Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Consumer Critique: Feelings Journal



 My family was recently in a pretty major rollover accident, and honestly this Feelings Journal that I got to review arrived at the perfect time. It has provided a space for my younger daughter to explore her emotions, which has been very helpful with her processing the complicated feelings that have come out of the situation.

The layout of the journal makes it easy to use. Each page is similar, which lends some familiarity and rhythm to the journaling. However, the text and illustrations on each page are slightly different, so it's not stale and boring every day. The prompts are open-ended enough that they work no matter what the mood of the day is, but they do help guide thinking and reflection.

For us, it's kind of double-duty. My daughter uses it for some mental health check-in, and it also gets her to write, so she's working on her handwriting. She knows that I check it periodically, so it allows me to help get a pulse on how she's feeling, but even though she knows I'm checking it, she feels more free to write things sometimes than she would talking face to face, especially as she's grappling with challenging feelings. Plus, it allows her to go back and reflect on what she's written previously, so she can start to evaluate if she was making a big deal out of something, or if it really was serious.

If you're looking for a journal, this is a good option for many kids. My daughter liked that it wasn't too feminine, that the illustrations were bold and energetic, and that it gave her a space for writing.

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