In my opinion, one of the best things you can do for your child is have them do a daily journal. There are several sources that give you ideas on what to have them write about. You will be suprised at how much you will learn about your child. I learned a lot about my daughter's likes and dislikes through her writing about her daily life. Sometimes, if something is bothering them, it will open your eyes to the source of the problem. Most problems are very minor and can be fixed.
My daughter now likes to write poetry. Some of her poems have been published. She has written articles for the church bulletins.
One of her cutest stories was "The Girl in the Mirror." It was about her feelings of what she saw when she looked in the mirror. I really liked that one.
Writing is good therapy--encourage it. Save all of their stories and read them over the years. I promise you, you will have many laughs and tears of joy remembering the things they wrote about.
Some of the stories I really like are about firsts: learning to ride a bike, first visits to different places, their closest friends, church, family gatherings, and so on.