New Years Resolutions: A Fresh Start for the Whole Family

The New Year gives us all the opportunity to start afresh.  We can leave behind the previous year, and look forward to the one approaching with a clean slate.

 

Many people make New Years resolutions – but how can these relate to our children and our families in general?

For children, making New Years resolutions can be very beneficial.  It is well known that there is little more satisfying in life than setting – and reaching – attainable goals.  Children’s New Years resolutions could include learning a martial art, joining a dance troupe or an art class, or even learning to play a musical instrument.

 

However, it is important not to make children feel under pressure.  The modern life of a child is already a fairly stressful one – the last thing children need is to feel as though they must meet their goals perfectly.  Rather than rigid goals (like “I will always share with my siblings” or “I will always do my homework on time”), see New Years resolutions as an opportunity for your children to explore exciting new opportunities.

 

The New Year is also a great time to focus on making positive changes within your family unit.  This year, alongside your usual resolutions, why not make some group resolutions as a family? Following are some simple suggestions.

 

Spend more time together

With today’s busy lifestyle, it is hard to find time to spend together as a family.  Quality time is so important – not just for the children, but for the entire family unit.  Forget about trying to find the time, because it won’t happen – you have to make time.  It can seem impossible sometimes when you’re contending with long working hours, school and other commitments, but it’s important to carve out regular time to spend together. A few hours of dedicated, quality time each week is a must for happy families.

 

Less screens, more conversation

We live in an age where communicating has never been easier.  Email, texting, social networking and phone calls have all but replaced good old face-to-face conversation. Your older children may spend the majority of their time talking to their friends over electronic devices, rather than having real-life chats.  Set an example as a family and agree together to make more effort to really talk to one another, and to your own friends and relatives.  The art of conversation is at risk of being lost within our digital age – keep it alive in your family.

 

Be present with one another

The aforementioned technological advances can also have an impact on our time spent together as a family, without even realising it.  You may be in the same room as your family, but while you are, how many of you are tapping away at your phones? How many of you are watching a television?  When you manage to snatch some valuable quality time with your nearest and dearest, put the screens away and be present in the moment with each other.  You don’t want your children’s memories of you to be a face buried in a smartphone.

The Countdown to Christmas – How to Make it Run Smoothly for All

The countdown to Christmas is an exciting time for all of us.  Advent, traditionally beginning on the 1st December, is also a great opportunity for learning about the meaning of Christmas, as well as different cultural takes on the season.

 

However, the countdown to Christmas can become stressful – children can become over-excited, parents may be anxious about family commitments and financial obligations on the lead up to the big day, and all of this may end up making the lead up to Christmas a fraught experience, rather than the happy and exciting one it should be.

 

So how can you make the countdown to Christmas a relaxing and enjoyable one – as well as being fun for the kids?  This list should be useful for nannies, childminders, babysitters and parents alike.

 

Shop in advance

Try to do the majority of your Christmas shopping in the months before December.  This will leave you far more time to spend enjoying the lead up to the big day, rather than panicking about present buying.  Although be sure to stash gifts where curious small people won’t find them!  You can also encourage children to make gifts for one another in the lead up to Christmas.

 

Get creative with the kids

The countdown to Christmas is a great opportunity to get creative with the children.  From making Christmas cards for friends and relatives, to using all manner of mediums to create beautiful Christmas decorations to treasure forever, there will never be a better time to indulge your crafty side with the little ones.  You don’t need much to make lovely decorations – simple salt dough shapes decorated with cheap acrylic paints and glitter make a lovely addition to the Christmas tree.  Christmas baking can also be a wonderful way to spend an hour on a rainy December afternoon – and home made biscuits, mince pies and sweets make great Christmas gifts!

 

Cook in advance

There are several parts of Christmas dinner that you can pre-prepare a few days in advance in order to make Christmas Day easier – and, of course, to give you more time playing with the children and less time chained to the stove!  Stuffing can be pre-prepared and frozen, and you can even pre-peel and chop your potatoes the night before – just make sure you put them in a lidded pan or bucket and cover them in cold water.

 

Take advantage of local Christmas events

Your town will likely have a whole host of exciting things happening on the lead up to Christmas.  Carol services, craft sessions, Christmas fetes and fayres can all be a great opportunity to get the children out of the house to burn off some of that excited energy!  Charity tabletop sales are also very common at Christmas time, and give children a chance to choose gifts for their families without too much (if any) adult input.