Being a parent is challenging. Sometimes you have to stop, take stock of your situation, and think of ways you can tackle those challenges and have fun nurturing your children and giving them what they need to develop into happy, well adjusted adults. With a new year approaching, I decided it was the perfect time to do just that. I thought about the particular difficulties I’ve had this year. What could I do to improve my parenting abilities? In what ways could I help my children gain the skills they need? The result was a list of parenting resolutions I’ve made for the new year. My top 5 resolutions are highlighted here.
My first resolution is to be more patient with my children. I need to recognize what causes my impatience in certain situations and work to resolve those issues. I’ve found that as my patience wears thin, my actions are not as loving as they should be. I stress out my children and myself.
I also resolve to teach my children (by example) to be more respectful. They are very respectful of their teachers and others in public. At home, sometimes, it is a different story. My oldest daughter has a habit of talking back. Some of the words that come out of her mouth are the same ones I’ve uttered during moments of frustration. She’s only repeating what she’s heard. I feel that by always giving my children the respect that I expect from them, undesirable behaviors like talking back will dissipate.
My third resolution is to give my children more responsibilities around the house. They are in elementary school and I know they are ready and able to help with certain household tasks. I am going to create a “chore chart” for each child, listing the chores I expect them to do. I will give them a weekly allowance if they complete every task on the chart. Besides learning about responsibility, they will also gain some invaluable cleaning experience! We might even get to see the playroom floor again!
My next resolution is to have my children spend more time outdoors. They are simply happier (and better eaters and sleepers) when they get adequate time outside. I will make time each day for outdoor play.
Lastly, I resolve to limit the amount of time my children spend in front of the TV. Even though most of the shows my children like are educational, I don’t think that T.V. watching actively engages their brains as well as reading, playing board games, making crafts, etc., can. We also bond and interact more when the T.V. is off. I think that even though it will take some extra effort and planning on my part to steer the children away from the screen, it will be well worth it!
Taking the time to reflect on the challenges I’ve faced this year has given me the opportunity to recognize what I have to work on for next year. Stating my resolutions and then following through with them, will ultimately help to make me a better parent in the new year.
