How to Hide Your Journal from Parents

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Get a regular notebook.

   This will be your actual journal, try not to get anything too flashy (think regular school notebook).
2. 2

   Step 2: Get a decoy journal.

   This step is for those whose parents know they have a journal, but can be for those still concerned with privacy.
   
   First, get something obvious, it could just be a notebook with the words "MY JOURNAL" written on the front, or it could be a big, pink store bought diary; it's up to you.
   
   If you already have a journal that your parents keep reading, just use that, they'll recognize it and continue to read it thinking that it's your actual journal.
   
   The purpose of this step is to draw attention away from your real journal, so that nobody will go looking for it, because they will believe that they have already found it. , You can do this by labeling it something like "Math Formulas" or leaving the cover blank.
   
   Leave the first few pages (about 2-5) empty, and either write somethings pertaining to the cover (i.e. "Geography Facts"--actual geography facts), leave them blank, or doodle some so it will seem like a casual sketchbook.
   
   This will act as a cover so if it is found it won't have much attention drawn to it and will appear as that of a normal notebook. , Think of words for all the terms that you wouldn't want anyone to see you write.
   
   For example "up" could mean high, "Today I got up and did some stuff with my friends." Basically customize it to sound more innocent. , Write in the decoy about once or twice a week, or however much you want, just as long as it appears that you are writing in it sometimes.
   
   Don't make up things in the journal, like drama, grades, crushes, events, etc. as these will be traced back to you.
   
   Simply write things about your day you wouldn't mind your parents knowing like: "Today me and Madison went and hung out after school.
   
   Then I came home and made dinner.
   
   Now I am just sitting on my bed listening to some music." That seems like a pretty innocent day, right? Well, that would be because you left out that after you and Madison hung out for about five minutes, you went and made out with your boyfriend.
   
   Keep it innocent but not boring. , When looking for a place to hide your journal ask yourself some questions, "Where will my parents (or any other person) look? Sock drawer, under mattress, etc.?"
   
   "Would anyone stumble across it if I hid it here?"
   
   and "Would it be hard for me to get and put back?".
   
   A good idea is to find little areas in your house with extra space, some closets may have these, or anywhere that covers the object from view, it also depends on the age of your house too.
   
   Get a box slightly bigger than your journal and tape it in a covered area so that it can be removed and put back, but is still out of sight.
   
   Another good idea would be to hide it under drawers; to do this take the drawer out, place the notebook inside, and push the drawer back in.
   
   You need to find what works good for you, be creative and use your surroundings to your advantage. , This step is optional, but if you usually hide your journal somewhere, and your parents know where that is, keep hiding the decoy there, or put it in an obvious place like under your bed.
   
   Basically, make it really obvious, so that it will satisfy anyone's curiosity if they decide to read it, and so they won't accidentally stumble across your real journal while looking for the fake. , You don't have to do this to the decoy or your real journal, but you can.
   
   There are many methods for doing this:
   Put a piece of clear, unnoticeable tape on the corner of the book so that if it's opened, the tape will be pulled off.
   
   Tape it at an odd angle so that if anyone opened it and tried to tape it back it would be different from how you left it.
   
   Alternatively, simply cut the tape to where it was almost cut apart, but not quite, that way the force exerted on it from opening the book will rip it apart and the person won't be able to put it back together.
   
   Another method would be to take a piece of hair and place it in between the pages, if it's gone it may have been read.
   
   However, the wind or other conditions could have also removed it, so this isn't exactly foolproof.
3. 3

   Step 3: Disguise your actual journal even further.

4. 4

   Step 4: Write "in code".

5. 5

   Step 5: Write in the decoy journal.

6. 6

   Step 6: Hide your real journal.

7. 7

   Step 7: "Hide" the decoy.

8. 8

   Step 8: Pay attention to whether it's been read.

Detailed Guide

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