‘The I Can Journal’ – A Journal for Children

‘The I Can Journal’ – A Journal for Children

‘The I Can Journal’

Today Aurelia had her first experience with a journal specifically designed for children and she absolutely loved it!

When your child is bottling something inside or are unable to express exactly how they feel, this is one of the most difficult challenges facing a parent. (I speak from experience). Trying to find a way to encourage them to express their emotions, to find the correct vocabulary and the method through which to articulate those feelings is incredibly testing and frustrating. This was the situation Narelle found herself in when her daughter became ill last year. Narelle and her husband asked their daughter to write down her thoughts and feelings and finally had a breakthrough.

This experience led Narelle to create and produce ‘The I Can Journal’. The mission is:

Inspiring children to be the best version of themselves through developing a growth mindset, a positive attitude and realising their full potential to be amazing.

What an inspiring message!

My eldest daughter battled illness through her teens and we also found that jotting down her feelings enabled her to understand precisely what her feelings were. We used this as a springboard for communication and eventually her assistance on the road to recovery. I understand the power of the pen! In offering children a place to express themselves on paper at times rather than with words. This is why I jumped at the chance to work with Narelle.

Using ‘The I Can Journal’ During Lockdown

I have been kindly sent ‘The I Can Journal’ for my youngest daughter, Aurelia. Aurelia is 6 years old and, like all other children up and down the country, she is living through an unprecedented time. She is confused, scared and at times lonely whilst we live through a global pandemic. However, we know that this experience won’t last forever and that the end is on the horizon. Whilst we live through this, we have wanted to document as much as we can of our day-to-day lives.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also taught us some valuable lessons. Most importantly, it has made us think about all the things we have in life that we are grateful for. It has also given us time to think about all our hopes and dreams. What we are most looking forward to each day. It has also been time to reflect on the day and consider all the things we have enjoyed.

‘The I Can Journal’ is the perfect place to document all of these experiences and emotions. The journal includes a section in which children can record some personal information on the ‘About Me’ page.

They can also include a drawing of themselves too! My eldest daughter is 18. I love looking through her old journals and to see how her favourite things changed over the years, such as her favourite colours and hobbies.

Aurelia’s First Experience with a Children’s Journal For Children

On the hopes and dreams page, children can record what they hope to achieve. This can be quite a thought-provoking question and allows children to really consider what sort of people they want to be. What values they hold dear, the things they hope to achieve in the long or short term.

After some consideration, Aurelia decided that she wanted to achieve the status of Ninja! And, after some soul searching and discussing the salaries in a variety of professions, she decided she would also like to be a Policewoman someday.

The subsequent pages allow children to record a variety of information each day. The titles include ‘Today I enjoyed’. I love this opportunity of reflection for Aurelia. It is all too easy to forget the things we did during the day that we actually did enjoy and to keep a record of these to look back on in the future.

Also, children can record what they are thankful for on a particular day, Again, a great reflective exercise which can be incredibly thought-provoking. Quite often Aurelia surprises me by telling me that the smallest things are what she is most grateful for. Often these things cost nothing. Today she was grateful to be alive! She explained this to me further – the COVID pandemic makes us all grateful to be healthy!

The final sections for the day vary. They include ‘I was proud of myself today because’ and ‘Something amazing I learned today’. These sections ensure that children end their journal entries on a positive note. They enable children the opportunity to focus on the wonderful things they have done throughout the day.

More Reasons to Love The I Can Journal

Much of Aurelia’s day is spent completing schoolwork. This often means she is using the computer or tablet for much of the day. Completing tasks online and playing a variety of educational games. Call me old-fashioned, but I love pen and paper! Writing on paper is real artistry and there is something incredibly therapeutic about it in this modern technological age. It’s wonderful to see Aurelia express her feelings and practice her handwriting at the same time.

The journal is designed for children. It contains bright and colourful pages that really make the children want to use the journal.

I particularly love the inspiring quotes which feature throughout the journal. These offer children a daily boost of inspiration!

Aurelia’s time filling in her ‘I Can Journal’ will become part of her daily routine now. In the future, she’ll be able to look back at all of the happy times she has had during the uncertain and sometimes scary time of COVID. This is something we can keep for years to come!

Journaling is incredibly trendy at the moment. It is promoted as a great stress reliever! I thank Narelle for offering this therapeutic activity to children!

*This is a collaborative post, however, as always, all opinions are my own.

For similar posts, see my parenting category.

Follow:

8 Comments

  1. Jaya Avendel
    July 3, 2020 / 7:51 pm

    I know I love writing in my journal and, looking back, I know I would not be where I am today if I had not had a pen in my hand to write down my feelings. It is amazing how much we can dilute down overwhelming emotions to their essence with words, so I love that The I Can Journal is a colorful place for children to feel good about themselves.
    Thanks so much for sharing!

    • Lellalee
      Author
      July 15, 2020 / 3:06 pm

      It’s great to hear journaling has been such a positive thing for you Jaya xxx

  2. bournemouthgirl
    July 4, 2020 / 3:05 pm

    What a great product for children. Journaling in all types is so beneficial and great to start children young. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

    Lauren |

    • Lellalee
      Author
      July 15, 2020 / 3:27 pm

      ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. July 4, 2020 / 6:59 pm

    This looks amazing! Expressing emotions in a comfortable way can be such a tricky one when it comes to younger kids, this journal looks incredible for that. I think it’s so important to get kids consciously thinking about things like gestures of kindness too x

    Sophie

    • Lellalee
      Author
      July 15, 2020 / 3:27 pm

      Thank you Sophie xxx

  4. Diffusing the Tension
    July 16, 2020 / 3:32 pm

    This is awesome! My oldest struggles a little with self esteem, so i will definitely check this out for in a year or so when she is a more independent writer.

    • Lellalee
      Author
      July 17, 2020 / 4:44 pm

      ๐Ÿ™‚

Leave a Reply