Eat less sugar? Limit TV time? B.O.R.I.N.G.
When you hear the phrase New Year’s Resolutions, is your first reaction, ‘UGH’? You’re certainly in good company. The statistics on resolutions may seem kind of discouraging.
24% fail with their New Year’s resolution each year
49% report only moderate success each year
38% of Americans never make resolutions at all
So why bother making New Year’s resolutions? Because if something’s important to you, it’s worth it:
People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t make resolutions (Statistic Brain Research Institute).
And isn’t your family worth it?
Here are some fun ideas for family New Year’s resolutions that your kids will actually help you keep and that can make your family stronger!
1. Family Play: ‘Together Time’
Set aside 2-3 hours each week for Together Time. Make an absolute commitment to spend time enjoying each other’s company without electronics, TV, or other distractions. Some ideas for activities could include:
- Playing games
- Working in the yard
- Reading together
- Doing something nice for someone else
- Baking
- Visiting relatives
- Let kids come up with ideas!
Scheduling for this one every week is the tricky part, especially if you have smaller kids as well as teens, or if a parent works a swing shift. Even if the time has to change from week to week, DO IT. Your kids (and you) will remember these times forever.
How this makes a stronger family:
Not only are you making shared memories, but kids learn from your example. They feel valued because you make the effort for what you care most about-them (Pish).
2. Family Munchies: Eat Together
It’s something every family struggles with: finding time to sit down and eat together. If this has been a chronic problem in your household due to schedules and a generally hectic lifestyle, start small. Plan on eating at the table just a few days a week. If you don’t have time to cook and need to pick up burgers or a pizza, that’s fine too. . .What’s important is enjoying each other’s company and talking about each other’s individual lives and yourselves as a unit in a quiet, peaceful setting.
How this makes a stronger family:
- Most meaningful conversations with our children happen while we’re eating.
- Kids learn the importance of listening and participating
- Even the smallest child can enjoy the self-esteem that comes from having their voice be heard and valued
- Your kids are a captive audience, so it’s the perfect time to engage them in discussions about your family’s values, aspirations, and goals
- Kids who eat more meals at home are likelier to have healthier eating habits
- Studies show that a decrease in high-risk behaviors can be attributed to the amount of time a child spends eating with family at home (Paredes,Persaud,Shelnutt)
3. Family Laughs
One of the things that can really make a difference in your home in the New Year is less arguing and more laughter. It’s not always something we consciously think of perhaps, but what is the ‘default mood’ in your household? If tension, bickering or tears immediately come to mind, then it’s time to make a change. This is one area where parents can really make a difference. To ‘up’ the smiles and ‘down’ the frowns, you can help by:
- Controlling your own temper and showing kindness and love
- Diffusing confrontations between kids immediately
- Creating a more relaxed home by not sweating the small stuff (Ellis)
How this makes a stronger family:
Increasing laughter has many emotional benefits. It elevates the collective mood in a home, reduces stress levels, brings family members closer together, and makes kids more resilient. Developing a sense of humor also gives children a tool with which to face the inevitable adversities in life.
Creating realistic expectations for family New Year’s resolutions are essential. Everyone slips up sometimes. But stick with them and then celebrate your successes!
Do you have ideas for New Year’s resolutions that can make families stronger? Tell us in the comments!
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Resources
Paredes, Anghela Z., Eshani Persaud, and Karla P. Shelnutt. “Raising Healthy Children: The Importance of Family Meals1.” EDIS New Publications RSS. University of Florida, July 2013. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. <http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1195>.
Pish, Suzanne. “Spending Quality Family Time Together Is Very Important.” MSU Extension. Michigan State University, 15 June 2013. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. <http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/spending_quality_family_time_together_is_very_important>.
“Statistic Brain.” Statistic Brain. Statistic Brain Research Institute, 26 Jan. 2015. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. <http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/>.
Robinson, Lawrence, Jeanne Segal, PhD, and Melinda Smith, M.A. “Managing Conflicts with Humor.” Fixing Relationship Problems with Humor: Using Laughter and Play to Build and Maintain Successful Relationships. Helpguide.org, Dec. 2015. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. <http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/fixing-relationship-problems-with-humor.htm>.
“The Importance of Family Dinners.” The Importance of Family Dinners. University of Florida, n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. <http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/families_and_consumers/family_dinners.shtml>.
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