Most of us want to know all the “secrets” of better parenting. How do we find more time? How do we get our kids to sleep longer? How do we reduce stress and feel better? There is nothing easy about being a parent and really nothing easy about being a new parent, however, journaling may be a solution for many of us.

Journaling is a widely recognized therapeutic tool. Its benefits have been documented in numerous studies and millions of people use journaling as a tool to work through their day to day experiences and frustrations. Did you know that journaling can do more than help you grow as a person though? It can also help you become a better parent.

Perspective

Journaling is a great way to put things in perspective. Whether you’re just venting, making a list of things you are grateful for, or looking through your previous entries, journaling provides a chance for you to explore your feelings and experiences in a safe, non-judgemental environment. This can be highly effective in helping you see things in a different light since your processing won’t be colored by the opinions of others. This is especially true when it comes to the frustrations of parenting. Sometimes what seems like a total meltdown at the moment, may seem so much more manageable in retrospect or after a short breather to get your feelings out on paper.

Growth

Journaling also helps you to identify patterns in your behavior that you might normally overlook. This is invaluable for personal growth.  Something as simple as a repeated phrase or a situation can be very eye-opening. Whether it’s realizing that reacting in the same way over and over has become ineffective or uncovering some idiosyncrasy that you find yourself harping on again and again.  Perhaps it’s not even your own growth but that of your children that will benefit from your entries. Sometimes, as parents, we don’t’ see the forest for the trees. Journaling may highlight repetitive behavior in your child that you may not otherwise have noticed and given you an opportunity to help your child overcome it.

Stress Management

Let’s face it. Being a parent is a stressful job. There is no training or manual and no amount of education or planning that prepares you for it.  Any tool that helps you to manage stress in a healthy, productive way is a no-brainer. A lot of stress management is about having an outlet. You may need to rewrite War and Peace or maybe some random doodling does the trick. There are no rules to journaling- doodles, notes, or epic novels – whatever helps you decompress. What you journal about may have nothing to do with the situation stressing you out. Maybe it’s just a pleasant distraction or maybe it’s the only way you can deconstruct the nuances of the problem that is overtaking your brain. However you choose to do it, journaling is a great way to manage your stress.

Dreams and Goals

Finally, journaling is a perfect tool for putting your dreams and goals into words. When you take the time to write down your goals and lay out a plan for reaching them, they become real and tangible, and you are far more likely to pursue them with purpose. Setting goals and working towards them sets a valuable example for your children, one that will influence them for their entire lives. Journaling can help you pull together all those random daydreams and vague ideas to create your own unique path to reaching your goals. It’s important, as parents, to remember that we still have to pursue and maintain our dreams as individuals, not just as a mom or dad. Nurturing ourselves and our life goals help us to be more content, well-rounded people who, as a result, are better, more focused parents. 

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a pen and paper and start journaling your way to better parenting today! 

Please share with us if journaling, reflecting or any form of gratitude practice has helped you with feeling like a better parent?