It’s hard to believe that we are about to usher 2021 out the door and welcome 2022, but it’s happening! And the end of the year is when we make resolutions. As parents, it’s important to model setting both short and long-term goals and one way you can do that is by making New Year’s Resolutions.
So, what can you resolve to do this year as a parent?
Here are five ideas.
Communicate
We are all busy, rushing from here to there, and it can be a challenge to communicate with our children. It’s a great idea to set aside time each day to connect with each of your children. It can be 5 or 10 minutes or more, and it doesn’t matter when or where you do it – or what you do. Take time during dinner, on a short walk after school or even in the car on the way to practice or a meeting.
And make sure you are doing more listening than talking.
Be consistent
As parents, it can be challenging to be consistent in our parenting, as we get busy, things get stressful and we fall back into old patterns. However, consistency can really pay off – especially if you try it for at least two weeks.
Learn about development
Each age and stage has it’s joys and challenges, and one thing you can do to be prepared is learn about each developmental stage – and what you can reasonably expect from your child. Once you learn that, it becomes easier to manage the ups and downs.
Have fun
We can get so caught up in doing what we need to do that we forget what we want to do – and that’s have fun. This year, try to build fun and play into your daily routine. Take a glow stick bath. Have ice cream for dinner. Put on goofy music and dance. Parenting doesn’t have to be serious all of the time.
Positive reinforcement
If you’ve been telling your child what they are doing wrong, you are probably missing all the things they are doing right. Resolve in 2022 to use more positive reinforcement. It can improve your relationship with your child, while giving them more self confidence and self-esteem. It also can build resiliency – a great skill to have.
Everything Birth
At Everything Birth, we hope you have a safe and happy 2022!