As the new year approaches, there are so many things that we tend to think that we have not done right. Then comes the part when we make resolutions for the next year, thinking that this year will be better than the last one.

10 Parenting Goals for this New Year!

As the new year approaches, there are so many things that we tend to think that we have not done right. Then comes the part when we make resolutions for the next year, thinking that this year will be better than the last one.

But do we stick to them?

Not for a long time… and the main reason is because mostly our resolutions are based on us, or what we want to do for ourself.

What if the resolution is based for the best of our children? Will we follow it? I think yes… As parents we always want to do the best for our children, no matter what. So, why not make a resolution this year and follow it.

1. Spending more time with our kids

baby on swing

The best gift we can give our kids is to spend the maximum possible time with them. No money, toys or clothes you buy for them will make them as happy as the time you spend with them.

Yes we have our offices, our household chores, friends and other things we need to do, but our kids never asked us to give them birth. It was us who had planned to have them in our lives, then why not give them the maximum we can.

Planning for a movie night or a dinner together might be a good plan. Or may be just sitting with them and listening to what have been going on in their life. As simple as it sounds, sometimes there might be certain things that you would come to know only after listening to them carefully and there might be things that you might have missed.

So spending time with your kids will be one of the best gifts that you as a parent give your child this new year.

2. Ditch the phone

In the hustle and bustle of life, almost everything has become online. Infact a simple things like noting down something to remember or even waking up to an alarm is done on phone. Once you pick the phone to do the simpliest of the things, you might see some notifications or some messages and it will lead you from one app to the other without you even knowing it. This will take up your time, as well as your kids time, who might be just waiting for you to keep the phone and listen to him or her, or just play with the toys.

It is an era of gadgets, and without them we will be somewhat helpless in today’s time. But also keeping them down when not required especially when kids are around would be the best parenting you would ever do.

Also, this will help your child, in having less of a screen time themselves.

3. Eat Healthy

Healthy Food : An important Key to an Enhanced Life - Healthy FooD  Nutrition Blog

Eating healthy ourself will help us in developing in our kids a good habit. If you eat something unhealthy yourself, there might not be a chance that the kids won’t ask for it. You are their role model and they will do what you will do, they will eat what you will eat.

Once in a while is okay, but eating junk everyday, might not just render them to get into a habit but also might cause health issues if not now may be later in life.

Healthy options, like soups, salads, fruits, nut, should be included in the diet besides the regular meal that the family is eating.

4. Set a good example

mom daugher

I would again say the same thing, “You are your kid’s role model.” They will do what you will do. You yell at someone and soon you will see them yelling, if not at a person at their toy may be, and this will then become a habit.

Anything you do in front of them will be regarded as normal to them and will be copied.

So, being the role model it is your duty to show them what is right and what is wrong. Do things that are pleasant, and raise the good and gentle humans.

Show them love, patience, togetherness, honesty and ways to be humble and polite towards others, and they will turn out to be amazing people.

5. Instill in your kids more responsibility

Eventually they will have to be independent, then why not start teaching them the basics from now itself. There is nothing wrong if your child will help you in the house hold chores or will keep his or her own plate in the kitchen if they are done with the dinner. This will help them to learn that they should be responsible for their own stuff.

My daughter who is 2 years and 4 months old has been helping us in cleaning her room, and sometimes ours as well, keeping the dishes, cooking in the kitchen (no fire), putting the laundry in the washing machine, folding the laundry, gardening, and many other small stuff around the house. This helps her learn that she is responsible for certain things at home and needs to participate.

Not just that, it helps in spending more time together, reducing your work load, and also helping them learn that it is their duty too as a part of the family.

6. Practice Gratitude

gatitude

As said by Amy Collette, “Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.”

Having a sense of gratitude is one of the most important thing for a peaceful living. A thank you can be said to anyone, even for a smallest of the help. If you practice gratitude, your kids will do that too.

Saying a simple thank you to your kids, for just listening to you is a good start. This will reciprocate. You can ask them to do the same in case they missed the point by any chance.

Making them say thank you for any gifts or compliments that they have recieved from you or anyone for that matter is a good start. Eventually they will get into the habit of doing the same everytime.

The living becomes more simple, and happy if we practise gratitude.

7. Read to them

One of the man’s friend can be books. You can start reading as soon as you want to. Read to them more often for helping them gain more interest early in life.

Reading as early as at the age of just 4 months will help in the start of developing the strings for communication, though the baby can not speak yet. It helps the kid to have a more closer bond with you.

Reading helps in developing the habit of listening, increases the vocabulary. Slowly the child can tell you his or her choice of books, and you can help them read till the time they can not read themselves.

Here is the link to an honest book review of my daughter’s first set of books when she was just an infant. She still loves them.

My First Library Book Set

8. Let your marriage be healthy

happyy Couple

A healthy marriage raises healthy kids both mentally and physically. If your relationship is good, your child will get the complete attention and love of both the parents. If you are in a constant battle with your spouse, your attention will be diverted, and knowingly or unknowing you will be raising a depressed and a sad child, which would be completely unfair to that tiny little human.

Children born to couples who are happy together are happy children and this happiness spreads more love.

9. Say “I Love You” more often

It is not very difficult to say, “I love you.” The most simple sentence ever. Yes actions matter more than words, but that doesn’t mean that we forget the words completely.

At least once in a day tell your child that you love him or her. It matters. It creates in them a sense of confidence and soon you will hear them saying the same thing back to you, and they will mean it even more.

It is an expression of love, and should never be missed saying.

10. Take care of yourself as well

mom's guilt

As much as they are to you, the same way you are important to them. If you do not take care of yourself, how will you take care of them?

You can’t, unless you are yourself fit. Leave the mommy guilt and start taking care of yourself.

New Year is just a reason given to us to make resolutions, when we can make them at any time of the year, say a Friday of the 3rd month on the 14th. What difference does it make?? Any day choose to do something good can be regarded as a new year. So, start on any day, but start early. Be the parent that your kid deserves.

Wish you all a very Happy New year!!

Happy Parenting!

3 thoughts on “10 Parenting Goals for this New Year!”

  1. Dr.Sunil Chopra

    The suggested parenting goals are indeed very useful and must be followed by young parents sincerely.They will go a long way in making their own and the life of their kid really easy and comfortable.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top