal tips that is very helpful is to encourage the child to write every day in his journal, even if that means writing a single word across the page. The more consistently a child writes his thoughts down, the more comfortable he will become exploring and recording his daily experiences. He is also building a healthy habit in the process.
Journal Tips — Respecting Privacy
It is important that children understand that their written thoughts are private and that they will not be judged for anything they write. Also be sure to assure the child that what is written in his journal will not be read by anyone else unless he makes the decision to share what has been written with another (we are big fans of shared journaling but the sharing part must be a mutual agreement!).
Though a child may at first experience slight difficulties adjusting to the idea of writing down his thoughts, he will soon be eager to write them down on a daily basis if you use these tips to make the journal keeping process more fun, enjoyable, creative and meaningful.