What’s on your list of New Year’s resolutions this year? Hit the gym more? Eat more greens? Meditate every day? These resolutions are all well and good – which is why many of us write them out year after year, only to end up abandoning them within weeks.
Why not try something different this year? How about limiting your list to parenting resolutions that can have a positive impact on your family life?
When you put your effort into meaningful goals that benefit your relationships, you’re investing in actions that will have a profound effect on your family’s growth, organization and teamwork in the year ahead.
Following are 20 positive parenting resolutions to consider implementing that can make a huge difference in your kids’ behavior and your family dynamics.
You’ll likely see results right away, which means you’re even more likely to stick with these changes long-term.
These are resolutions that will bring peace and joy into your home in ways you’ve never expected. Resolutions that will help connect you with your children in a meaningful way.
Becoming the kind of parent you’ve always wanted to be is the 2021 resolution you can actually keep.
So instead of losing weight or cleaning out the garage, let’s resolve to be the best we can for the most important people in our life. Choose which parenting resolutions work for you and you’ll be well on your way to a happier new year.
20 Parenting Resolutions For The New Year
1. One-On-One Time
Commit to spending undistracted one-on-one time each day with each child. If you make just one resolution this year, this is the most important!
Spending just 10 minutes a day of uninterrupted, one-on-one time with each of your children builds emotional connections, reduces negative behaviors, and makes children more cooperative throughout the day.
RELATED: The 10 Principles Of Positive Parenting
2. Ensure Your Child Gets Enough Sleep
Sleep matters…a LOT. Your kids might never admit it, but they need regular bedtimes and plenty of sleep to perform at their best.
Sleep is a key component to a healthy, calm lifestyle, and it helps kids learn more and perform better in school.
If you’re kids aren’t getting 8+ hours of solid shut-eye a night, this might be a great resolution for the upcoming year.
3. Improve Your Routines
Take a look at your morning, after-school, and bedtime routines. Are your kids not dressed on time, refusing to brush their teeth, or forgetting their homework?
It might make sense to work together as a family to implement some improved methods.
Come up with new routines as a family unit. Then post the routines in strategic places so your kids won’t forget, and you won’t have to remind them.
RELATED: The Best Morning Routine Tips Moms Need To Know
4. Get Everyone To Pitch In
Resolve that this year is the last year you shoulder the burden of housework alone! Each of your kids should be required to shoulder some age-appropriate, meaningful chores that contribute to the family’s daily life.
Hold a family meeting to make a list of all the jobs that must be done weekly and decide how to divide the workload.
Not only do you get some help, your kids learn valuable lessons about teamwork and accountability.
FREE PRINTABLE: Chore And Routine Charts For Kids!
5. Prioritize Weekly Family Meetings
Each new season often means new schedules; soccer, gymnastics, karate, or carpool change-ups. All these arrangements can be confusing, and take a team of professionals to manage, lol.
That’s where a family meeting comes in.
Set aside a few minutes each week at a regular time, such as Sunday evenings, to meet as a family and get on the same page. Not only is this a great time to tackle scheduling logistics, it’s also when you can problem solve family issues as well.
6. Don’t Phone And Drive
Here comes your New Year’s PSA: car accidents are increasingly being caused by people texting or talking while driving.
Fifty-one percent of teens reported seeing their parents checking and/or using their mobile devices while driving, according to a Common Sense Media poll. And when you repeatedly model a behavior in front of your kids, you’re in effect teaching that behavior.
Once they have a license, do you want your kids texting or talking while they drive? Me neither. That’s why putting a ban on devices while driving is one of those parenting resolutions that can save lives.
7. Yell Less, Breathe More
Parenting is stressful. Getting angry and frustrated is completely understandable, but studies show that yelling is the least productive way to manage it.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Michigan found that tweens and teens whose parents yelled for discipline had increased behavioral issues including being violent. Another study linked yelling to lowering a child’s self-esteem and increasing the likelihood of depression.
Plus, it just ramps up the family stress level all around. Which is why finding techniques to help you yell less, and breathe more is a resolution worth making.
