Guided Journaling Helps Record Treasure of Father-Child Memories

Dads can create an invaluable record of their lives with and for their children through a recent series of guided journaling books that will help them share and safekeep their stories and memories.

Record your ‘origin story,’ fathering milestones

100 Questions for Dad: A Journal to Inspire Reflection and Connection, written by former Philadelphia Dads Group co-organizer Jeff Bogle, offers prompts to inspire fathers to open up about their lives, before and after kids. The goal: preserving their story for their children to enjoy for years to come.

The book poses various questions to help dads recall and record memories, milestones and moments. It starts with recording their “origin story” about their own years growing up. Some topics covered include childhood memories or school, first loves, first jobs and early inspirations.

The journal then moves on to fatherhood. Dads are asked to recount memories of early fatherhood, common traits they share with their children, and fatherly advice for the future.

Each prompt asks for, at most, a dozen lines or so of writing. This makes the journaling less intimating to newbie scribes. Quotes about fathers from famous people peppered between prompts offer inspiration.

Remembering life, love with papa

Bogle also composed A Love Journal: 100 Things I Love about Dad. This guided journal is for children to record what it is that makes their father special and memorable to them.

Kids are asked to create “top three” lists about dad, such his quirks, jokes and beliefs. Fill-in-the-blank sentences to complete help them record favorite memories, activities and times they have shared with pop.

This journal would be a great for a spouse or other loved one to work on with younger kids then present to dad as a gift on a special occasion. Tweens can fill it in themselves.

Guided journaling for Girl Dads

Bogle, who has two teenage daughters, didn’t write All About Dad and Me: A Journal for Fathers and Daughters but it doesn’t fall far from the tree.

This new guided journaling title from his publisher, Rockridge Press, focuses on preteen girls (ages 8 to 12) and their fathers. It hopes to create a collaborative effort just between them to share their thoughts about each other and their lives.

Through lighted-hearted questions, the book aims to not only share stories, funny and otherwise, but also open lines of communication. This will help with future discussions about feelings and issues that arise when navigating the often choppy seas of adolescence.

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