- Share This Post
- Pin It
- 0
- 30
-
Sparkle (4)
Rumor has it that 2012 is upon us. While I was trying to figure out what my resolutions or goals should be for the year (think: reading, organization, weight), I realized that there are some things I’d like to add to and or change in my parenting. Some are goals -- actual things to be done at some point. Some are resolutions -- concepts that either need changed or accomplished. Either way, while there aren’t many, these four parenting goals should keep me busy this year.
My 2012 Parenting Goals/Resolutions/What Have You:
Start the boys’ chore charts and “allowance.” The boys have had chores forever. We’ve taught them that certain things need to be done as part of a family. I also believe that kids should be allowed to earn a little money while helping out, so I’ve been researching ways to go about it. Burgh Baby shared her take on it and I love it. “Guaranteed” payouts plus other chores just seems like a great way to go about it. Of course, then I look at Pinterest and I get all excited about design and look and, really, all of these should just go on my “Let’s Face It, I’m Never Going to Do This” board. But still, they’re pretty and inspiring.
Start scheduling one-on-one time with the boys. This Kindergarten year has been somewhat surprising in the fact that it feels we never see BigBrother. LittleBrother only goes to preschool three half-days per week, so we have a lot of time with him... but it’s also the mundane, “let’s play a quick game after lunch before Mommy has to get back to work” kind of time together. I’m not sure what we should do, other than something. Together. I think it would be of benefit to all of us.
Get caught up on photo books. I am woefully behind. And while I have a blog and archived photos in various places, I know that the boys like to be able to sit down with the books, thumb through them and yell, “Hey! Remember that time!” It’s just something I need to get done... or it won’t get done.
Pick my battles better. Did you ever find yourself standing there, arguing with a six-year-old about something so inconsequential that it was likely a scene in bad kid comedy movie? But you just had to be right? No? Just me? Yes, I struggle with it. Maybe it’s because my six-year-old is a Mini Me and knows how to push my buttons. Maybe it’s because my four-year-old is a Mini Version of My Husband and likes to be silly in serious situations, which also pushes my buttons. But man, I just need to know when to laugh and walk away from an argument. One of these issues for me is the dinner table. For some reason, our youngest son has been anti-dinner for a few months now. It doesn’t matter that he likes the meal and will eat leftovers for lunch tomorrow with no hesitation; dinner is the issue. I need to let go of that and stop taking it as a personal affront to my cooking. He’ll eat when he’s hungry. Really. He will. That said, my oldest son rolled his eyes at me two days ago, and I’ll be choosing that battle. Because, oh, hell no.
And, really, that’s it. I have other things that will be done this year. Our oldest son will get a finished room makeover. The playroom will get an overhaul. We’ll travel to old and new places. We’ll play outside together. We’ll laugh. We’ll yell. We’ll snort-laugh. We’ll play in the snow (the boys demanded I add that to the list when I asked them; they are so my children). We’ll try new foods and eat old favorites. We’ll read. A lot. We’ll see some movies. We’ll do things that we don’t even know about right now.
And even if the chore chart fails and the one-on-ones are few and far between and the photo books don’t get made and I argue over stupid things... it will still be a great year. Because we have each other.
Rolling eyes and all.
Share with us: What are some of your parenting goals in 2012?
