9 best journals for parents

A collage of the best journals for parents

(Image credit: Future)

published 6 April 2024

The best journals for parents can help navigate the ups and downs of family life - from recording special memories to working through difficult emotions when things get tough.

Finding time for yourself as a parent isn't easy, and even the simplest self-care ideas can seem impossible when you've got night feeds, the school run or cooking for a family of four to think about. But self-care is essential for mums and dads - spending a little time looking after yourself can be a great tool for managing stress, avoiding burnout and helping you stay on your parenting A-game.

Journaling is one way parents can build a little me-time into their day, and it doesn't have to take more than five minutes. Dr Charlotte Armitage, psychologist, psychotherapist and founder of No Phones at Home, which encourages families to put their phones away and focus on connecting instead, explains, "Writing our thoughts out on paper can help us to organise them and can also be incredibly cathartic... It involves reflecting on our feelings, working out how to structure these thoughts and behaviours into cohesive sentences, and then using our complex neural connections to enable us to write these down. All of this helps us to make sense of our thoughts and feelings and journaling is an effective way of processing our emotions in a healthy manner."

And besides this, when you're a parent there are so many moments you'll want to document - first words, first steps and first days of school - and if you write them all down, one day you can look back on them too. Plus, when your children get a little older, you can introduce them to the best gratitude journals for kids, and practice mindfulness together.

9 best gratitude journals, positivity planner and 5-minute diaries for parents

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HappySelf The Journal

Best for journaling as a family

HappySelf has a number of journals to choose from - including a First Journal for 3-5 year olds and a Teen Journal too. This option for adults contains three months' worth of daily journaling pages for parents to record their thoughts and feelings, structured to aid a daily journaling habit and flexible to your unique schedule and needs.

We love this option because it's designed for both individual and family use, so those with older children can experience journaling alongside their kids and strengthening family bonds through shared moments.

It includes a quote of the day, space to write about what you're grateful for, an emoji of the day to reflect how you're feeling, checklists and questions to support positive habits and space for free journaling too.

The Five Minute Journal

Best for busy parents

Any parent will know that sparing time for self-care is a big ask on busy family days, which is why we love this journal that promises to take up just five minutes a day. Specially crafted for positive manifestation and improved confidence, this stylish option will allow you to start your day with appreciation and end it with deep reflection.

This one has six months' worth of pages, filled with weekly challenges, gratitude, daily highlights, inspirational quotes, daily affirmations, and self-reflection.

Plus, each personal journal is made using recyclable, sustainably sourced paper with a natural linen fabric cover, and they come in a range of colours to suit your personal style.

Tell Me Your Life Story, Mum

Best for gifting

This simple guided journal helps mothers record their life story with over 200 thought-provoking questions and prompts, organised into chapters based on each stage of life. It helps mum record memories, experiences, treasured moments and reflections and, once completed, this gift will become a precious and personal keepsake that can be passed down to children and treasured for future generations.

As well as quick questions, there's plenty of space for recording details and providing longer answers - preserving precious memories. Whether you're gifting to an expectant parent or gifting for Mother's Day, this is bound to be a treasured possession for any mum.

Mum’s One Line a Day

Best for recording memories

Created specifically with parents in mind, this journal aims to capture the everyday moments of motherhood with a quick and easy to maintain five-year baby journal and memory book.

Daily diary pages allow for an entry for five successive years, making it a great replacement for the much harder to maintain baby scrapbook. Looking back it will provide a lasting snapshot of your thoughts, memories, and baby's growth and progress on each of the 365 days of your baby's year.

The Positive Planner Journal

Best for mindfulness

This 12-week journal is created to encourage you to make journaling and mindfulness an everyday practice. You’ll find sections dedicated to daily intentions and reflections, a mood checker, as well as loads of useful tools designed to enhance positivity and manage your wellbeing.

It also features everyday organisational extras such as meal planners, shopping lists and monthly diary spreads - perfect for busy parents.

Papier Gratitude Journal

Best for bad parenting days

Papier is well known for their collection of beautiful and colourful diaries and journals. This gratitude journal contains five months' worth of entries to fill at your own pace, with morning and evening prompts to use when you need a mindful moment. Each 30 days there's space to record thoughts and feelings from the past month.

Affirmations and inspiring mottos shine a light on the positives, while activities help you find gratitude on good days and bad - because we all know what a rollercoaster parenting is.

The New Mum's Notebook

Best for empowerment

What mums want most of all (apart from sleep) is someone to tell them what they’re feeling is ‘normal’, that they’re doing ok and that they will be ok. That's exactly what this book does, written by mum of three and creator of the Surviving Motherhood blog Amy Ransom.

Divided into the first 12 months of motherhood, this book has 304 pages of reassurance, love and humour, as well as space to scribble thoughts, feelings and memories from those crazy early hours.

Q&A a Day for Moms

Best 5-year journal

This journal contains space for five years worth of memories, meaning it can capture countless milestones, simple joys, unexpected challenges, and all the little surprising moments in between.

Every page has a question at the top and space for five different answers below, so it takes just a moment to fill in and will become a loving record and cherished family keepsake as the journal fills with memories about your children and family life.

My Quotable Kid

Best for recording funny moments

Kids say all sorts of sweet and funny things, and some of what they come out with offers an unexpected glimpse into a world that is all their own. Filled with roomy pages for jotting down conversations or overheard sayings, this handsome keepsake journal also features a bound-in photo window for adding a unique, personal touch.

There's over 140 pages to fill with your child's remarks, as well as space to record who, when, age, and where - creating cherished memories as your children grown.

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Ellie is GoodtoKnow’s Family News Editor and covers all the latest trends in the parenting world - from relationship advice and baby names to wellbeing and self-care ideas for busy mums. Ellie is also an NCTJ-qualified journalist and has a distinction in MA Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and a first-class degree in Journalism from Cardiff University. Previously, Ellie has worked with BBC Good Food, The Big Issue, and the Nottingham Post, as well as freelancing as an arts and entertainment writer alongside her studies. When she’s not got her nose in a book, you’ll probably find Ellie jogging around her local park, indulging in an insta-worthy restaurant, or watching Netflix’s newest true crime documentary.