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new years

New Year, New Us: Setting Resolutions As A Family

New Year’s resolutions often never make it past the first couple of months of the new year. But that doesn’t mean they are pointless. In fact, setting resolutions together as a family can have a great impact on your young ones. Here are a few ways to be most successful in helping your family reach their goals for 2022. 

     1. Let everyone know what your goal is

If everybody in the household knows what your goal is, then they are more likely to help you achieve it or remind you of it when you fall behind. 

new year goals     2. Write it down, and make a plan!

Try writing up everyone’s goal on a whiteboard or poster in the house, so the goal stays in sight and mind. Make sure every goal has a detailed plan, including baby steps. 

     3. Make resolutions that are achievable and realistic

Make sure everyone in the home is choosing a goal that they are capable of reaching. Usually a goal like “make 100,000 dollars” isn’t achievable for your 10-year-old. So if your child’s goal is hard to reach, have them scale back their goal.

resolutions scrabble word

     4. Make resolutions that are specific and measurable 

The best goals are ones that you can measure easily. For instance, a plan of reading more is okay, but a goal of reading for at least 3 hours every week is better because it is easier to track.

     5. Allow your child to choose their own goal

Let your child choose their own goal to ensure they are motivated to accomplish it. By all means offer your support in terms of developing the plan, but let them ultimately choose what they are aiming for.

    6. Share your progress as a family 

Tell your family members any progress you’ve made towards your goal, and be honest about any setbacks you’ve experienced. Even if you don’t meet a goal, your honesty will make sure your children feel comfortable sharing their shortcomings. It also shows them that temporary failures do not mean you can’t start again.

prayer as family

    7. Be the best goal-setting role model you can be

Because our kids learn more from watching us than listening to us, take on being the best goal-achiever and show them how to accomplish goals! 

All in all sticking to these goals as a family will make your family unit stronger and also help make each of you a more successful individual. Happy New Year and happy goal-setting!  

Reading Together Matters

Reading has almost fallen out of style. Because of entertainment streaming services like Hulu or Netflix, more kids open up screens than books. However, the benefits of opening up a book will never disappear. That is why child development theorists call it one of the most significant activities for your child’s future success.

kids reading together

Reading is necessary for your child’s development

Parents know that a huge part of a baby’s development happens in the first 5 years of their life, but this doesn’t end at age 5. Whether your kid is 2 or 11, reading increases literacy and comprehension skills. It also adds to the number of words in their vocabulary. It can even strengthen their social skills. Not to mention doing the activity together helps to build bonds within the family!

father and daughter reading togetherGet creative!

There are ways to make reading as a family fun and engaging. Try creating special “book nooks” around the house specifically for opening up books. You can also have your kids come up with their own endings to their favorite stories to test their creative skills and imagination. You can even add family karaoke nights to your week, turning reading into a fun and musical event. The possibilities of reading together are endless, as are the benefits for your child’s learning. 

holding hands

Valentine’s Day With The Kids​: 3 Ways to Show Love

Valentine’s Day sometimes focuses more on gifts than it does love itself. As our young ones begin to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the classroom, make sure they understand that some of the best kinds of love aren’t always romantic (although that type of love is pretty cool, too). The love between friends, family, and self-love is just as powerful.  Instead of centering romantic love this Valentine’s Day, here are a few ideas you and the kids can try instead.

kid with heart paper

Write Appreciation Letters

A big part of love is showing your appreciation for someone and making sure it is clearly expressed to them. A great way to practice this with your kids is by having everyone in the house write “love letters”–or letters of appreciation, to family members and friends. In these letters, be specific! Use details to really express the unique things you love about someone, then pass the letters off to their recipients and watch how happy everyone involved will be.

Secret Santa–But Make It Valentine’s Day.

Gift-giving is another huge way of expressing love. Set up a Secret Santa Valentine’s edition with your household, neighbors, or family friends. You can decide the price limit on gifts, or make homemade gifts. Whatever you decide, remember–the more heartfelt the gift, the better.

Compliment Giving

Two kids with balloons looking at eachother

Fill the day with compliments to everyone in the household. Everybody loves compliments, but more importantly, everyone needs compliments. It is super necessary that kids be complimented so they can develop a strong sense of self, but it’s also important that they are able to give compliments and develop meaningful connections with others. 

These are just a few things you can do to help expand your children’s idea of love this Valentine’s Day. In the process, you might even expand your own.

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