Looking for New Year’s resolution ideas? As a parent, the start of a new year is the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past and identify areas where you can grow—especially in how you connect with your kids.
Perhaps you wish you had been more patient, listening calmly instead of raising your voice. Or maybe you regret not spending enough quality time with them, choosing work or other responsibilities over play.
The past year may not have been perfect, but the beauty of a new year is the chance it gives you to start fresh and do better.
To help you get started, here are some thoughtful New Year’s resolution ideas tailored for parents!
New Year’s Resolution 1: Resolve to empathize with your child more
New Year’s Resolutions: 10 New Year Resolutions Ideas For Parents
As your child grows, they will encounter countless new challenges to navigate and skills to master. From something as seemingly simple as tying their shoes to tackling their first math homework, the world is filled with “firsts” waiting to be bravely conquered.
Keep in mind, though, that mastering these tasks won’t always come easy.
There will be days when your child struggles so much to get things done that they may feel overwhelmed or frustrated. And as this unfolds, you might find yourself grappling with your own frustrations.
On one hand, you want to give your child the space to learn independently, but it takes every ounce of restraint not to step in. You may catch yourself either sitting back, exasperated from watching, or stepping in to “help” while unintentionally scolding them in the process.
By resolving to empathize with your child more, you must remember to put yourself in his shoes. How would you feel if you were just learning to tie your shoes but couldn’t get it no matter how hard you tried? Would a parent breathing down your neck help?
Or would you rather have a parent who was patient and who’d encourage you until you get the task done? Be the parent that the 5-year-old you would want, it’s most likely the same thing that your child would want from you.
New Year’s Resolution 2: Resolve to shout less, and talk more
As a parent, it is important to remember that we model acceptable behaviour for our children. Therefore, if they see us shouting time and time again, they may come to consider it as a norm.
To avoid this, it is recommended that we avoid shouting whenever possible and get closer to our child so we can properly communicate with him.
If your child is not behaving the way that you’d like him to, if he’s up to no good, don’t shout at him from across the room.
Walk up to him, get down to his level, and while maintaining eye contact, talk to him about his behaviour and give suggestions as to how he can improve it.
New Year’s Resolution 3: Resolve to catch your kids being good
As a mum, I find myself always on the lookout to see if my kids are up to no good. Now that I look back at the year, I wonder how many incidents of good behaviour I overlooked just because I was so busy waiting for my kids to mess up.
This time around, I’d like for all parents to resolve that we look at the good things that our children are doing and immediately praise them for it.
If you see your children playing peacefully together, say, “Wow! I love how nicely you’re all playing together. Good job!”
Your child will revel in the positive attention and will most likely repeat the good behaviour, thus giving you a well-behaved child and a more positive attitude when dealing with him.
New Year’s Resolution 4: Resolve to follow through
New Year’s Resolutions: 10 New Year Resolutions Ideas For Parents
Whether it be following through with a promise you made or with punishment, it’s important that you stick to your word. If you show your child that your word cannot be trusted, it may hurt them in the long run.
How so? If you promise your child a treat after he shows good behaviour but doesn’t deliver, it may show your child that you cannot be trusted and that there may be no point in behaving properly since they didn’t get the reward they were promised.
On the other hand, if you aren’t strict with what you say you’d do when it comes to punishment and you constantly let your child off the hook, then they may repeat the improper behaviour again and again.
So to avoid this, it is important to practice consistency and to follow through with praise and discipline.
Number 5: Resolve to have more one-on-one time
This is especially true for families with two or more children. One-on-one time allows parent and child to spend time together doing something that both parties enjoy thus building special rapport a parent will need for effective parenting.
One-on-one time excludes doing chores, and may instead be time spent together doing arts and crafts, playing together in the park or simply chatting with one another over ice cream.
This kind of conversation allows you to develop an emotional bond, so be sure to keep your focus on your child. Put away your gadgets and switch off your phone. Your child will thank you for the time you spent solely focused on them.
New Year’s Resolution 6: Resolve to introduce your child to new food each week
Whether or not you have a picky eater, exposing your child to a variety of foods is ultimately something that will be beneficial to his health. So be it a new vegetable or protein, try to incorporate a new ingredient into his meal once a week.
The goal is to slowly introduce the new foods to his diet, not to force feed him.
Number 7: Resolve to read to your kids more
As parents, we are told time and time again to read to our tots because reading contributes to the development of their intelligence and to their communication and thinking skills. But did you know that it also fosters a strong parent-child relationship, too?
As your child grows, he’ll be busy with schoolwork, running around, will be off on “grand adventures” with his playmates and you may be busy with work and household chores.
Reading time may be one of the best times the both of you can sit back, relax, and cuddle with each other.
New Year’s Resolution 8: Resolve to enjoy the great outdoors with your kids
New Year’s Resolutions: 10 New Year Resolutions Ideas For Parents
Aside from being able to enjoy not being cooped up at home or in the office, playing with your kids outside allows them to master emerging physical skills such as running, jumping, throwing, catching and more.
It helps them (and you) burn calories which helps prevent obesity and other health problems. Also, according to earlychildhoodnews.com, when outside, children are encouraged to “learn much through their senses.
Outside there are many different and wonderful things for them to see (animals, birds, and green leafy plants), to hear (the wind rustling through the leaves), to smell fragrant flowers and the rain-soaked ground, to touch (the bark of a tree), and even to taste (raindrop on the tongue)”.
New Year’s Resolution 9: Resolve to take better care of yourself
You’ve most likely been told this before, but really, how many times a week do you take time out of your schedule to do nothing but relax? To kick back with your gadgets switched off and your children with a babysitter?
Mums should be able to take a break every now and then, especially since you wear so many hats! Mom, wife, doctor, cook, and more. In fact, according to Drphil.com, “If you take care of yourself first, you can ensure that you will be mentally, physically and emotionally there for your family.”
So do yourself a favour and book that massage right now! You’ll see in the long run that by taking care of yourself, you find yourself more revitalized and energized to tackle whatever comes your way.
Number 10: Resolve to spend more time with your partner
Now that we’ve emphasized the importance of self-care, let’s talk about something just as crucial as taking care of your relationship with your spouse. Parenthood often causes “me-time” and “couple time” to take a backseat, but nurturing your bond as partners is essential.
Making an effort to connect with your spouse helps build intimacy, encourages open communication, and strengthens your relationship—all of which fortify your marriage.
Not only that, but it also sets a positive example for your children, teaching them what a healthy relationship looks like and preparing them for their own future partnerships.
New Year’s Resolutions: 10 New Year Resolutions Ideas For Parents
Best of luck if you decide to take on any of these suggested resolutions! If you have your own ideas that we didn’t cover, we’d love to hear them. Drop them in the comments!
This article was first published on theAsianparent Philippines.
