{"title":"The Trust Journal","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Created The Trust Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstyle\u003e   .shopify-section-group-header-group,\n  #shopify-section-header,\n  .header-wrapper {\n    display: none !important;\n  }\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eAs a parent, I knew how strong-willed my daughter, Ocean, was. Out in the world, she was this happy, smiley little blonde. But when she came home, I could tell she was carrying little things she didn't know how to say out loud. She was proud. She wanted to handle things on her own.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eI understood that because I was the same way.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eGrowing up, my mom reacted to everything. Every little thing felt like a big thing because she wanted to fix it. So instead of talking, I learned to hold everything in. I carried things that no child should ever have to carry. By the age of nine, I had already been on Oprah twice.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eI knew there had to be a better way.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eI never wanted my daughter to feel like she had to carry life's hard moments alone. More than anything, I wanted to build trust while the problems were still small, so when life eventually got bigger, the trust was already there.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eThat's why the Trust Journal was created.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eIt actually sat on her bookshelf for a long time before she ever wrote in it.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eI'll never forget seeing that she had put the Trust Journal on the foot of her bed for the first time. My first thought was, Dear God... what did I sign up for? It was a zinger. Every instinct in me wanted to react, ask questions, or fix it.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBut I didn't.\u003cbr\u003eInstead, I watched the weight lift off her shoulders.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eSomehow, the journal became her little \"get out of jail free card.\" It definitely wasn't the original intention, but these were the problems of a ten-year-old, and she knew she had a safe place to tell me the truth without fear of my reaction.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eSo I never reacted.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eOver time, something amazing happened.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eWithin about a year, she stopped writing in the journal because she no longer needed it. We had built enough trust that we could simply talk.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eThat was always the goal.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eIt wasn't always easy. There were moments when I wanted to jump in and fix everything. But I had signed up for this. I never wanted her to look somewhere else when what she really needed was her mom.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eFourteen years later, Ocean has graduated from college. I'm sure there are still things I don't know, but for the most part, we still live by the unspoken rules of the Trust Journal. These days, I sometimes have to beg her to stop talking... LOL.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eThankfully, the trust is still there.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eI'm so grateful she was brave enough to write in that journal for the very first time.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eProtecting the spirit of a child is everything.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eOur hope is that when we help children through the little things, they'll never have to carry the big things alone.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Happens in this Journal, Stays in this Journal!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-trust-journal-just-between-us","title":"The Trust Journal-Just Between Us","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuild trust while the problems are small.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eThis journal provides a safe space for adolescents to open up to a trusted adult without fear of getting in trouble or being judged. It's a place to share what's on their mind, express their feelings, and know they are truly being heard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eUse this journal to ask big questions, share life stories, work through tough moments, celebrate the little victories, and strengthen your relationship one conversation at a time. Whether they need advice, encouragement, or simply someone to listen, this journal is here to help you connect, communicate, and grow together. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTo the trusted adult: \u003c\/strong\u003eAs they share their heart with you, your greatest responsibility is to listen before you react. Promise them that this journal is a judgement-free space where honesty is met with love, understanding, and respect \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003enot punishment\u003c\/span\u003e. By responding with compassion instead of immediate reaction, you build trust. As they grow older and life brings bigger challenges, that trust. becomes the foundation that allows them to come to you willingly, knowing you are in this together. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eWhat happens in this journal, stays in this journal!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brave Gowns","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50889998991599,"sku":null,"price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1174\/1426\/files\/FINALTJCOVER.jpg?v=1790280048"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1174\/1426\/collections\/Screenshot_2026-09-24_at_1.23.07_PM.png?v=1790281427","url":"https:\/\/www.bravegowns.com\/collections\/trust-journals.oembed","provider":"Brave Gowns","version":"1.0","type":"link"}