New Year's Resolutions

MANY NEW YEAR'S ago I made a resolution not to make New Year’s resolutions. I am a firm believer that if I want or need to do something, I should do it and not wait for a new year to set a specific goal. With children in my life, I have now softened my New Year’s resolution approach.

This year I'm going to brush my teeth without being asked.

Resolutions are difficult concept for young children, but “fun size” resolutions in the form of goals are much easier. Teaching children how to set simple goals is an important aspect to their life growth. They can be quite simple: Being helpful with the morning routine and on time for school, being helpful around the house, not whining and using words instead. As the father of two children under 5 years old, these are not lofty goals, but realistic to their current developmental stages and attainable. Some days. Hopefully this is establishing the practice of making bigger goals and working toward the success of more difficult achievements.

This year we're gonna make it to the ceiling!

This frequent goal setting happening at our household makes me recognize that having bigger goals—resolutions, really--may be beneficial to my partner and me and instructional to our young family members.

In the hopes of maybe inspiring some thoughtful resolutions for your family in the coming year, here are some that I have for our family in the new year, in no particular order after numbers 1 through 3:

1. Value one another every day.
2. Find times and ways to prioritize my partner and her livelihood.
3. Spend some quality time with my parents outside of their grandchildren.
4. Take one lengthier family trip before August when we will need to pay for four airline tickets.
5. Go fishing whenever possible with our sons in the coming season.
6. Plan one overnight trip in a tent or cabin during the summer months.
7. Get our oldest son off the “bunny” hill at our local ski area.
8. Successful completion of swim lessons for our oldest son and introductory swim lessons for or youngest.
9. Make one weekly commute with our sons via bicycle May through August; specifically me on the bike and them in the bike trailer.
10. More berry picking than this past year.
11. Participate in an outside Father’s Day event.
12. Organize a family Summer Solstice event.

Who are those cute kids on your blog, Dad?

Happy New Year’s to you and your family. It is my hope that you value every day with one another in the coming year and beyond.