Finding Time To Mom Journal

How do you Mom Journal?

There's so many ways, it's hard to settle on one method. Instead, when thinking about this topic, I thought about how hard it is to even find the time to sit down and write a few memorable moments of your kid. We get stuck in the cycle of family life that taking five minutes is usually spent showering.

So here's some tips for mom journaling on-the-go:

Tip #1: Have the journal easily accessible, at anytime.

I favor digital journaling because of this. I can write in my notes app, and export as a word document to my computer, and save it every so often there. If you have a small journal you keep with you at all times and can easily fit in a purse or coat pocket, that can work as well. The disadvantage of this step is you have to remember to move it with you. Your phone always is moving with you.

P.S. Planner People anyone? If you have developed the habit to bring your planner with you wherever you go, a planner that also has space for journaling may be a fantastic blend for you. Check out my Laurel Denise Project Planner Review for inspiration!

Tip #2: Organize by a time period

Choose a time period that works for you. Since I started the journal when my daughter was born I've been doing the journal monthly. At the time, my baby was changing and developing so fast I felt I couldn't keep up with writing in the notes app. As time goes on, she became more mobile and interactive, and the 'me-time' went away. I still journal monthly, but as she gets older I am playing with parsing down the time periods to seasonal, fall of 2025 for example. This way her age can still referenced.

Tip #3: Identify your why for writing

When I had my daughter, I had no mother of my own living. I had mom-friends and family members that helped along my journey into motherhood, but I still felt adrift without my own beside me. I write to remember my daughter at 1 month, at 1 year, and so on. I also write to give her a book of real-time experiences, so if she has questions or worries and I'm not there to answer, she can flip the page to what she was doing at 6 months, and compare to her own children.

Tip #4 Make it sustainable

My first mistake was thinking I would have the time to transcribe the writing in the notes app to a paper and pen journal, and give a lovingly handwritten journal to my daughter when she's older. I was able to transcribe almost to five months of age, when I stopped doing this. My daughter is almost three now. I am only doing digital journaling, because that is what I can sustain.

Tip #5 Make it yours

Once in a while I write things that have nothing to do with her age, but more about my hopes for her or lessons I've learned that maybe she will listen to, at some point. Make the journal yours; ascribing to rigidity bars creativity that could produce meaningful writing from you to your child.

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That's all for this post!

-A Very Enthusiastic Journaler