How Journaling Helps Parents Support Their Child’s Therapy Progress
When your child begins therapy, it can feel like entering unfamiliar territory. You want to do everything you can to support them, but it’s not always obvious where to start. One simple practice that can offer insight, support, and emotional clarity is journaling.
Journaling isn’t just for personal growth or creative writing. For you as a parent, it becomes a powerful way to document what’s happening in everyday life, recognize patterns, and stay connected to your child’s progress. It also provides a place for you to process your own experiences and emotions along the way.
What Makes Journaling So Helpful for Parents?
You are with your child far more than any therapist or professional. That means you notice the small changes, the challenges, and the triumphs that might otherwise go unmentioned. Writing those things down creates a fuller picture of your child’s journey and can help guide better decisions, at home and in therapy.
Here are seven reasons why journaling can be such a powerful tool during your child’s time in therapy:
1. It Helps You Track Your Child’s Therapy Progress Over Time
Without documentation, it’s easy to forget the details. Journaling helps you capture daily or weekly moments so you can better understand how your child is doing over time. When you reflect back, you may notice improvements that didn’t seem obvious at the time, or realize that certain strategies are working better than you thought.
Having this record also helps during therapy check-ins. Rather than relying on memory, you can refer to specific notes about behavior changes, reactions to strategies, or important milestones.
2. It Helps You Spot Emotional and Behavioral Patterns
Sometimes it takes a written record to reveal what’s really going on. For example, you might realize that certain situations always lead to a meltdown, or that specific routines are helping your child stay calm. Noticing these patterns can help you and your child’s therapist understand what’s contributing to certain behaviors and where positive shifts are starting to happen.
When you can connect the dots more clearly, you can start making more informed decisions about how to best support your child at home.
3. It Helps You Focus on the Small Wins in Your Child’s Therapy Journey
When parenting feels hard, it’s easy to lose sight of the good moments. Journaling helps bring those moments back into focus. Maybe your child made a new friend, expressed a feeling out loud, or showed more patience than usual. Writing down these small victories helps you remember the progress that’s happening, even if it’s gradual.
These entries also serve as reminders that therapy is working. And on the harder days, they give you something hopeful to look back on.
4. It Helps You Communicate Better With Your Child’s Therapist
Your child’s therapist only sees a small part of your child’s week. Your journal can fill in the gaps. If you notice something unusual or encouraging, you can bring it up during sessions or share parts of your journal that feel relevant. This keeps communication open and helps the therapist better tailor their support to your child’s real-world experiences.
Even quick notes about behavior, mood, or how your child responded to a certain strategy can be incredibly useful.
5. It Supports Your Emotional Well-Being as a Parent
Caring for a child in therapy often brings up a mix of emotions—stress, guilt, frustration, or even confusion. Journaling offers a healthy outlet to release those feelings, especially when you're not quite ready to share them out loud.
Being a parent of a child in therapy can stir up a lot of emotions. You might feel worried, exhausted, overwhelmed, or unsure. Journaling gives you a private space to sort through those feelings. Writing things down can be calming, especially if you're not ready to talk to someone else about it yet.
Over time, it can also help you reflect on how you're growing as a parent and what support you might need for yourself.
6. It Helps You Reinforce Therapy Strategies at Home
Sometimes, the strategies your child learns in therapy don’t stick unless they’re practiced outside of the session. If you’re journaling regularly, you can keep track of what techniques worked well and which ones need more support. This helps you stay consistent and reinforces the progress your child is making.
It also builds your confidence as a parent. You’ll feel more equipped to handle challenges and apply the tools your child is learning.
7. It Helps You Create a Record of Your Child’s Growth and Progress
Looking back through your journal can be incredibly validating. You’ll be reminded of just how far your child has come and how much progress has quietly built up over time. Maybe a few months ago your child refused to attend group activities, and now they’re participating with ease. Or maybe they used to have trouble expressing emotions, but now they’re using words more regularly.
Having a written record of their growth can be deeply meaningful. It shows that progress is happening, even when things feel stuck.
How to Start Journaling in a Way That Works for You
Journaling doesn’t need to be time-consuming or fancy. This isn’t a school assignment that will be graded or judged. Here are some tips to help you get started in a way that feels doable:
Choose a Method You’ll Stick With
Use whatever format feels easy and natural. A notebook by your bed, a notes app on your phone, or a Google Doc are all great options. Some parents prefer voice memos or even private blogs. The best format is the one you’ll actually use.
Start Small, Keep It Simple
There’s no need to write every day. Try two or three entries per week to start. They don’t need to be long, either. Bullet points, quick reflections, or even one sentence a day can go a long way.
Pay Attention to Daily Details
Include observations like:
What your child did today that stood out
What their mood or energy was like
Any strategies you tried, and how they went
Any questions you want to ask the therapist
Capture Both the Good and the Hard
Don’t be afraid to write about challenges. But also take time to note the wins, no matter how small. Journaling both the positive and the challenges gives you a more complete view of your child’s journey.
Respect Privacy
If you plan to share parts of your journal with your child’s therapist, consider keeping a separate space for your personal reflections. It’s okay to have some entries just for you.
Try Prompts If You’re Not Sure What to Write
Here are a few to get you started:
“One thing that felt different today was…”
“I noticed my child…”
“I handled this well today by…”
“Something I’m wondering about is…”
What If Writing Isn’t Your Thing?
You don’t have to love writing to benefit from journaling. Here are some alternatives:
Record voice notes after drop-off or bedtime
Use a calendar or planner to jot down quick daily notes
Keep a shared log with your co-parent or caregiver
Try a journaling app with prompts and reminders
Even small efforts can build a meaningful record over time.
A Practice That Brings Clarity, Connection, and Confidence
Journaling isn’t about getting it right—it’s about showing up. It helps you stay tuned in to your child’s world, your own emotions, and the growth that’s happening along the way.
You don’t need fancy words or long entries. What matters most is that you’re paying attention. Each entry becomes a small but meaningful act of advocacy, helping you better support your child and yourself.
So whether you write every day or once a week, know this: your words are powerful. They’re helping you become an even stronger advocate and ally for your child.
Want to take the next step? Talk to your child’s therapist about how journaling could support your shared goals. They can guide you on what to observe or track based on the current focus of therapy and the long-term goals you're working toward together.