The end of the school year and its trusty companion: chaos!
The yearly school craziness usually peaks towards mid-May, but this year it feels like the tide is getting higher and the chaos waves are reaching us sooner! Auction events, school plays, chaperone this, field trip that, and don’t forget the graduation decorations! During that time, it feels like we’re on auto-pilot, merely reacting to what’s being thrown our way and responding to what we are needed for.
“INVENTION IS THE MOTHER OF NECESSITY”
This level of “busy-ness” affected me for the first time in the spring of 2023. The end of that school year was out of control, the kids were wired at the end of each day and were taking a while to settle down in the evenings… and getting any quality time with them was a fantasy.
Sure, I’m all for “embracing the chaos” and that life has phases and ebb and flow… But barely connecting with my kids, even for a couple of weeks, was not something I was willing to embrace or accept. So I got to work.
I needed to find a fun/structured way to interrupt the day a few times to just connect, talk, pause. In the middle of the mayhem.
That’s when I created the Daily Connection Journal.
The original Journal I made just for me and the girls for the summer of 2023.
The first Daily Connection Journal made available for you (School year edition).
The journal started as a personal project for me and my girls; I called it “Daily family connection” and had just 2 copies printed, one for each of my girls. What makes this journal different and efficient, is that it gave us the structure to pause during the day for a just a few minutes for a quick check-in. 60 days, 3 connections a day, 1 daily affirmation, and thoughtful prompts.
AND IT WAS MAGIC.
Going through that journal with my kids made me understand on a deeper level what was going on in their minds at the end of the school year. Some of their entries were really insightful and gave us precious conversations, others were funny and witty, and it was just priceless to witness how they respond to more mindful questions in their own ways. That original journal was really so great for us that summer, and it quickly became a favorite ritual. My girls absolutely loved it and we all looked forward to our precious connections.
Psychologists agree that children seek and crave connection with their parent(s), even if they act too cool for it. This connection and healthy relationship with a parent is what helps them thrive; knowing someone has their back and is there for them unconditionally.
When we reached the last part of the summer journal (and the summer), the girls asked me if I will print new journals for them after they were done. So I decided to create new ones that are more relevant for the school year, to keep our ritual and connection going, and those were the debut of the Daily Connection Journal that is available to you now. I then updated and improved the Summer edition as well, and created a third edition that’s an all-time one. (All of them are all-time, really, if you want them to be :)
Two years later, my girls and I are still doing the connections, and I’ve received amazing feedback and stories from other families. We now do them consistently for a while, and occasionally other times. However, as per my recommendation, we don’t skip any of the connections. Most of the days have unique prompts that are not repeated in other days, and all the prompts are thoughtful and produce fun and interesting responses and conversations.
There’s more to these journals than the meaningful connections and prompts. Check out the Journals page to read about the amazing affirmations for each day, and about the cover art that is more than just art.
The Daily Connection Journal has transformed our days, and my hope is that it will do the same to yours.
“ I’m a middle-school teacher and purchased your journal for the school year from the Edmonds Market. It took us a some time to get started but I’ve been doing this for about a month with my 12-year-old boy who was reluctant at first, with a little push, I can tell he is liking it. Most importantly, I wanted to let you know that it added this “softness” to our relationship. I don’t know how else to describe it: It’s like he has renewed confirmation that I’ve got his back. Our relationship was already good but this added ease has been wonderful and I know it’s the work on the journal. We both enjoy our “connections.” Thank you for your work and I hope to see you again soon.”
- Megan T.
