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Monday, June 3, 2019

From Me to You - Conversation Journals for You and Your Child (Book Review)

Do you find that much of your day is spent disconnected from your kids?  Are you "friends" on social media, but don't really know them on a deep level anymore?   Well, here's a product that may help with some of that.
From Me to You is a conversational journal (green for your son, purple for your daughter) that allows you and your child to connect through written word, which is sometimes a little easier than one-on-one conversation.

These handy journals are identical on the inside, the only difference is that the cover of the green one says "A Conversation Journal for you and Your Son" and the purple one says "A Conversation Journal for You and Your Daughter."   The insides of both book are the same.

At the beginning of the book is an introduction to the parent (8-9 pages) laying out how to use the book to connect with your children.  You then move into a two page layout, with the parent page on the left and the child page on the right.   The parent page has a question(s) at the top of the page and then the parent has room to write their answer, and the child has their own page.
The first "question" is "My best friends are...and I like them because..." This gives Mom or Dad a place to list out a couple of their friends and what it is about them they like, things that might help your child look for those qualities in their friends.   The child page has more room for writing, I'm assuming to accommodate younger kids with bigger writing or the older child who has a lot more to say (or not).

Some questions are more "deep" than others, and parents can decide how to address these.  For example  "Have you ever been in a situation where you did not feel safe?  What did you do?"   This might be a good lead-in into discussing bullying or even inappropriate behaviors from the opposite sex (or same sex in today's world).

There are also more spiritually directed questions such as "Have you grown spiritually this year?  If so, how?  If not, why?"   Be honest with your answers...your kids will know if you're telling them you've learned to control your temper and you're constantly flying off the handle...ahem.

There is no right or wrong way to use these journals.  You don't have to go in a specific order, or finish in a certain amount of time.  It's a great opportunity to connect with your child and a different level, and leaves you with a keepsake to cherish when they have grown and gone, and it'll be an even sweeter keepsake when they are grown and don't have you with them anymore.

About the authors:

Mark and Susan Merrill are passionate about family and through Family First, All Pro Dad, iMom, the Family Minute daily radio feature, and their other initiatives have been providing resources and speaking on family issues across the country for many years. Their goal is to help parents love, lead and inspire their families well.

Mark Merrill is the founder and president of Family First and its programs: All Pro Dad, iMom, and The Family Minute with Mark Merrill. His MarkMerrill.com blog, the Family Minute Radio Program, and the Family First Podcast deliver marriage and parenting advice to thousands of people every day.  He’s the author of All Pro Dad—Seven Essentials to Be a Hero to Your Kids, Lists to Love By for Busy Wives and Lists to Love By for Busy Husbands, both co-authored with his wife, Susan. He speaks on family issues all across the country, and has appeared on Fox & Friends, Today, CBS, and ABC television stations. 


Susan Merrill is Family First’s Director of Digital Marketing. She co-founded Family First and its programs: All Pro Dad and iMom with her husband, Mark Merrill 27 years ago and is the co-host of the Family First Podcast. She is the author of The Passionate Mom, and the coauthor, with Mark, of two marriage books, Lists to Love By for Busy Wives and Lists to Love By for Busy Husbands. Susan spends her days creating content that will help families love well. She and Mark have five children, two sons-in-law, and two dogs.


Disclaimer:  I received free copies of this book for review purposes only.  I did not receive any other form of compensation, now was I required to give a positive review.  The thoughts expressed in this review are strictly my own.

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