My Son Keeps a Daily Gratitude Journal — Maybe We All Should
His emotional growth is just as important as his intellectual development
My son is 11 years old. Like most parents, my ex and I both have him do chores around the house. It gives him a work ethic, and it’s a way for him to earn some allowance so he can start learning the value of money and buy his own stuff. But another responsibility I’ve given him alongside his standard chores is to keep a daily gratitude journal. And it’s for a good reason.
My son’s mom and I split up when he was about two years old because of my substance abuse. Our relationship took a lot of work on my end once I was able to get sober a little over seven years ago, but I’m incredibly grateful today because she’s one of my best friends now. We share custody, but our son primarily lives with his mom; that’s where he does most of his homework. She’s done an incredible job making sure our son takes school seriously — he’s only 11, and he’s a straight-A student. I help him where I can with what he’s learning in school, but most of the credit goes to his mom for why he’s kicking butt academically.
Once I got sober and was able to analyze my past, I realized that a lot of my anxiety and depression stemmed from childhood. School never taught me about mental health, and the…
