The upcoming New Year is a perfect time to reflect on the year gone by and make plans for the year ahead. This is a time when people become excited about change and are more than willing to welcome it into their lives. For families raising children, there are a few New Year’s resolutions that you can make that will have a dramatic impact on your life! Here are just a few:
Simple Resolutions That Make a Big Impact
Start saving for college!
College is expensive! You may think you have plenty of time left, but the years slip away quickly. If you begin by putting $20 a week in an interest or stock-yielding account, you will be able to save around $1,000 per year. Commit to increasing your contribution each New Year, and by the time your children are in 5th grade, you will have quite a nest egg!
Introduce one healthy food to your children each week!
Every mom and dad gets into a routine of macaroni & cheese and chicken nuggets. This works because the kids will eat it! But if you start young by expanding their palate, you’ll be surprised at the foods they will enjoy. Be creative and make one night a week a special “Taste of the New Year” night! If you turn it into a fun tradition, you’ll build upon their menu and their health, leading to great eating habits in the years ahead.
Spend one hour every weekend (or once a week) taking a walk together as a family!
Most households are filled with so much noise, toys, and hustle and bustle that the quiet and beauty of nature often go unnoticed! This will also get everyone moving. Even if your baby is a new walker, bring them along for the fun!
Record memories and milestones!
Chances are, you started recording memories and milestones with the diligence of an army drill instructor. But as time becomes limited and children become more plentiful, you may find yourself forgetting some of the simpler moments. Make a New Year’s resolution to record everything on a calendar. Use New Year’s Day as an opportunity to take a walk down memory lane and document these moments. In the years to come, you’ll be so glad you did. The best gift a family can offer their children is memories of good times spent together.
Back up your pictures!
We all say we’re going to do it, and then we don’t. Then, our computer crashes! Back up those digital photos and videos of your family, or put them on CDs and DVDs! Don’t wait until it’s too late, and New Year’s is a great time to do it. Afterward, make a vow to back up your files every time the clock changes. Sitting at the computer to back up endless photos will help you feel more grateful for your family and give you a chance to revisit the past year with clarity. It’s a good place to start thinking about changes you can make that will positively affect your family.
Check or install your smoke detectors!
While not very exciting, this task is crucial. More children are injured or killed in their homes due to fire than from any other cause each year. Remember a month or so ago when the smoke detectors were beeping in the middle of the night, and you just disconnected them? Now is the time to make sure they are working again! If you don’t have smoke detectors, install at least one on every floor of your home, especially near sleeping rooms. Make a New Year’s resolution to complete those daunting tasks that have been hanging over you for months. The small, tedious projects that linger in your mind can cause a lot of stress. Getting them done will feel like a fresh start.
Make time for your spouse!
New Year’s is the perfect opportunity to make lasting changes. One thing you shouldn’t forget to do is spend time with your spouse. No matter how busy you are with the kids, happy parents lead to happy children! This New Year, decide that once a week or once a month, you will take time for each other. Not only will you feel a renewed sense of love and appreciation, but you’ll also get the much-needed break that will leave you energized for another year of raising children.
Changing your perspective on resolutions.
Plenty of people don’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions. If you are one of them, try shifting your perspective. Your world is never standing still, and sometimes you have to bend and flex in order to change with it. Raising a family means reinventing love, gratitude, and hope within your home. Simple things like taking small steps to improve your health or happiness can have a dramatic trickle-down effect on others in your life. Rather than thinking of New Year’s resolutions as cliché, think of it as a way to wipe the slate clean, letting go of last year’s worries and focusing on the solutions and abundance that await you in the coming year. No one is certain of their time on Earth, and spending it wisely, lovingly, and passionately should be the ultimate goal for this New Year. It’s the one thing you will never get a chance to do over. Happy New Year!
