New Year’s resolutions aren’t just something you do for you, they can be a family affair! This year, resolve to take care of the thing that’s most important to you – your family. Read below for five easy New Year’s resolutions you can make to help strengthen family bonds and set your family up for happiness and success in the coming year.
It’s easy to be happy and positive when things are going well, but not so much when things get stressful. This year, resolve to be thankful all the time by setting up a habit of gratitude in your family. This could mean having everyone quickly say one thing they are thankful for before your family meals, starting a family gratitude journal or simply emphasizing the importance of saying “please” and “thank you” with your kids. Building gratitude takes time and patience, but it’s an important skill that is sure to add immeasurably to your family’s sense of happiness and set your children up for success in their interactions with others.
Regular family time is vitally important for maintaining a strong sense of family togetherness. This year, try and get your family into the habit of just hanging out together for the fun of it. You could try starting a monthly family game or movie night, plan family visits to museums/aquariums or decide to spend an hour of every weekend playing together at the park. Most importantly, during your family time be sure that you are giving your family your full attention. That means no work for parents and no homework or texting with friends for the kids! While that might make some family members grumble at first, having the time where you are fully focused on your family will help your family build stronger connections with one another.
If you’re serious about changing your family for the better this year, sit down together and really talk about it. Encourage each of your family members to decide on at least one new healthy habit they would like to start in the New Year and then brainstorm ways you can support them reaching this goal. Providing support might be as simple as setting up an extra calendar reminder for chores or could be something as major as finding a tutor to help your child with their math homework. Whatever your resolutions end up being, understanding where your family members might be struggling and how you can help them achieve their goals is a powerful way to increase trust in your family relationships.
There’s nothing more important than the health and wellbeing of your family! Teaching your family to take good care of their bodies is one of the best gifts you can give them, and building healthy eating and exercise habits is something that’s way easier to do when you all work together! This year, resolve to add more fruits and veggies to your family meals, make sure everyone sticks to a regular bedtime, take family hikes or bike rides and try to cut down on the amount of TV time that happens in your home.
Being honest isn’t always easy, but it’s an essential part of open communication. Communication problems are at the heart of a number of family issues, so this year resolve to fix your family's communication habits once and for all. Talk about how important honesty and transparency is with your kids and be sure that you are modeling the type of behavior and communication you want them to use. If you have the time, invest in parenting classes or family counseling to help you squash your bad communication habits for good. By making small changes and trying to be as transparent and communicative as possible, you’ll lay a foundation for family values honest communication above all else!
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