7 Keepsake Journals That Busy Moms Will Actually Use
by Jennifer Ridgway
When my twins were born, I wanted a way to reflect on our day-to-day life, to record the milestones (big and small), and to have something to pass along to them. There are obviously baby books, but those did not have the kind of daily reflection I was looking for. I am also notoriously horrible at keeping my own journal, so I knew that this was going to have to be something that would only take me a couple of minutes a day to do (especially as I had to do it for two!). What I settled on was using a weekly planner; I used the notes space to jot down a sentence or two about the day.
For those who have a similar goal, you may wish to do the same (I am a big fan of Moleskine’s Large Format Weekly Planners). Alternatively, there are some excellent journals specifically targeted to mothers, some more guided than others. They offer a great way to quickly reflect on the day and, if you want, pass along memories to your children.
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Q&A a Day for Moms
Available from:This new entry into Potter Style’s Q&A a Day line is perfect for busy moms who want to see how things change over a five-year period. Every page has a question at the top and space for five different answers below. The best part is that you need only write one or two sentences, making this a quick thing to do.
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The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal for Mothers
Available from:This is also a five-year journal. Every page has a quote or question at the top to reflect upon with a space for five different answers. Based on Rubin’s bestselling book Happier at Home, you can begin at any point in the year and see how your family grows and evolves over the years to come.
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Mom’s One Line a Day
Five years seems to be a sweet spot for some of these journals. This cute little journal has gilded pages and spaces for five different entries per date. Unlike the two journals above, however, there are no guided prompts, so you can write one or two sentences about whatever you choose.
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My Quotable Kid
Sometimes the greatest things come directly from kids’ mouths, whether funny, poignant, or just plain amazing. This journal is set up for you to write down the quote, who said it, their age, and where they said it, recording their words for perpetuity.
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Mom’s Five-Second Memory Journal
This is also a guided journal, with prompts on every page. However, the dates are blank, and it doesn’t have the five-year format, making it great for people who only sporadically remember to/find time to/have time to/want to fill it in. The prompts cover all aspects of life too, not just the children.
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The Mommy Journal: Letters to Your Child
With short, blank, undated spaces, this journal allows you to write a short memory whenever the mood strikes. There are no prompts and the date fields are left blank, so it truly conforms to how and when you want to write. There are cute little watercolors accompanying each field and quotes about children and family throughout.
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The Modern Mom's Memory Journal
With a page for every day (not dated, but the day of the week is listed), this journal is heavily guided. It includes fun questions (“The best actor to play my child would be…”), questions to remember the little things (“Today my child smells like…”), and questions about you (“How much sleep did I get last night?”). There is also space at the bottom of every page for any other notes and at the end of the week for recaps.
