Trust Journals

The Infamous Night...

One night I could tell something was bothering, Ocean, my nine year-old daughter. When I’d ask her what was wrong, she’d simply say, “nothing.” Finally, when I was putting her to bed, she said, “Mom, there is something bothering me, but I’m too embarrassed to say it.” I sat there for a second looking into her bright blue eyes, extremely curious as to what could be bothering her and asked her if she’d like to write it down. I then proceeded to tell her that no matter what it was, I wouldn’t say a word unless she wanted my input.

She looked relieved and started to write what had happened at school. When I read it, I was thankful, because it was such a minor issue, but to her it was extremely important. Then I offered her my advice and shared a story from my youth.

When I didn’t overreact to her problem, I realized that I gained her trust. That got me to wonder about my teenage years. If I had been able to write down my worries and share them with my mom, would I have shared more of my day to day experiences during my adolescent years, forging an even stronger connection? Ocean and I decided right then and there that from now on, we would share our worries, concerns and dilemmas through a journal. And so, The Trust Journal was born.

The next day I called, Angie, my website designer, who is also a mother with a spirited daughter. I knew that creatively she’d see my vision and help me nail the format and design of the book. I hope that I can continue to gain my daughter’s trust, so when bigger issues come along, she will know that she can come to me. It’s never too early or too late to open the doors of communication with a child. 

Now if only I would have thought of this when my son was younger...