Review: Journals for Kids to Inspire a Positive Attitude

This post contains affiliate links.

As my older son is now learning to read and write, I have been looking for ways to incorporate these new skills into our daily character development activities.  I remember as a child having several journals, and I really enjoyed writing, drawing, and looking over past entries.  So I was very excited when I ran across the beautiful journals by Elaheh Bos, the inspiring artist and author behind Plant Love Grow.

Elaheh has created several journals for children, including:

• Bloom: My first affirmation journal
• I am grateful for – Inspired gratitude journal
• Pass it on: Service Journal

I love how she describes them: “These journals are a great way to create and sustain new habits. By having them close to us and by choosing to write in them on a regular basis, we invite gratitude, happiness and beauty in our lives.”

I decided to use one journal at a time with my boys, so we have started filling in one page of the affirmation journal each morning after breakfast.  It is a nice way to start the day with a bit of positive, creative expression before we become busy with the rest of our schedule.

Even my younger son (who just turned three a few months ago) comes up with some lovely affirmations (example: “I am very, very kind”), and my oldest is enjoying decorating the page with detailed picture scenarios (example: monsters having a tea party and one sharing his chocolate cookie to explain “I am generous”).  I am looking forward to seeing how daily journaling is going to expand the character education opportunities in our home.

I invited Elaheh to share more about her work with us today.

The Interview

Chelsea: Can you tell us about your mission? What do you hope to share through your products?

Elaheh: My mission is to help kids bloom. I see blooming as being your best self under any circumstance. What I hope to share through these products is a sense of self-care, an understanding that we all have the resources within ourselves to be who we are meant to be. The tools that I offer are igniters of change, they offer structure, direction, inspiration and motivation to encourage personal awareness and growth.

Chelsea: I love the journals. Is there a story behind why you made them?

Elaheh: Most of my journals stem from my own realization of the transformative power of words. The hope is to help kids learn and incorporate these habits of reflection and train them to intentionally focus on something better. With the inspired gratitude journal, I wanted to stimulate and elevate conversations around the words that surrounds us. The affirmation journal came from my own realization of the power of affirmations as a tool to refocus negative emotions and thoughts. The service journal is a way to get children to understand that we can all affect and influence each other through our actions.

Chelsea: What feedback have you had about them?

Elaheh: The best feedback I get is from seeing my daughter’s own journal on the side of their beds. They are the reason I create these tools and while we may not use them on a daily basis, they have been incorporated into our life habits. Some people tell me they use them when their kids complain as a way of getting their kids to reflect. I find it nicer to incorporate them with our bedtime routine, as a way of redirecting our hope of tomorrow towards something positive.

Chelsea: What do you think people get out of using them?

Elaheh: Journals are like most things in life, you only get as much as you put in. My hope is that people understand that habits take time to develop. These habits of shifting our mind and heart settings get created word by word, line by line, page by page. My hope is that people get these moments of inner silence, reflection, hope and joy by using them.

Chelsea: I know you offer a lot more than journals for kids. Can you share a bit more about your other offerings?

Elaheh: I offer story books that help children deal with certain inner challenges, such as anger, anxiety, self-esteem or many other issues that hinder us from being our true selves. I believe we are as strong as the thoughts in our heads and the feelings in our hearts. When we understand that we can guide our inner world, we can get past what stops us and flourish. These tools become strategies for success. My hope is to constantly offer more products that can help parents, teachers and health professionals with their guiding and nurturing of children.

For more information, free downloads, and to join the mailing list visit www.plantlovegrow.com

Question for readers:

Do your children have journals?  Do you think journals like these could help them to focus on positive thinking and behaviour?

I received a copy of Elaheh’s books to review for this post.  This post also contains Amazon affiliate links.  To read more about advertising on my website, visit this page.