The new year seems to be a blank page full of hope and promise and resolutions that wane far more quickly than we
would;hope.;But;this;blank;page;yearns
to;be;filled;with;your;thoughts;and;the
thoughts;of;your;amazing;offspring,;so
it;is;the;perfect;time;to;explore;journal-ing;as;a;writing;activity;that;may;bloom
into;a;lifetime;habit.;The;terms;“journal”
and;“diary,”;by;the;way,;are;used;rather
interchangeably;in;this;context.;Howev-er,;since;our;modern;connotation;of;the
term;“diary”;skews;to;the;feminine;and
frivolous,;we;will;use;journaling;as;a;pri-mary;term.
As;a;homeschool;mom,;journaling;can
help you retain precious memories by
tracking;events,;emotions,;and;happen-ings;as;your;children;grow—which;they
do;far;more;quickly;than;you;realize.;As
a;homeschooling;teen,;journaling;allows
you;to;explore;your;life;and;ideas;in;the
most;personal;way;possible;and;to;devel-op;great;writing;skills;in;the;process.;As
a;homeschooling;child,;journaling;gives
you;the;chance;to;become;a;junior;histo-rian;of;an;amazing;life—your;own.
Actually, journals and diaries have
contributed;greatly;to;what;we;do;know
of;the;past.;Consider;Samuel;Pepys,;who
wrote;his;personal;diaries;in;shorthand
because of their private nature. These
well-preserved diaries were never intended for publication, but when they
were;published,;they;opened;a;window
into life in London in the 1600s dur-ing;the;time;of;the;Great;Plague;and;the
Great;Fire.;Consider;the;famous;diaries
of Anne Frank, the brave Jewish teen
who recorded her activities, thoughts,
and;emotions;as;she;and;her;family;hid
from;the;Nazis;during;World;War;II.;Her
death;in;a;German;camp;makes;her;de-tailed;descriptions;of;daily;life;in;hiding
and;her;youthful;dreams,;in;spite;of;the
dire;circumstances,;seem;even;more;poi-gnant.;Of;course,;many;historic;leaders,
such;as;kings;and;American;presidents,
have;kept;journals;that;have;aided;in;the
reconstruction;of;historical;events.;But;it
is;the;journals;of;the;everyday;man,;such
as;Pepys;and;Frank,;which;add;color;to
the;outlines;of;official;records.
Even;if;your;journals;do;not;become
great literary or historical documents,
they;do;serve;to;provide;a;history;of;your
own;life;and;family.;In;future;days,;these
records;may;become;valuable,;not;only
for;the;sentimental;memories,;but;also;as
an;accurate;guide;to;events;in;days;when
recollections;become;dusty;or;warped.
For;the;fact;is,;we;all;are;changing,;and
journals;give;us;a;glimpse;of;the;person
we;once;were.;Therefore,;journaling;al-
lows;you;to;record;your;own;personal
and;family;history;in;a;way;that;will;be-
come;more;treasured;as;the;years;pass.
However, most journals and diaries
are,;by;their;very;nature,;personal.;Jour-nals;are;a;great;way;for;teens,;especially,
to;explore;their;own;emotions;and;ideas
in;a;way;that;forces;them;to;add;clarity
to;the;mix.;Dr.;James;Oshinsky,;a;well-known;psychologist;and;developer;of;the
Discovery;Journal;for;teens,;wrote;that
the;journal;allows;for;an,;“inner;transfor-mation;free;from;outside;scrutiny.” 1;He
theorizes;that;permitting;teens;to;explore
their;thoughts;privately,;without;the;fear
of;adult;interference,;allows;them;to;de-velop;as;a;unique;individual.
Oshinsky’s advice is written from a
purely;secular;point;of;view.;One;way;to
The
Inspired
Homeschooler
Amelia Harper
Journal
Writing
for;the;Homeschool;Family
Journaling;allows;you;to;record;your;own;personal;and;family
history;in;a;way;that;will;become;more;treasured;as;the;years;pass.
