Laverne Rainford
​
​
​
​
​
How this book came about...
​
Well, I set out to create a journal for my niece (who was in Year 6) as I wanted her to have her very own one-stop-shop reference guide that echoes the information and advice given to her by her parents and her primary school.
I felt it would be an ideal way for her to have access to useful information and advice when she wanted (or needed) it. A source of guidance and information at her fingertips to enable her to address issues on her own and allow her to develop self-reliance and independence. I also wanted to create a safe space to record thoughts, feelings and emotions, be they good or bad.
​
Through my research into journaling, and personal experience, I understand the importance of being able to 'off-load'. It frees the mind of clutter and is definitely a great skill to learn. The benefit of freeing space within the mind to accommodate the abundance of new learning during this new chapter would most definitely be a useful tool.
​
Although I originally created this book for my niece, I was told by friends, many of whom are also parents, it would be useful resource for all children making the transition. I thereafter began some market research and made a conscious decision to make it happen.
​
The book thereafter evolved into an amazing unisex tool for young people.
​
The use of prompts and focused questions helps give the young person a subject to focus on, something blank journals and diaries do not provide. Any level of participation can give the writer (or doodler) a sense of achievement so no matter how much or little is written you can promote positive self-esteem, excellent for the more reluctant writers.
Some blank pages have been incorporated to encourage sharing (off-loading) and general self expression, perfect for those young people who do enjoy putting pen to paper, be it to write songs and poems or to list the names of the people who annoy them to the point of distraction! or maybe list..."what I've always wanted...", "things I want (NEEEEED) for my birthday..." or document the day they laughed till they nearly popped!
​
Why choose a journal?
Journaling provides the opportunity for people to:
​
-
explore and identify emotions
-
provides a safe space to express emotions
-
examine pros and cons in order to make decisions and be more decisive
-
see the positives as well as the negatives in black and white
-
review their thoughts about situations before, during and/or after the situation has passed
-
gain some insight into her own and other people's motives
-
plan difficult conversations ahead of time to instil more confidence
​
Why focus on self-esteem?
​
During my research for the book, it became apparent that a lot of children entering puberty and adolescence, struggle with self esteem. Not only are they just beginning a major new stage of their school life, but their bodies are also making a lot of changes, growth spurts, facial hair for boys, boobs and 'lady week' for girls. All this, along with hormones raging and creating the need to:
-
criticise
-
complain
-
display both passive and active resistance i.e. less haste and more arguments
-
the testing of limits i.e. seeing what can be gotten away with
-
and...on top of all that, scrutiny from peers, greasy hair, and spotty skin!
In short, puberty and adolescence are the enemy of self-esteem.
Self-esteem affects almost every aspect of our lives, from the way we think about ourselves to the way we think about and react to situations. Low self-esteem is a menace and has a lot to answer for.
​
This is why I felt focusing on this subject would be most beneficial to my loved one, and subsequently other young people approaching the same milestone.
It is essential that our young people are taught to believe in themselves and focus on their positives attributes. The stronger a child’s foundation regarding self-esteem and confidence, the better their resilience and ability to cope with the adversities of life, throughout their life.
​
​
