Journaling Your Child's Life

If you're not journaling your child's life, I highly recommend you do so.  Journaling is often looked at as something that Moms do, but it's something that Dads could and should do as well.  Journaling my children daily was brought to my attention a few months before my first daughter was due, and this individual provided me with a journal to get started.  Starting a few days before her birth and continuing every day and continuing through the present, I write a short blurb about my daughters' day.  Some daily entries are very detailed, while others a just a couple of lines that say something along the lines of "we went out to eat, we read books, and we put together puzzles."

Two journals, one for my 5 year old and the other for my 2 year old.

I continued the journaling process with my younger daughter when she was born 2 years ago.  Some evenings I forget and some evenings I don't have the time to journal, but I make up for it the next day by doubling up on entries.  Anytime my daughters and I do a science experiment, it goes in the journal.  Anytime they go to the doctor, it goes in the journal.  Anytime they say something funny or do something crazy, it goes in the journal.  Anytime I measure their height, it goes in the journal.  In fact, I've referenced the journals on height several times.

My plan for these journals is to continue them every day until my daughters move out of the house.  Then at some point (not sure when) I will deliver the journals as a gift to them when they are adults.  

Journaling takes time, although in reality it's just a few minutes each day.  When I read the old entries and bring forth those memories from just a few years ago I know that journaling is well worth it.