As a writer, I have boxes and drawers of journals. I’ve been scribbling in notebooks and journals for four decades and it tends to be how I organize my work, keep track of my life, and vent about all sorts of things going on. I would like to suggest that even if you aren’t a writer, and even if you’re handy with a camera or a video recorder—keeping a parenting journal can be a very worthwhile activity.
When all three of my children were small, I kept a special journal just for “parenting” stuff—it is full of accounts of our days, milestones, frustrations, stories, and even some drawings. What started as something I could do to keep writing on some level—even while I was stuck at home with three preschoolers—it has become a cherished memoir of my transformation into a parent.
The great thing about a parenting journal is that it isn’t just about the “what” of what happens, but you will be able to look back and see your transformative process; you’ll be able to work things out in the moment (or at least get your frustrations, fears, and aggravations out of your head and onto paper), but you will also have a historical document of your family—full of all sorts of sayings, forgotten memories, snapshots of your mental health on any given day. I intend that someday when my own kids are struggling new parents—I will be able to share my parenting journal to show them that “I was there too” and give them hope for the fact that we all tend to adjust, our kids do grow up, and we become more qualified and patient parents (at least most of us do). Keeping a parenting journal can be both therapy for you, and a gift for the future of your family.
Also: Finding Ways to Mark the Passing Time
Summer Activity–Writing a Family Biography