There has been much to keep me busy lately, which has cut into my blogging time. I won’t have much time for blogging today either, but I heard an idea from a neighbor a little while ago that I thought I would share quickly before I get started on the day.
My neighbor is the mother of three very active little boys all under the age of six. Like all moms, she can feel very worn out at the end of the day and has her days of frustration and boredom. Apparently she has had a few days in which her thoughts about being a mom to her three boys were quite negative, and then she felt guilty for even having such thoughts, but didn’t know how to overcome the overwhelming feelings she was having.
One day she had an idea pop into her head and decided to try it. She got a spiral notebook and drew a big heart on the front of it. She found a place on the kitchen counter to store the journal that is out of the way but easy to reach. Whenever one of her boys says anything cute or funny or profound she immediately grabs the notebook and writes it down. She records the cute things the boys do together, some of the things she and the boys accomplish during the day, and the times the boys show their love for her. She even writes down inspiration about how to raise her boys as the ideas come. She makes sure to record the date of each entry.
My neighbor reports that now, whenever she starts to have negative thoughts about being a mother to her three little ones, she goes to the notebook and starts to read. It reminds her of why she has chosen to be a mom and how precious her boys are to her. She has been able to see the individuality of each boy and more fully appreciate each boy’s quirks and personality. She reports that the feelings of negativity have lessened and that she is more positive as she goes about her day. She purposely chose to draw a heart on the front to symbolize her love for her boys and the notebook has helped in reminding her of that love.
I journal for my kids in a slightly different manner, but thought my neighbor’s idea was a good one. Having the notebook in the kitchen where the family congregates most of the time has made it easy for my neighbor to record happenings quickly, as they happen. So many times I have thought to myself, I need to write that in so and so’s journal, only to forget about it because I got too busy to write it down.
My neighbor’s notebook has morphed into a sort of gratitude journal and she says that she now feels more gratitude about the blessings of being a mother. It has worked so well for her that she now shares her idea with others.
I agree with her. It is an idea worth sharing.
September 24, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Such a good idea! I don’t have kids, but it would be a good idea to write down little things that make me happy every day. That way, when I’m feeling down, I can remember my blessings. How great! I’m starting today!
September 24, 2008 at 3:07 pm
This is a wonderful idea. So many times I’m like you and “mean” to write things down and I’ll go to do something else and forget about it. Keeping something like this in an easy to reach place is great. I think I’ll get each of my daughter in laws a journal like this and copy this post and glue it to the front page. I absolutely love this idea.
September 24, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Love this idea. You always have the best stuff on this blog! 😀
September 24, 2008 at 7:21 pm
This is a sweet idea. I know there are times I need reminding… And a lot of the time just redirecting the frustration to something positive helps.
I hope she doesn’t entirely stifle the “negative” voice, because I find that sometimes it is telling us that we need some “me” time to recharge, and to ignore it or try to make ourselves always look on the bright side means that we may continue to ignore our own needs.
September 26, 2008 at 12:02 am
Every year I make a photo calendar for the grandparents with KodakGallery or Snapfish. At the end of December, they always have a 25% off sale so I order the same calendar for myself. I try to make a note on each day of something the kids did or a funny or sweet thing they said. I clip a sharpie to the top of the calendar and since it is hanging on the wall, it is very simple and quick to jot something down each day!
September 26, 2008 at 1:08 am
Emily,
That is a great idea too!