I also like this DIY idea using postcards, which would be super easy to do with young kids. It’s easy to do and it makes for a very personal journal. Write a little, draw a little, abuse a glue stick a little. We’ve always used plain notebooks, colored pencils, stickers, and glue. I loved the look of the printables at We3Travel because kids can even record their feelings about the day by choosing emojis. Kathy King has some crisp, clean printables on her site. There are also many sites that offer printable pages and covers. You can find travel journals at most bookstores and Etsy has some cute ones that are a little more unique. Susan Pazera recommended this one at Hearthsong. I asked the Mom2.0 community for a couple of recommendations on travel journals for kids. My daughter and I looked through one of hers as I prepared to write this post and she laughed at her drawings and then launched into a lengthy conversation peppered with, “Remember when…” Yeah, I remember. My son, who is about to turn 16, recently ran across his journals and said, “I’m so glad you made me journal on our trips.” He went on to say how much he had forgotten and how fun it was to read a three year old’s take on everything. The journals become a keepsake they’ll appreciate when they’re older.Since we have journals dating back to when our kids were very small, we have plenty to “Awwwwww” and “BWAHAHAHA” at like this gem from my son who wrote, “Today I turnd 7! I spent the hol day at the bech!” Or my daughter’s journal that proves sibling rivalry doesn’t rest on vacation, “We went to Palatine Hill and Miguel was mean about the camera.” Looking at old journals is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming.Grabbing your notebooks and cuddling up in bed with some colored pencils is a nice way to wind down. Quiet time at the end of the day can be a gift. That’s a recipe for exhaustion and bickering. You are together 24/7, usually in a hotel or smaller space than you are all used to, and are flooded with new experiences. It is a good way to wind down after a busy day of sightseeing.They now look back at their journals and excitedly exclaim, “I remember that!” and get to relive the joy. My kids still remember getting “bolinhas” (pastries) on the beach in Portugal when they were very little and I know part of that is because they wrote about it. onto the day’s pages to bring extra life to the experience. We also typically paste ticket stubs, passes, etc. Once in real time, once when they write it down, and once when they read it again. In a way, they can live the experience three times. Journaling reinforces the experience and strengthens their memories.Sometimes seeing the details through their eyes actually helped us shape the next day’s activities. The important part is that everyone did something that made them happy. So what if your kid remembers the flavor of gelato she got in Rome and only remembers a stone bowl in Pompeii because it reminds her of ice cream. We all enjoy travel differently and it’s good to remember that. My daughter specified everything she had on her ice cream (pineapple, gummy bears and mango on salted caramel frozen yogurt) but was like, “We went to Pompeii.” Sure, I remember being annoyed that she was not fully appreciative of the sights we saw but I also know I spent a page of my own journal talking about an incredible cup of coffee I had one morning. By asking kids to reflect on their day, you discover what was most enjoyable or important to them.So, why should you bother when it would be easier if you just let them watch Minecraft videos while you read a book? Here are five reasons: But we did it and now that my kids are older, I’m so glad we did. They didn’t always want to do it and it was one more thing in a long list of parenting things, which wasn’t always appealing to me either. When they were young, I asked them draw a picture and describe their days to me and I recorded their observations. I still keep a travel journal but they are not as detailed now, in part because I help my kids journal. My travel journals were a thorough collection of what we did, what we saw, what we ate, and conversations we had. For example, I would have forgotten that I got tired of visiting churches (“I was tired of being reverent and wanted to leave.”) and that I used to be young and carefree (“I’m kinda tired since we’ve been up until 3 a.m. People are generally good about remembering the big moments of trips but keeping a travel journal helps you remember details you might have forgotten otherwise. I started my first travel journal when I went to Portugal for the first time, and it has since become a regular practice.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |