A Tip for Intentional Living {With Children}

When it comes to living with intention, we as parents need to carve out intentional time in our day to have meaningful conversations with our children. I think intentionality is often confused with an intense amount of time, but it doesn’t have to be. I know that I always assumed I wouldn’t have the time to be “one of those intentional parents” that drops everything to give 100% to my kids 100% of the time. As it turns out, being intentional is sometimes simply responding to a situation in the moment and not scripting everything out in advance.

One of the ways I have been intentional in setting aside time for each of my three kids recently is to do our daily family journals. Before I lose you on the concept of daily journaling with children, let me assure you that this can be done in a few short minutes each day and is truly a fun experience for both of us.

ROUTINE MATTERS

We do our journaling one on one, so that each child gets to answer without the distractions of a sibling prodding them on what to say. It has also become a part of our nightly bedtime routine. We get pajamas on, brush teeth, read a book together as a family, and then everyone heads to their own rooms for quiet time in their respective beds. During that time, one of us parents walks into their rooms to say ask the journal “question of the day” and kiss them goodnight. It honestly adds less than 3 minutes total, which usually includes any dialogue or story telling that goes along with the question.