Resolutions you make as a family are much more likely to last.
This year, forget about resolving to lose weight, save money, or drink less. While all of those are good things to do, making the same resolutions year after year becomes so ho-hum and nearly impossible to achieve.
What about setting some goals that the whole family can work toward and attain together? It will likely be easier to stick with them because multiple people will be involved. Here are eight New Year’s resolutions you can make as a family.
1. Get outside together
This one can be tough, especially in the frigid winter, but make it a priority to get outside more as a family. Get everyone bundled up and go on a trip to the snow. Take evening walks around your neighborhood block or visit the park on Saturday afternoons. Teaching children to get outside when they’re young helps cultivate a love for the outdoors. It will also keep them from watching too much TV or playing too many video games.
2. Respect one another
This should apply to all family members, so be intentional about how you speak to one another, including you and your spouse. Kids learn and model the behavior that they see, so be aware of how you speak and treat others. This includes their teachers, grocery clerks, and especially other family members. So watch out for those pesky sibling rivalries that still exist even among the adults.
3. Start a new tradition
Since you just came off the holidays—which are full of traditions—why not start a new one that isn’t holiday-related? It can be making dinner together on the first Sunday of the month or going on a family hike once a month. Everyone can share their input on what they think a good tradition would be. You and the kids will look forward to it each month and it will create lasting memories for your family.
4. Give back
Do some charitable work together. It could be serving at a local shelter or walking dogs at the SPCA. Showing your kids that the world is bigger than them is an important lesson for them to learn early on. Have discussions with them about why you are helping and what it means to you and others.
5. Establish a family game night
Here’s another way to have some quality family time without all the distractions of technology. Establish a regular family game night. Gather different board games and bake pizzas that night. You can even make friendly competitions, such as the losing team has to make everyone else dessert. Game nights will help your kids connect and communicate with you more regularly.
6. Read together
Even if your kids have outgrown the storytime before bed routine, you can still read together as a family. Make it a point to turn off the TV or put your phones down and pick up a book (a real paper book). You can visit the local library together and everyone can pick out a few books that interest them. Ask your kids questions about the books they’re reading to open up more discussions.
7. Practice kindness
It’s easy to tell your kids to “be kind,” but how about intentionally practicing it with them? You can make a random acts of kindness calendar where you carry out different tasks each week. Doing different kind activities with them and practicing it regularly will help teach them the importance of treating others kindly.
8. Take more photos
With kids being so well versed in technology these days, this one should be easy. Make it a resolution to take more family photos together. You can document your new traditions, acts of kindness, and candid photos of you just hanging out. Get them printed and hang them in the house so you can look back at all the fun you’ve been having.
All of these are lessons you probably want to teach your children anyway. Making them family New Year’s resolutions is a fun way to get the whole family involved and a way to make sure you stay intentional sticking to the changes throughout the year.
You can read more advice from Kurt at Guy Stuff Counseling, Facebook, Google+, or Twitter.