I’ve never been really good with resolutions. I follow them for a month or two before I resort to my old ways. But things have changed ever since I became a parent. Over the last few years, I’ve been making resolutions that will help me be a better parent and have diligently stuck with most of them. Here are my 5 New Year resolutions as a parent for 2020!
Worry less
Even before I had kids, I used to be the kind of person who’d overthink every little thing. It’s in my nature to be cautious and it just got worse when I had kids. As a parent, it’s natural to worry about your children and do things to ensure their safety. But at times, it can do more damage than good. There have been instances where my concern for my children crossed the line and I ended up coming across overbearing and controlling. This year, I vow to relax and not obsess over every little thing. I’ll still keep an eye out and will always be there for my children but I won’t sensationalise and dramatise every little thing and trust them to be the good kids they are.
Spend more time with family
Though I usually pride myself on striking a good balance between my professional and personal life, I do wish I could spend more time with my family. Even though I’m home by 6 pm, more often than not I bring my work home and rarely get to spend time with Raj and the kids. This coming year, I’ve decided not to carry work home and indulge in more family activities and family vacations.
Converse with my children
I’m guilty of this and I’m pretty sure most of the parents out there are too. I’m talking about the classic parenting line “Because I said so!”. Whenever I have a disagreement with the kids or want them to fall in line, I use this classic line as reasoning instead of explaining the logical reasoning behind it. I usually resort to this method as it’s easier. But that’s what being a good mother is, is it? So, this new year, I will actually sit down and reason with them instead of taking the easy way out. It will test my patience but I’ll be a better parent to my children if I can do this.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle
The coming year, I want to cook more meals at home and avoid ordering in and eating out. Even though my kids love eating outside, I know better than to think that’s healthy. I’ve recently started meal preps and it has been helping me ensure we eat home-cooked meals most of the time. Maybe, I’ll start incorporating family walks on Sunday mornings with the promise of breakfast at Koshy’s later. The latter part will definitely ensure my children agree to the plan.
Self-care
In order to give my best to my children and husband, I have to feel my best. That’s only possible if I pay attention and take care of myself. Self-care is an alien concept for most of the parents out there. In fact, for the longest time, I felt guilty taking some time off for myself because it made me feel selfish. But after a while, I realised that I need a break sometimes so that I can come back as a better version of myself for my family. Even though I make time for alone time with the hubby, spas, my favourite hobbies, this year I plan on doing it a little more.
I wouldn’t say I’m the best at sticking to resolutions, but this time I plan on doing it with this New Year resolution as a parent! I’ll keep you all updated on my progress!
See you next year!
