Sometimes, having a baby can feel a little bit like Groundhog Day. The seemingly never ending cycle of feeding, changing nappies and getting your little one off to sleep can make it feel as though nothing else gets done. Despite the fact that you are doing an amazing job, this can mean it’s easy to forget that you’re achieving so much more than you are giving yourself credit for. To counter this, why not use your Say Nice Things journal as a Daily Diary to record exactly what you do accomplish every day with the added bonus of creating a lovely memory book to look back on and share with your children in the future.
The idea behind having a daily diary allows you to record what you have accomplished to help you see the progress being made. A great use for your daily diary and where the journal really comes into its own is using the sections to record specific areas of yours and your babies life to track your progress. For example, if you're looking to establish a routine for sleeping and feeding, why not dedicate two sections to carefully keep track your development in both these areas. Having an accurate record allows you to periodically look back and see how far you’ve come which, on the days when you feel like you’re going backwards can be hugely motivating and satisfying.
Another idea is to create a section for forward planning. Use your journal to note down all the things you are looking forward to doing with your baby and children in the future. If you're planning on weening soon, you might try to get ahead by using a section to write down purée recipes, books to read or even potty training tips.
In addition to the more serious subjects, we think a daily dairy should also celebrate the other, less serious victories of the day, no matter how silly they may seem! For example, we’re sure that many parents will identify with these as reasons to celebrate:
Our good friends over at ‘You’re Mumbelievable’ have even made some milestone cards to help celebrate and share these victories so why not pop one in your journal or notebook to mark each little win!
Whatever you choose to note down in your daily diary the important thing is to keep it positive, no matter how small. Night feeds can be a great time to grab a pen, take stock of your day and remind yourself just how well you’re doing by reflecting on how far you’ve come so far.
Happy journaling.
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This week we look at some simple techniques to help us step out of our digital bubbles using journaling and other writing techniques. No computers, phones or tablets; just you and your stationery.
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Andy Youings
Author