Making new year resolutions, as a family

The moment the new year strikes a sense of panic usually sets in – what will my resolutions be this year? We’ve been wired to immediately generate a list of resolutions that generally involve losing weight, eating better, working out, finding a new hobby, reading more books…the list can go on and on. And generally, by about mid-late February, focuses have shifted and commitments to that list shift.  

Resolutions tend to focus on self – but what if we shifted things a bit. What if, as a family, you build a list of commitments that the household can all focus on? After all, our household tends to flow alongside our individual lives. We all have visions, goals and aspirations for our families – whether that be to explore, travel or seek connection – every family has a hope for their family.  

So, what does your household want for itself this year? Do your children have things they’ve talked about getting involved in? Have you discussed where you want to travel? What types of hobbies or activities you want to spend as a family? Or is there something that you’ve been striving to get accomplished as a family, but just haven’t had the opportunity to do so? Or is there something as simple as keeping up with rotating clothes and toys? Whatever it is, you can bet that if you commit to it as a family – together you will thrive!  

Here are a few ideas of some things, however simple or complex, that might be a place to start.  

• Establishing a family bedtime. Yes, a time that everyone (parents included!) commits to go to bed each day. Rest is a vital part of being able to function, grow and develop – for children and adults alike. By committing to a family bedtime, you carve out the importance of rest…. plus, it’s a little easier to convince the kids to go to bed when they know you are going to as well.  

• Volunteer. We’ve all been a bit cooped up over the last few years – resulting in a disconnect from the world. Through volunteering, you can commit to spending quality time as a family while working as a team to accomplish something that helps the greater good.  

• Discover new things, together. Whether that be to visit a new museum or attraction each month. Or to venture out on some new hiking trails. Or to work to learn something new about the world. Whatever it is, we know that when we learn something new as a group it creates an important bond over shared experiences.  

• Screen-time clean-up. Engaging with our devices is the reality of our worlds – and it’s not going away. So, how can we make sure our screen time (for both children and adults alike) is impactful and has some benefit? Think about what type of content each of you likes to consume – then think about some content you’d be interested in consuming. Sometimes it’s about what we’re consuming, not how.  

• Commit to weekly family time. Whether that’s Friday Pizza Night or Saturday Movie Night or Sunday adventure day – establish an ongoing time in which is booked as ‘family time’. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that create the most memorable moments.