From the Classroom to the Home:Journaling as a Reflective Tool for Parenting
Journaling has always been an important part of my life. As an only child, my journal was my best friend and even with an actual best friend, we spent our time together in silence writing. Sometimes we shared our writing, sometimes we didn't. When I became a teacher, I learned about keeping anecdotal records. These are the notes we take as we observe children. It can be used to document a wide-range of behaviors and learning styles. When a teacher is concerned about a particular child or a child starts exhibiting a change in behavior, the teacher must become the researcher and document the behavior, triggers( including the date and time) as well as strategies for addressing the behavior and whether or not it was effective. We would then discuss this with colleagues, parents or the special services team for feedback.
In the same manner that we journal as a form of self-care or therapy, documenting/journaling can help with navigating children’s behaviors or developmental milestones in the home. For example, Your child has begun displaying a new and troublesome behavior such as aggression toward their adult or other children. Consider the following steps for incorporating journaling as a parenting tool.
Take immediate corrective action: The first course of action is always to keep them safe and implement appropriate corrective measures like redirection or removal from the environment followed by a conversation as to why the aggressive behavior is taking place and why it should stop.
Just the facts: The next step is to document the behavior. Be sure to note the date and time (time of day can affect irritability levels in children). You want to describe the facts as they occurred without any bias (here is where you become the objective researcher).
Your reaction: Without any judgement, document how you responded (corrective action) and whether or not you think the strategy was effective.
Reflection: Review the facts and your reaction and start ruling things out. Think about the events leading up to the challenging behavior? Was your child hungry? Did they not feel well? How did they sleep? Was there a change to the schedule? How is the energy with the adults in the home? Remember that children can pick up any anxiety and tension coming from the adults closest to them. Additionally, if your child is neurodivergent, it is important to take this into consideration as they are very sensitive to certain stimuli.
Next Steps: What changes can be made in order to minimize the behavior and help your child navigate their emotions? Can any changes be made to the events leading up to the behavior? Perhaps, the consequences need to be revisited. The change comes from both, by no means does this place full responsibility on the parent. Note: If this is an ongoing behavior that you feel warrants the help of a professional, use this information to seek help. The clearer you can define the problem, the better a professional can assist you.
Implementation: Try out your next steps and document their effectiveness or lack thereof.
This is an ongoing process that empowers the parent and can reduce stress since journaling can also be outlet. Additionally, it serves as documentation for your medical visits in the event that you are concerned about severe behavior or developmental delays.
