The Big Life Journal and all the products that this company produce have been invaluable in our homeschool. They teach my children how to be confident, how to be resilient and persistent and raise their self esteem.
Before we get into more about The Big Life Journal we need to understand what a growth mindset is. The journal and it’s related products are all based around this concept.
Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset
A fixed mindset can be described as a mindset that is immovable. It is the belief that your abilities and your intelligence is what it is no matter what you do.
Some examples of a fixed mindset in a child are feeling like they are just bad at math and not wanting to put in any effort because they feel it is a waste of time if they are just bad at it. Or not wanting to attempt activities like a different sport because they have a fear of failure. Children with a fixed mindset mindset often will use negative self talk such as “I can’t, I’m terrible, I will never get it, I’m not good at that”
Children with a fixed mindset will quite often try to find someone else or something else to blame for where they fall short or when things go wrong.
A growth mindset on the other hand is the belief that with effort, perseverance and dedication that you can in fact be good at whatever you put your mind to. It is the understanding that abilities, talents and knowledge can be developed and not just something that you are born with. You do not just simply have to be born with a natural talent to be good at something.
Examples of children with a growth mindset are that they can see the bigger picture instead of only the here and now. They will use phrases like “I can’t do it YET, I am still learning, I am learning from my mistakes”
A child with a growth mindset will look to themselves when things go wrong or they are disappointed. Not to blame themselves but to see where they went wrong and how they could remedy the situation the next time. They use failures as stepping stones to growth rather than stumbling blocks.
Why is it Important to Develop a Growth Mindset?
Growth mindset helps prepare children to face the realities of life with a mature and positive attitude. It is an excellent way to grow their self esteem and confidence in themselves and their abilities. A growth mindset encourages children to reach beyond themselves and dream big rather than to settle for less than what they can truely accomplish.
Teaching a growth mindset early on opens up a whole new world to children. They are not limited by only what they feel they are good at. The world is their oyster.
The Big Life Journal
The Big Life Journal comes in two editions. The first is for children from about seven years old. The second is a teens edition perfect for ages 11+. There are also lots of adults who are really enjoying this too.
The children’s edition is a guided journal that is 26 weeks long. You could also spread it out longer if you wished. Each week a new topic is introduced that helps your child develop a growth mindset. Some of the topics covered include, being grateful, believe in yourself, take action and failure is learning.
These guided journals are done together with a journal buddy who is usually a parent. It is a fantastic bonding experience and will be etched in your minds for a life time. The journals are a wonderful keepsake that they will look back on in their adult years with much fondness I am sure
The Teens edition is another guided journal but this time aims at helping teens really dig deep to discover who they truely are and what they are capable of. It helps them to become and individual hen they are constantly surrounded by people and society telling them who to be and what to believe. They learn confidence and grace as they discover that one person really can make a difference.
But wait there’s more…
The journals are definitely the star of the Big Life Journal company but they offer so much more. We have used their printables every week in our homeschool. They even have printable lesson plans especially for homeschoolers! Can you believe that.
I have purchased their printable packs for our family which come with so many wonderful activities and challenges. We have recently completed the 7 Day Gratitude Challenge, because I was noticing a steady decline in my children’s abilities to be thankful for all that they have. They were constantly wishing they had more or thinking that they were hard done by and quick to forget the wonderful things they have and opportunities they have been given. My 7 year old was complaining that “we never go anywhere fun” only a week after returning from a two week vacation in Bali!
The turn around since that challenge has been spectacular. I have seen such a difference in their attitude and willingness to show appreciation not only to us as parents but to others for even the smallest things. My daughter now is often admonishing my bad attitude at times!
If you sign up to their email list they will send you FREE homeschool resources every week! It is fantastic. What homeschooler doesn’t love free stuff?!
How to Incorporate The Big Life Journal into Your Homeschool
I have used Big Life Journal resources in our homeschool for a while now and in different ways. We use the printables as a part of our morning basket routine. This is an easy and consistent way that I make sure I have the time to implement what I feel is a vital part of our children’s education.
For the actual journalling I save that for when I can have some quiet time alone with each of the children. This is usually reserved for Friday afternoons. Since we do a four day work week Friday is our take it easy day where we get to do activities like this. I also think it is a nice way to end our school week on a happy note.
There are also some fantastic posters that you can purchase that are ideal for displaying in your school area or in your children’s rooms. My daughter Lili who is the ultimate perfectionist has coloured some colouring pages, laminated them and put them up on the wall next to her bed so she can memorise the quotes and positive affirmations before she goes to sleep each night.
The way that I choose what to work on with my children is to observe where they are struggling then go looking through all my printables to find one that corresponds with it. When Auron my eldest child was struggling with his confidence I found a brilliant 5 Day Self Love Challenge which actually did together. It is a great way to get an insight into how your child is feeling and it is beneficial for them to be able to express their emotions in a healthy way.
What Age Should I Start Using the Big Life Journal?
For the actual journals I would recommend starting at age seven. You can definitely do the journal multiple times over the years. I think it would be very beneficial for children to do it every couple of years. As they grow and mature their ideas will also. You will get a very different emotions and results from a 7 year old compared to an 11 year old.
When it comes to the printables my three year old loves them. You can begin using them at a much younger age. There are quite a few games that include movement and exercise which are always a great way to get your littlest ones involved.
In my humble opinion you are never too young to learn to have a growth mindset.
These resources have blessed our family and my children beyond measure and I can not recommend them enough. I have seen my children grow and mature in leaps and bounds. I have come to know and understand my children more as they have opened up to me while we have worked together. I have seen their attitude towards their school work improve and there are no more tears when they are presented with challenging material. I know these resources are helping to prepare them to be some incredible adults who will continue to change this world for the better.
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