DJC#001 – Dad Journal Club: The Journey to Journal + The Benefits

The Origin Story

My first memories of writing were in elementary school with a pencil and notebook scribbling rhymes when I was supposed to be doing something else. I don’t know if I thought I was going to be some sort of an artist – musician, rapper or poet – but I found I enjoyed expressing myself through written form. The thoughts that came into my head could be translated and transcribed onto paper and then read back to myself.

My first memories of writing were in elementary school with a pencil and notebook

Let’s face it, sometimes the thoughts in our head are difficult to translate. Some of us have the gift to translate our thoughts well verbally, while others prefer written form. I’d be chosen on the writing team if this were a school playground game of some sort. Maybe that’s what led me down this path of journaling – although it’s never been one of consistency or for specific reasons. It’s been one of collecting thoughts and memories along this journey of life so that they don’t go unforgotten, but then that evolved.

About seven years ago, my wife and I found out we were pregnant with our son, and along with the joys and fears that come along with pregnancy, so did the realization that I was going to have this little being one day calling me Dad. I couldn’t tell you where or how I got the idea, but one day at Target, I bought myself a journal and decided I was going to write to my soon-to-be-born son.

The Idea of To + For

The idea was this: write down our experience during pregnancy and birth with memories that our son would never recall, and at some point in time we would likely forget. A journal of memories that could be opened up to any page to see what was going on in his life at a particular date.

But this was not just going to be a journal of our son, it was going to be a journal to our son. This was going to be written to him and about him to record memories and share my thoughts and feelings about parts of his life – a living written document.

This is what I used the journal for sporadically the first three years of his life while mainly including special events, family visits, birthdays and holidays. It was around this time when I embarked on an introspective journey of self-awareness and began to thirst for knowledge more that ever before, and I wanted to share my discoveries on the pages of that journal.

It became apparent that while these memories would be great for my son to reflect back on one day, they were not necessarily giving him anything he could use later in life. Adding life advice and shared knowledge to the equation felt like more of a full-balanced structure.

How I Use It + How It Helps Me Today

This current structure of memories, advice and knowledge transfer is how my journal is designed today, and I find that it has the right mix of it’s original idea plus its evolved ideas. Just like myself, the journal has progressed. I’ve now moved on to the second journal after filling up all the pages in that first one. I slapped some stickers on the front and back covers to give it some character, and points of reference related to our son’s life.

Journaling has helped me express feelings that may have otherwise sat dormant in my mind. It has allowed me to record ideas and knowledge that I may teach our son, but he is too young to understand just yet, or a topic that he won’t encounter for some time. It started out as an idea for a gift to him, but I feel as though it has become a gift for me.

I don’t have many expectations for the day I hand over these journals to our son. I hope he reads them all, and they can help him in a positive way. They can serve as a place where he can keep a part of me when I’m no longer here, and maybe reference the pages when he wonders, What would my Dad say about this?

Calling All Dads

Dads, you can benefit by journaling to your children. It’s a way to express your love and pass on your wisdom to the next generation. It’s a guide, a roadmap and reference book for your children to read and return to as they become older. For some of us, verbally expressing ourselves can be difficult, and journaling can be a way to share those feeling of love instead of just holding them in. It doesn’t take much effort, nor do you have to write much (although you surely can as I do too often!). No matter who you are, there is a journal out there for you.

Dad Journal Club is a two-part community for Dads to share their love and wisdom with their children through journaling while continuing to learn and become a better version of themselves. I want to share what I have learned over the years as a Dad and Step-Dad as well as learn from other Dads on topics like parenting, relationships, physical health, mental health, financial well-being, career transitioning, personal branding, business and any other topics to help other Dads on their journey.

This is a community of Dads helping Dads…but this is also a community open to all. So yes Moms, you are welcome too. As is anyone else who has a child in their life and looking to improve themself. Let’s become better together.

Welcome to the Dad Journal Club.