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Setting parenting goals for a successful new year

Setting parenting goals for a successful new year

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Parenting can be tough, and like every parent, there are times when it feels extra challenging. Right now, we’re in one of those rough patches—between the holidays, different schedules, and new routines, things have definitely felt a bit out of sync. One thing that’s really helped our family during this time is incorporating "mini-meetings" every quarter. My husband and I get comfy on the couch (with a coffee in hand, of course) and talk about what’s not working and what we need to fix. These meetings give us a chance to make sure everyone’s needs are met, fine-tune our systems, and adjust our parenting approach. Here’s what we discuss and the parenting goals we set for a successful year.

Divvy up responsibilities 

Sharing responsibilities has always been part of our routine, but as the seasons change and the kids get older, the way we divide tasks needs to evolve. What worked before might not work now, so it’s important to reassess and split duties again. Ensuring the workload is balanced, or that both parties feel good about the division (even if it’s not perfectly even!) is key.

Everyone needs "me" time

We’ve learned that to be the best parents we can be, we need to fill up our own cups before we can fill up others. A big part of that is carving out "me time" to give us a chance to recharge and refuel. For me, that looks like taking a solo walk early in the morning before the rest of the house wakes up. For others, it might mean a weekly massage or enjoying a cup of coffee alone on the porch. Everyone recharges differently, and it’s important to make that a regular part of your routine so that you can show up as the best parent possible.

Establish healthy screen time habits

We realized that screen time easily spiraled out of control for us. You can go from a 15-minute limit to two hours without even realizing it. We also noticed that after screen time was up, we’d be dealing with bad moods and meltdowns, and it just wasn’t worth it. So, we decided to significantly cut back and now reserve screens for Fridays after school. We’re still figuring out the right balance, but we feel much more in control of it now. 

Add reading time to bedtime

We all know reading is great for kids, but with all the extracurricular activities and busy schedules, it can easily get pushed aside. In order to make reading a daily habit, we started setting aside a specific reading time before bed. In our family, this happens after baths but before lights out. For the younger kids, I read to them in their rocking chair before transitioning to bedtime lullabies and lights out. For my oldest, who’s practicing reading, we read together, taking turns with a book we both enjoy.

More boundaries in the morning

In the mornings, our kids would burst out of their rooms and head straight to our bed. While it was adorable to see their smiling faces first thing, it made mornings incredibly stressful. They’d beg for breakfast, fire off a million questions, and we just weren’t ready for it—especially not before 6 a.m. So, we set a new rule: we’d come get them when it was time to wake up, or they could get out of bed when their wake-up clock turned green. This simple boundary gives us time to wake up, get dressed, prepare breakfast, and mentally gear up for the day.

Cut ourselves some slack

We all make mistakes, and when it comes to parenting, we make plenty. Whether it’s raising our voices, forgetting a snack, or not checking in with a kid about their test, some days end with us feeling guilty for falling short of our own expectations. These moments happen, but what truly matters is how we recover. I used to go to bed feeling overwhelmed by guilt, which wasn’t great for my mental health. Now, I make a conscious effort to give myself grace and focus on doing better tomorrow.

Consistently improving healthy habits 

As a mom and pediatric dietitian, I’m always looking for ways to incorporate new healthy routines into our daily schedule—whether it's spending more time outside, staying active, adding more veggies, or experimenting with new dinner recipes. But sometimes life gets overwhelming, and we forget about those healthy habits we were so excited about. I like to remind myself that it’s not always about adding new habits, but about staying consistent with the ones we’ve already built.



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