Kids Should Be Journaling Too!

Journaling is an effective way for not only adults, but for kids to organize, evaluate and problem solve their emotions and challenges.  It is a useful habit for kids to develop at a young age for their mental and physical spheres and more.

Journaling teaches kids to articulate their thoughts and ideas and allows them to express themselves in ways they are comfortable doing so.  

Journaling comes in many forms:   

• open ended writing
• bullet points 
• diary entries 
• poetry
• short stories
• drawing and coloring 

The beauty of journaling is that it is subjective. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Encourage your kids to be free with their thoughts.  They can focus on one specific topic or several at once.  They can journal daily or whenever they feel a specific mood.  They can also journal new ideas and personal goals. 

No matter when or how, let your children be in control of their journaling journey. These are their emotions that need to be organized, not yours.

If you are unsure how to begin, PsychCentral has a guide to get started. 

The Benefits of Journaling

Having a nine-year-old, I’m learning that already in fourth grade, kids have so much thrown their way that may be difficult for them to comprehend emotionally. Each of the following examples affects more than just their mental spheres.  

• hormonal changes – the beginning of puberty (physical sphere)
• evolving friendships (social sphere)
• family stressors at home (social sphere)
• learning barriers (educational and mental spheres)
• anxiety (mental sphere)
• technology (educational, social, and mental spheres)

Journaling can inspire creativity, enhance memory and strengthen writing skills. 

The biggest benefit to journaling however is the development of emotional intelligence, evoking mindfulness.  It’s important for me to reiterate that this practice can become a positive habit as life becomes more challenging in the teenage years and adulthood. 

I was a very anxious child and unbeknownst to me, dealt with separation anxiety from my parents. No one was talking about anxiety or mental fitness in the 80s, especially in children. As a kid, I didn’t know how to process what I was feeling and share that with my parents. The anxiety manifested as stomach aches and because they were untreated, I dealt with severe stomach aches through middle school. Many, many stomach aches. My mom took me to one too many doctor appointments but no one had a solution. They checked for appendicitis, worms, infections, but no one simply asked “Are you nervous about anything?”. 

This is a clear example of how my mental anxiety affected my physical state. A direct link that the adults around me, even doctors, could not correlate.  

I do wonder how journaling would have helped me as a child. Today, I still deal with gastrointestinal challenges especially during stressful times.  

Now, when my daughter seems to go through “mood swings” for reasons she says she doesn’t know, I encourage her to journal.  She loves to write stories and color so it’s an easy thing to suggest. It’s also a time for her to do something for herself that is constructive. I give her her time and let her control those moments.  I do hope it helps her mental sphere so it doesn’t manifest in physical pain for her as well.  

5 Spheres Mobile App

Soon, individuals twelve years and older will also be able to download The 5 Spheres mobile app. The app will allow users to organize their emotions and challenges within their 5 spheres and set goals to overcome any challenges they may face.  

One of the objectives of the mobile app is to provide an alternative to a physical journal. 

If your child doesn’t have a fun journal to get started with, I encourage you to let them choose one, whether it be a notebook and/or drawing pad.  Check out Amazon, Target, 5 Below or even the Dollar Tree and take some family time to start journaling.  It can only help!