The time we have to actually sit down and talk to our daughters gets to be less and less the older they get. This Mother-Daughter Journal is the perfect way to keep communication flowing.
If you have a teen (or pre-teen) daughter, you know how hard communication can be. So many things are changing in their lives and keeping open communication with them as they face these transitional years is so important. My oldest daughter is fourteen and we don’t always see eye to eye on certain subjects. This Mother-Daughter Journal has been a great way for us to communicate as well as learn new things about one another. It’s a 28-page printable filled with awesome prompts to get you and your daughter chatting. You can add more if needed.
Sitting in front of a person and discussing heavy topics isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially for a teen girl. Using this printable journal is a great way for us to express ourselves in a way we might not be able to do so in person. Plus, it creates a beautiful keepsake. There are many other Mother-Daughter journals on the market that are great, but this free printable is a way to get you started so you and your daughter can decide if this form of communication will work for you, without spending any money.
I wrote a few guidelines to show you how we got started with our Mother-Daughter journal in hopes that it will be beneficial to you as well:
Plan a date with your daughter. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Take her out for her favorite coffee or tea, plan a picnic or something else you two enjoy doing together. Nevaeh loves Starbucks! This step is important just to be sure you are both on the same page as far as the journaling goes and you both know what to expect.
There are no rules! What I love most about journaling is the no rules factor. So what works for you and your daughter. This printable is simply a guide to get you started.
Set some quick rules. Rules could include, but not limited to :
- Who can see this journal?
- What will you use to write with?
- How long should each of you take to write?
- How will you exchange the book?
Our rules look like this:
We quickly both decided, what goes into this Mother-Daughter journal stays in the journal. That was a no-brainer for the both of us. I want this journal to be a safe place where we can talk about anything and everything.
Having a safe place to communicate also means not getting upset by anything that’s written. For me, that means no matter what Nevaeh tells me, I have to really hear what she is saying without her fearing being punished or lectured. For Daughters, this means Moms can be honest as well without attitude or repercussions.
Make sure it stays fun and exciting. If it’s not fun, both parties will be less than excited to participate. And let’s face it, without participation this journal has absolutely no meaning.
We decided to pass the journal back and forth weekly and adding at least a half page. Some days it might be more, but for now, that’s a good starting point.
Remember, the purpose of this Mother-Daughter journal is for relationship building, communication and of course, fun! Using bright colored pens, stickers and bookmarks are always a good idea. The years we have with them never seem long enough. Enjoy each day as it comes. Yes, even the hard ones.
You can print this free Mother-Daughter journal here!
If you are curious about other journals, here’s a few of my favorites from Amazon:
[…] has been a great way for us to communicate as well as learn new things about one another. It’s a 28-page printable filled with awesome prompts to get you and your daughter chatting. You can add more if […]