RELATED: 21 Ways To Stop Yelling At Kids
8. Slow Down
Some of the most difficult moments of parenting are the transitions. The times we are trying to get kids to put their shoes and socks on to get out the door.
Some of this can’t be avoided, but there are times we create rushed transitions by over-scheduling ourselves. It may make sense to resolve to schedule fewer after-school activities and social engagements this year.
Dropping tasks from your to-do list each day can make family life more calm and enjoyable all around.
9. Cut Back On Screen Time
Measure yours and your kids’ screen consumption over the course of a typical week. Count everything and add it all up. Whatever the number, it’s probably too much.
There are relationship and development downsides to excessive screen use that far outweigh the modest educational benefits.
Resolving to cut back just 10% or 20% can have a huge positive impact on your family life.
RELATED: Video Games And Kids, How Much Is Too Much?
10. End Your Work Day
Set limits to when you’re in “work mode”. For example, you might set a rule that you don’t check email after 6 p.m. or before 6 a.m. — even though it still comes.
The computer gets your attention all day — now it’s your kid’s turn. Resolve to be present and unplugged for a certain time each day.
11. Go Green As A Family
Recycling and reusing is a great way to connect as a family. Plus you can teach kids valuable lessons about the environment and being good global citizens.
Being more eco-conscious is a great thing to share with children, especially since it’s their future world that will be affected by this.
12. Focus On The Positive
Research shows that the brain tends to recall negative events more accurately than positive ones. Although you can’t avoid disciplining your kids, you can balance it out by creating two positive interactions for every negative one.
Positive exchanges can include a simple smile, hugs and kisses, praise for a job well done, etc. At the end of each day, think about how well you balance your interactions and maybe make a little note so you can track your progress over time.
13. Practice Self Care
You’ll be a much calmer and happier parent if you take care of yourself by getting enough sleep, exercise, healthy food and downtime.
Write out a self-care plan that’s both realistic and effective when it comes to keeping you happy and sane. Then post it somewhere you can see to remind yourself!
RELATED: Simple Self Care Tips For Moms
14. Eat Healthier Family Meals
Your whole family will benefit from eating a healthier diet and you’ll be setting your kids up for a healthier lifestyle long-term.
Introduce new foods slowly by adding something new to one meal a week, then add more variety once your kids get the hang of it.
Ask each family member to nominate one healthy meal they enjoy. Create a schedule of meals and post the weekly schedule to the fridge to keep everyone onboard!
15. Continue Learning
Ongoing education is a priority at most jobs, so why not make it one for the job of parenting, too?
Reading parenting blogs, websites, and books. Make one of your parenting resolutions to check out new research and stay informed.
RELATED: Top Ten Most Helpful Parenting Books
16. Read More With Your Kids
Reading with your kids has so many benefits! It helps your child’s developing brains and positions them to do better in school.
Plus it’s easy, costs you almost nothing, and is a great way to connect with your kids.
CHECK OUT: Out Picks For Best Children’s Books Of All Time!
17. Make Time For Your Partner
Parents who make time for each other get along better teach kids how to develop their own loving relationships when they grow up.
Plus you create a less stressful, more positive environment for your children to grow up in.
RELATED: Sexy Secrets For A Happy Marriage
18. Get Outside More
It’s a great way to bond as a family, inspire a love of nature, and encourage physical activity.
CHECK OUT: The Best Subscription Boxes For Outdoor Fun
19. Build A Mom Tribe
Talk to other parents! It’s a terrific way to blow off steam, exchange parenting tips, and feel less alone.
Plus having a support network can be a lifeline during difficult parenting phases. This is one of those parenting resolutions that keeps on giving.
RELATED: Why Moms Need Their Girlfriends Now More Than Ever
20. Practice Gratitude
Finally, never losing sight of how lucky you are to have your kids; even when they’re tracking dirt onto the carpet or screaming from the other room.
Taking a moment at the end of each day to be thankful will make you both a better parent and better equipped to deal with the challenges of parenting.
RELATED: Raising Grateful Kids In A Modern World
With just a few positive changes, you can make the New Year brighter for your entire family.
Which parenting resolutions will you make this year? The effects can last a lifetime.
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