Putting their thoughts on a page.
Flicking through your childhood diary is like paying a visit to your past self. And while it can be cringey in some parts, it’s also rather wonderful.
But beyond nostalgia, writing a diary can be great for a child’s development.
Seven benefits of keeping a childhood diary
Practice mindfulness
Improve writing skills
Improve reading skills
Reduce screen time
Increase attention span
Self reflection and expression
Creative freedom (no pressure for it to be perfect)
Let them choose their diary
Diaries are about self expression—but not just the contents inside.
When it comes to buying their diary, let your child choose the notebook that speaks most to them. From the get-go, it’ll make them feel like this book (and this practice) is truly theirs—not just something their parents are telling them to do.
Help them pick a theme (or two, or three)
There are absolutely no rules! Their diary could be about anything that comes to their imagination. Here are some ideas…
Gratitude journal
Daily reflections
Daily to-do list
Setting goals
Big feelings journal
Ideas journal
Travel diary
Doodle journal
Confidence journal
Dream diary
Memory journal
Offer a starting point
If they’re not quite sure where to start, try any of these 20 journal prompts for kids…
What happened on your favorite holiday?
To you, what makes a good friend?
If you could have a superpower for a day, what would it be?
What do you like most about yourself?
What would your perfect day look like?
Describe your favorite memories from this summer
What are your favorite foods?
Write about a time you helped someone
Write about a time someone helped you
What do you think your life will look like when you grow up?
What are you most grateful for?
If you could invent anything in the world, what would it be?
Describe the last time you had some really big feelings. What happened?
Vent about something that has annoyed you lately.
What’s something you want to get really really good at?
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
What’s your earliest memory?
Write about a time you were proud of yourself
Write about a time you were proud of someone else
Describe a dream you had recently
Resist the urge to read it
Wanting to know what your child is thinking about is totally natural.
But the private nature of a journal is what allows a child to truly express themselves, without fear of judgment. That’s the magic of it.
Hopefully, with space to process their emotions on their own, your child will come to you when and if they feel ready. This is a practice that will serve them not only as a child, but in later life as well.
Lead by example
Kids echo their parents’ behaviors. As a family, you could set time aside to write in your journals and reflect on the week gone-by (or anything, really).
This together-time could even prompt some important conversations—when you’re open about your thoughts and feelings, they might feel inspired to do the same.
Think your child would be interested in the idea of starting a journal? Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a laugh-out-loud series that dives into the mind of middle-schooler, Greg Heffley. It’s about growing up and finding your place in the world—an absolute must-listen for 7–12 year olds!
Did you ever keep a journal as a kid? What inspired you at the time, and what sort of things did you record?