Getting kids to write is one habit every parent wants their kids to cultivate. Keeping a journal is a great habit that has far reaching positive effects. Here are 4 reasons why you should encourage children of all ages to keep a journal. 

Encourages Writing:
When Kids are given the chance to write freely outside academic restrictions, and without the pressures that go with it, they begin to see writing as a form of expression. Journal keeping is strictly a personal activity, and because kids can write whatever they want, without correction or inhibition, they start to see writing more as a means of expression and less as a tedious task.Writing skills practiced during journal entries contribute to overall writing skills and hence writing and reading skills are improved. Any form of writing is better than nothing at all and practice (by journal entries) makes perfect.

Fantastic Tool for Self Expression
When given a chance to write uninhibited, and express themselves, kids will start to express themselves in the most interesting ways. They will write about their fears, joys and dreams. I recall last last year, when I encouraged my 3 kids to write down their expectations for the coming year – 2011. One of my son’s expectations was that he would stop getting bullied at school. Of course, this shocked me. Was he being bullied in school? I pride myself with being open and in touch with my kids and all that concern them, so, how could that have passed me by. The bullying was resolved appropriately, but had he not written it on his goal and targets list, I would not have known about it. Moral of the story read the lines and between the lines  of your kids journals-  It’s another communication tool into your child’s heart.

Goal Setting
Studies prove that those who write down their goals achieve significantly more than those who don’t. While we don’t want to make life tedious or overly complex for kids,the simple habit of writing down goals or ‘wishes’ or even drawing them, for younger children in a personal journal help to  provide a focus, and set an expectation for  fulfilment. It also helps older children to ask the question; what do I have to do to achieve this, hereby starting the process for its accomplishment.And of course nothing fills as fantastic as ticking of a completed item on the goals list. Read  more on goals writing/achievement study.

Self Discovery
A journal is a great tool for your kids self discovery. Once they have been keeping journals for a while, you will find a pattern emerge of their likes and dislikes, their passions and even their dreams. Reviewing it unveils their development, likes dislikes, and even some forgotten passions that could be rekindled. And since we are raising champions here, the journals will come in very handy when they have to write that autobiography in decades to come!

Watch out for our age by age guide on how to encourage children from toddlers to teenagers to  start and maintain a journal.