Last year, I started a paper journal to jot small pieces of wisdom down for my daughter. My plan was to give it to her on her 18th birthday. As I started saving away favorite recipes, personal growth tips, special memories and sweet letters I suddenly had a freak out moment. What if something happened to the beautiful notebook, what if it got lost or there was a fire or…
Now, I’m not normally one for getting worked up on the “what if’s” but this journal was quickly becoming all to special. Then, one night, as I was snuggling my 3-year old daughter to sleep I realized…
What if I put it online.
What if I created an online journal specifically for my daughter. I would keep the same idea as the paper journal (a place to pass on my little bits of wisdom to her) but this one would be safe from natural disasters.
I then realized that this blog could actually serve 2 purposes.
- It would soon become an online keepsake that I could give her when she’s older full of tips, tricks, encouragement, recipes, hacks, thoughts and love.
- And any blog revenue/profits (from advertisements, etc) could go straight to her future fund (for college, her wedding, etc.)
What’s even cooler, is when she’s old enough she can start to contribute to this online journal too and who knows how many generations it will be able to pass down to!! (If you have multiple kids like me, creating one online journal is perfect. You can make an occasional post specifically for so-and-so or just make entries that are applicable to both – that’s what I plan to do).
I’ve detailed how I plan to do this below. I challenge you to come along and start a blog for your kids now too!
What to put in the journal…
It’s a simple collection of important things you want to pass down, generation to generation. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s just about getting it up there so that you don’t lost it or forget it. (i.e. tips, tricks, encouragement, grandma’s recipes, hacks, thoughts and love.)
Encourage others in your family to write in this online journal too. Have grandma write an entry or two. Get dad in on it too. Remind him that the posts don’t have to be long (unless he wants them to be) – short paragraphs, bullet points and even posts with only pictures are all great too!
How to save for your kids’ future fund…
Because of the day and age we live in blogs are actually highly profitable, by putting advertisements on your online journal you’ll be able to save money for your kid’s future with minimal extra work!
The theory here is that you’ll be putting valuable pieces of wisdom, advice, tips, etc. up on your new blog. These pieces of advice are ultimately for your kids but why not spread the love and let anyone online see them and glean from them too. (You can make some posts private but the majority can be public to bless the rest of the world at the same time. Make the world a better place for our kids to grow up in so it’s really win-win.)
You don’t have to be an expert for others to gain value from what you share. Likely the people that will start to follow your new online journal will be people who are a few steps behind you in the parenting/life journey themselves.
As the blog income starts to roll in I suggest you set percentages ahead of time on how you are going to distribute the income. Here’s what I suggest…
- 35% set aside for your kid’s future (equally split between kids if you have more than one, set up a separate savings account for each child)
- 30% to create memories now – experiences like vacation, etc. (additionally you might choose to use some of this percent for your family budget like paying off debt so you are a happier parent, dad being able to take a extra days off work, etc.)
- 20% to cover any upcoming blog expenses
- and set aside 15% for taxes
Adjust the percentages so they best fit your goals. I do highly suggest that you get on a consistent schedule to distribute the money as it comes in (such as the 10th and 25th of every month).
Make the new online journal a fun family project. When you do a craft with your kids, write up a quick blog post, that way when your kid’s have kid’s they can do the same craft project with their kids! Write quick posts for each of the family traditions your family celebrates. Etc. Etc.
Enjoy creating an online journal that is both for purpose (passing on wisdom and legacy from generation to generation) and also for profit (saving for your kid’s college, weddings, future house and more).
How to start a forever journal for your kids…
If you’re inspired, I challenge you to take action on it right away! Follow this step-by-step tutorial for starting an online journal for your kids…
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW A ↓
FOR STARTING AN ONLINE JOURNAL
Tip: If you’re stuck on what to name your new online journal, I recommend just using your last name + the word “wisdom” (i.e. smithwisdom.com). Let’s make this an online trend, invite your friends. Click here to start an online journal for your kids today.
Pin It:
Download My Free Family Organizer
Ready to de-stress + spend more time with your kids?
Life gets busy. I hear you. I'm here to show you how to CREATE more time for what matters most. Get a free family organizer as a thank you for joining our newsletter – includes monthly calendars, chore charts, meal planners and more...
Leave a Reply