A Journal...” (NAPSA)—Keeping a journal or a diary is a childhood ritual many parents remember fondly. Some of us kept a journal for years; others briefly recorded a special vacation or the challenges of the first year at a new school. The Princess Diaries, a book by Meg Cabot, has been madeinto a popular movie that may inspire a new generation of journal writers. And The Diary ofAnne Frank is well known for its insights into the life of one young girl at a significant timein history. Die iii —— Photo Credit: KinderCare Learning Centers “While keeping a journal may improve your child’s spelling and writing skills, there are no rules. It’s hers to use as she pleases to record her memories of special times, to express her thoughts and feelings,” says Barbara Anderson, Ed. D., vice president of education for KinderCare Learning Centers, which operates 1,227 early childhood education and child care centers nationwide. Let your child choose the format. It could be a notebook, a pretty bound bookor even a calendar. Some diaries havelittle locks that children love. They may want to attach keepsakes, photos, drawings or ticket stubs from special outings. It’s important to promise your child privacy. Do not read your child’s journal without her approval. Anderson suggests encouraging your child to start a journal as a New Year’s project or giving her a diary for a birthday gift. “The more she writes, the easier it will be,” says Anderson.
