New Year Resolutions Of A Confused Parent

It is that time again where we, as parents, resolve to make newer and better resolutions that we hope to stick to for the entire year. This is what we optimistically vow to do for the coming year and hopefully manage to do at least for the first month:

Keep a poker face no matter what the mischief
I resolve not to lose my temper or my wits if  I find my child in a puddle of mud or curd or paint or anything else that will take me a painstaking hour to clean up. Instead, I will look at the brighter side of it – my child flexing her creative muscles!

Stretch my imagination for outings
I resolve not to make a stop to the mall for groceries and veggies count as an outing for my kid. We all live in a time when finding quite time for family is often a luxury. And so such errand trips have become our family time. We resolve (my partner included since he is likely to play the doting dad and take this up more enthusiastically than I do) to look for fun and better outings in the coming year.

Reduce gadget time
Easier said than done! I am sure a lot of parents will agree with me on this one. We resolve to reduce time spent on gadgets as a family unit. As much as my fingers itch to switch on the television to watch just one more “informative” show or hand over the phone to the kid to keep her out of my hair for a while, I will not give in to the temptation.

Get my creative juices flowing
Who said that the only way to keep a child busy is to send her to umpteen classes to “learn”? Hopefully if all the resolutions mentioned above are adhered to I will find quite some time at hand. I resolve to find creative ways to engage with my kid. There is more to quality time than getting her to cram the letters of the alphabet, recite the same old nursery rhymes and identify colours, right? I will wait for inspiration to strike.

Schedule more ME time
There is a phase in every parent’s life where self-pity often overrides all emotions. One often wonders where time flies – preparing for the child’s day, dropping off the child at school (phew!), getting the laundry out of the way – with children you never realize when heaps turn to mounds, scheduling lunch, snacks and dinner to cater to every taste bud. Think of taking a break. Pick up the kid from school, try not to lose temper at another tantrum, lose your temper, force the child to eat what you thought was her favourite food, literally shove the toddler into bed and finally going off to sleep to realize that it is time for another such day! So, I resolve to find time for myself in this crazy schedule and promise to spend it only on ME!

Also read more about: 10 New Years Resolutions For Moms To Live By