Post written by Sherri Kruger. Follow me on Twitter.
As the clock strikes midnight on the first of January each year there are countless resolutions that also get made. There are the usual suspects: lose a bit of weight, eat better and exercise. Then there are the more personal resolutions, like volunteer, control my spending, and stop biting my nails.
The one thing most resolutions have in common is their quick demise. Resolutions usually don’t work and don’t last for many people. From what I see the changes are too drastic and are usually done all at once. Resolutions are typically made on your own and carried out on your own. Without the right motivation and realistic outlook and expectations on your plans/goals/resolutions for the year, you are almost certainly going to fall short. In this particular case slow and steady wins the race.
Most resolutions are self-centered. It’s not often you hear about people making resolutions with their whole family. Well let this year be different for you and yours.
Sit down as a family and discuss some areas of your family life that could use a little tweaking, strengthening or establishing. There are always things to work on and it won’t happen unless someone makes it happen. So why not let it be you? Take initiative and get going.
Here are a few ideas that may inspire you to find ways to rock your family in 2010.
1. One on one time. If you have kids establish a sort of date night with them individually. You may feel guilty for leaving the other children out but they will have their turn. Choose one night a week or one weekend a month and do something just you and your child. They love spending time with you and when they don’t have to compete for your attention they can become different people all together.
2. Family time. Just as important as giving your children individual attention it’s important to spend quality time together as a group. Start a family night tradition. Agree on one night a week where the TV is off, phones are off and you all play a game, exercise, go for a walk or a swing in the park. It’s up to you what you do but make it happen and be consistent. After a few weeks of this I know you will all be looking forward to it!
3. Be spontaneous and create fun rituals. Do something crazy and totally uncharacteristic. Jason left a comment on the post 5 Activities For You and Your Family sharing an idea for an activity that I can’t wait to do when my kids are a bit older. Jason writes:
Two words: Pajama Run.
About 15-20 minutes after the kids get put down to bet, Mom and/or Dad burst into the bedroom banging on pots and pans, shouting “Pajama Run!”
Everybody gets up out of bed and, still in their pajamas, hops into the car and heads to the local ice cream place for a late night treat! I recommend this for school nights, as it’s most surprising for the kids. Grandparents can even get in on the fun by calling up the parents ahead of time and doing some secretive advance planning.
4. Eat together as a family. Eating dinner together is a great way to catch up and reconnect with your family. It gives you all a chance to talk about your day, what was good about it and what wasn’t so good about it. Try your best to eliminate distractions such as phones, TVs or computers and just enjoy each others company.
5. Get excited about something. There are just some activities that are more fun when you do them as a part of a group. Learn something new – golf, tennis, pottery, yoga or self defense. Learning something new as a family will not only bring you closer but you’ll have a ton of fun and this built in support team will help keep you motivated to keep showing up.
Resist the temptation to focus on the wrong priority and create a family life that is chaotic, disconnected and stressful. Stand up and make this year different. Have fun with it. Start small and make gradual, deliberate changes. If you need a little help along the way check out Leo’s site 6changes.com which is “the antidote to the failure of New Year’s Resolutions.”
I just love your blog. These are fantastic tips – We’ve found one on one time with each of our children to be time incredibly well-spent.
I’ve highlighted and linked to this post in our blog: The Kids Yoga Resource (http://www.thekidsyogaresource.com) under 5 Fabulous Family Resolutions.
Thank you for another great post focused on connecting and nurturing families.
This is a wonderful article. This year, I’m trying to think about resolutions that are beyond the usual “eat healthy” and “work out more.” My husband and I love taking our daughters out on little one-on-one dates, it’s great to see this as an idea in your post for a resolution! Also, I love “pajama run.” My kids would go crazy over that one! Thanks for sharing.
Congrats on this new site. I luv the concept, but as a single person I’d luv to see you blog on single people. Some of us actually prefer the single life and have no intention of ever getting married. It’s not a concept that always goes over well.
Great songs with super helpful messages for kids to listen to in
the car on those “pajama runs” THE INSECTS ROCK! “Songs you want your kids to hear” http://www.myspace.com/iloveinsectsrock
It’s so important that families spend time together. We try to make every Friday night a “family night” the kids really look forward to it.
such a great post, thank you for the great ideas!
This is a BIG priority for me. I think that Familiy Is Priceless. I was reading a book by Robin Sharma… there is a wonderful quote …“I’ve yet to read an obituary that says, ‘he died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his lawyer, his stockbroker and his accountant.’ No, the great ones all speak of being close to loved ones and of the impact the deceased had on the world around them.”
Priceless indeed and every investment is worth it.
That’s some really great advice. I’m trying to spend more time with my family and especially one on one time. My kids are 3 and 6 years old, and they really appreciate being alone with me.
I really like the idea of fun rituals. I don’t have one of my own, but I’ll adopt the pajama run. It sounds like a lot of fun.
- Jens