Inside those blank pages, I poured out my heart and soul... my deepest secrets (which, I'm sure you can imagine, were scorching, seeing as how they belonged to a not-yet-teen girl). What boys had the cutest dimples, what girls were already wearing bras (why, oh why couldn't I have one yet?) and what my parents had recently done to ruin my life. I would have died of embarrassment if I thought anyone ever read those books.
Those journals were precious to me, and they still are. Every now and then, I love to flip back through time and take a glimpse into the mind of the 11-year-old me.
If you have a tweenage daughter, do her a favor and buy her a journal. It doesn't have to be anything fancy — the plain books are the best, because she can personalize it and make it her own. Start by printing out these stickers, filled with quotes made to inspire young minds, and help her decorate the cover. She can glue them into her journal or if you're feeling crafty you can print them onto sticker paper. Then, hand her a pen, and back away. Remember, Mom: that journal is personal. Hands off!
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