We all know that ‘it’s better out than in’ when it comes to some emotions. Whether you prefer shouting about it, scribbling it down on paper, or blogging the pants out of a situation, out is best. It helps us to feel calmer, more in control and more often than not can help us to understand what we are actually feeling, see how we reacted and help us to move forwards in a positive way. But it takes a good while to figure all that out doesn’t it? That getting things out – highs and lows, good times and bad – can make us feel better. Happier. More confident.
And that’s why I’m already loving this. The Happy Confident Me Journal for kids!
The Happy Confident Me Journal is a daily journal for kids with a very clever twist up it’s sleeve. It’s been especially crafted by parenting coach Nadim Saad and psychotherapist Annabel Rosenhead to encourage a wealth of important skills in children, including self-awareness, positive thinking, resilience, growth mindset, confidence, mindfulness, kindness and gratitude. I know it might sound a little complicated on paper, but it’s actually very simple and a lovely end of the day activity to encourage your little ones to take part in.
The Happy Confident Me Journal is a ‘starter journal’ that’s aimed at 7 – 12 year olds. We think this is beautifully reflected in it’s busy, bright and vibrant pages.
‘Happy Confident Bee’ is a character that appears all throughout the journal and acts as a guide through each day. For any littler ones who struggle with the abstract idea of writing ‘dear diary’ style, we think that the bee is a great character to have a chat to, on paper, each day instead.
The journal starts by introducing itself as a space for them to write down their thoughts and feelings. As a parent, I really like all the positive language used to reinforce the idea that feelings are valid and important. There’s even a lovely, light hearted section on ‘how to be happy’.
Once you’re through the ‘how to’s’ section, you come to the main journal.
There is a page dedicated to each day, but there is a section where they can fill in the actual ‘day of the week’. I like how it’s not already printed in there, like a normal diary, as it makes it easy to pick up as often as they like.
Each day’s questions vary a bit but follow the same pattern. There’s a space to write or indicate the feelings they felt that day.
This is followed by a quote from Happy Confident Bee. Mine liked these so much that she spent quite a bit of time flicking through each spread just to read all the positive quotes.
Then there are 3 main questions to complete. Each day ‘today I am grateful for…’ is the leading question, and the following 2 questions change from day to day. The questions mainly steer towards positive feelings, but they do also include ones to ask if there was anything difficult that day, which I think keeps a good balance.
At the end of each week there is a weekly activity spread. My little one decided to start there, and completed the task of ‘what makes you happy’. A picture of me! *I was totally chuffed to bits.
I wasn’t too sure if my year 2 little one would understand and benefit from the journal, but she did. So, I would say that 7 years old is a realistic and good starting age for the Happy Confident Me Journal. We found that having the repeated question of ‘today I am grateful for…’ actually made her think about this idea more often and in a less abstract way. She’s also started to use it more in her normal vocabulary. #Winning.
Being quite little still, she’s picking the journal up as and when it takes her fancy for fun, but I think an older child would be more inclined to use it on a daily basis.
The Happy Confident Me Journal is a fantastic idea to encourage kids to acknowledge their feelings and over time, learn how to ‘write it out’ to embrace the good times and understand and let go of the bad. I think this would also make a wonderful keepsake for the future.
Disclosure: AD| We received a copy of the Happy Confident Me Journal to try out, as featured above. All views are our own.
WILD is now out in Spanish!
WILD – Our debut children’s picture book
Dad blogger Ross Good from The Stented Papa is the official storyteller for WILD!
Happy book birthday WILD!
This looks like a great way to get reluctant writers to give it a try, The pages are mich more inviting and less intimidating than a blank page.
Oh my gosh this looks so lovely! I bet this must be so good for kids’ mental health 🙂 #dreamteamlinky
What a wonderful journal, helping our kids with confidence and to be proud of themselves is so important and something I wish had been more prominent when I was young. Too often do we hold ourselves back due to lack of confidence. My kids are too young for it at the moment but will love to get it when they are bigger. #DreamTeamLinky
That looks like a really well thought out, and useful product, and perfect for younger kids. #DreamTeam
Probably a good time for it. It’s quite important to let little ones express their worries (and quite a task for us parents not to brush them aside) but then to have them move on for them is the goal. This could help them explore that in a postive framework, and learn to then question or dispute them. #Dreamteam
Awesome! I will get this for my stepdaughter’s 9 year old child. It would help her process some feelings that she may find difficult to express (She lost her dad recently). I will get one and send it to her.
I love this journal idea, it’s perfect to get kids familiar with journaling!
I love that journal! I wonder if my little boys would do it? I think it would be really useful for them. #DreamTeamLinky