A New Year is often a time many look forward to and hinge their personal growth and betterment on. For some people it is a clean slate to revise what went wrong in the past year and upgrade themselves or hack their lives. This is often realised through reflection and the creation of resolutions.
As a millennial parent, I am always looking for ways to better myself and improve my parenting skills. This year is no different. So I did some introspection, research and questionnaires and collated the results in this list of New Year’s Resolutions for parents.
Did somebody say new year new me?
What are New Year’s Resolutions?
These are a longstanding trend wherein persons decide on things they want to change. It is about making a list of things to stop, start or resume doing in that specified 12 months that will lead to a better you. It’s widely reported that these aren’t often kept (by February, people forget and fall into their old ways); but that doesn’t mean it is not doable.
New Year's Resolutions for Parents
Here are some suggestions for New Year’s resolutions if you’re a parent. Heck, these can even be applied to other aspects of your lives too. If you’re not yet a parent read along just the same and see how you can enhance your relations with loved ones!
Reserve quality time for your children and family
Spending time with family is crucial to the development of children. Carve out that time for your children and commit to doing an activity of their choice as often as possible.
Put a cap to your workday
This shows your children that they are your top priority when you’re at home. It is also especially important for maintaining your mental health.
Talk less, listen more
A part of positive parenting is encouraging the development of your child’s voice. Do less talking this year and encourage your children to speak their mind.
Pray together as a family
It sounds cliche but they were right in saying ‘a family that prays together stays together’. Praying together encourages positive family bonding and promotes good values.
Put down your gadgets
It’s sometimes good to unplug from the world and just ‘lock off’ (as we say in Jamaica) with your family. Limiting distractions will help you to connect with each other better and create a comforting space of love for children.
Final Thoughts: Make it a great year
There you have it. I’m excited to try some of these resolutions this year. I know keeping a resolution can be challenging, especially in an ever changing world we live in, but let’s see how best we can work at these this year. Keeping these resolutions can be beneficial to your children and families in the long run.
Ultimately, it is about improving our parenting skills and creating a comfortable environment for our children to grow and become strong, confident, human beings.
Do you usually make New Year’s resolutions? Tell me one in the comments.