Why Every Parent Needs a 5-Year Journal

As a family photographer in Las Vegas, my favourite way to document memories for my clients and for my own family is through photos. Okay, that's obvious, right?!! Lol. The thing is though, not everything worth remembering gets turned into a photo or video, so what's an easy and quick way to document family and even personal memories daily? I've discovered that for me, the answer is a 5-Year Journal, and I think it can work for you, too!

What is a 5-Year journal?

It is a small bound book with one page for each date of the year. On each of those pages are 5 lined sections, each designated for one year. Each day, you turn the page to today's date, add in the current year (and day of the week if it's an option), and write whatever you want to remember from today. You can consider what future you might want to read about next year and the next. Think of it from your perspective as yourself and as a parent.

There are all sorts of covers, so plenty to choose from to suit your personal taste. Most, if not all, will include a ribbon to use as a bookmark. You can start the book any year and any day, though January 1st might be preferable. I started mine on February 1st.

Minimal effort, but maximum reward

I think 5-year journals are the perfect solution for easy, daily documentation because they require very little time or effort. 5-10 minutes tops, and full sentences are not required!

The beauty of this format is that it allows you to document today's memories while also reliving your memories from the exact same date in previous years. That way, you can reflect on how much or how little things have changed in your life and family from year to year. For example, you can look at how your kids' interests, hobbies, and activities have evolved over the years. This unique feature also provides a fantastic tool for self-reflection. If you write about your own goals, progress, and achievements, you can see exactly how much you've changed and grown over time. In turn, you get to know yourself a little better.

The limited space for each date is another huge plus, in my opinion, as it takes the pressure off of writing a long entry. This constraint ensures that only the most important or special memories are included, making the daily habit simple to maintain.

What can you write in these journals?

Things you can write about:

• outings

• adventures with your family

• date nights

• special things that happened

• personal or work achievements for you and/or your partner

• a funny thing your kid did or said

• your child reaching a milestone or goal

• something you did with your kid(s) today

• vacation memories

• holiday memories

• goals and dreams

• progress

• thoughts and feelings

• realizations

• people you meet or conversations you had

• your current show/book/podcast/album

• something you learned

• a project or hobby you or your kids are working on

• an amazing meal out with your family

It's entirely up to you!

If you get stuck, you can always add something significant from your kid's or partner's day. For me, my 5-year journal provides a quick way to do a little bit of documenting every day. The bonus? It's in a physical and tangible format, which I think we all need more of in this digital world!

What if I forget a day?

Like with any new habit, journaling daily takes time to get established, and it can be sooo easy to forget. To help you remember to write in your journal each day, I strongly suggest setting and keeping a daily alarm to remind you. Set it for a time that you consistently have 5-10 minutes free each day (e.g. after the kids are in bed). My other suggestion is to keep your journal in a spot where you'll always see it when your alarm rings (e.g. on top of your bedside table).

What if you forget anyway? Oh, well! It's no big deal. Really. Just write your missed entry as soon as you remember and have time. Otherwise, double up if you need to. You can use your photos or calendar to jog your memory. Don't let missing a day or even three deter you.

Remember to bring your journal with you on trips and vacations, and make sure to pack it in your carry-on, rather than your checked bag! If you choose not to or forget, you can write your entries in your phone and transfer them over when you return.

Is it really worth it?

Now, part of you might think, should you or will you care about what you or your family did on a random date in October three years ago? The immediate answer might be no, but then I remember YOLO - you only live once. Each day comes and then goes... There's no going back or redoing any of the days. Therefore, I think how we spend it matters, even if it is just a day at home.

Here are 5 things that I enjoy about my 5-year journal four years later!

1. I enjoy reading the previous years' entries every single day. It's cool to see what our family was doing on a random date a year or two ago, and it's even more fun when the date is significant, like a birthday or wedding anniversary. Sometimes a previous year's entry might be something similar because of the time of year (e.g. first day of school), and other times it's something totally different (e.g. a vacation).

2. It's interesting and rewarding to read about old problems or challenges, and to recognize that I've overcome them. (Woohoo!!) Sometimes, though, I might read about something that is still an issue, and this will hopefully give me a nudge to finally work it out. Hint, hint, Jenn!

3. Reading previous entries often provides the opportunity to relive past little joys and special days. This prolongs the enjoyment of those moments, and the more reminiscing there is over the years, the ROI or return on investment of those moments increases (i.e. all the effort, time and/or money to make those moments happen). Imagine the joy of rereading your entries from a family vacation you took, reliving all the daily adventures, special activities, and yummy meals! With a 5-year journal, you get to re-experience it at least once a year!

4. There's some pride and relief knowing that all of the written memories will not be forgotten.

   Without my 5-year journal, there are so many little moments that I would 100% forget probably forever. One thing to keep in mind for yourself is this question: if you don't document the memory, who will?

5. Finally, with over three years down, I'm motivated to keep documenting! After the first couple of months, the habit is ingrained, and each entry is super easy to write.

So, did I convince you to pick up or order your very first 5-year journal? Let me know if you try it, or what your experience has been if you already have one! Feel free to ask me any questions! :)

If you haven't booked your Fall family photoshoot in Las Vegas yet, check out my homepage here to take a look at my portfolio and get started! Dates are quickly running out, and I don't want you to miss out on getting photos this year! I can't wait to hear from you about documenting your special memories!

Cover Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash