As the year comes to an end, the hustle and bustle of the holidays come to a close and the time to create resolutions for the new year is upon us. However, just as important as creating resolutions or goals for yourself as a parent, you should take the time to reflect on the past year. We’ve provided some helpful statements to guide your reflection.
The ability to reflect is a very underrated skill in today’s fast paced world. Many of us never learn to make this a habit as we are more focused on constantly producing and being productive. Being reflective actually builds your self-awareness and lets you sort through and clarify things when life becomes too hectic.
We focus mainly on positive experiences as we want to work on creating an upward spiral. Keep the good moments of the past year going to reach newer heights this year. It may be a good idea to take a minute to either discuss your answers with your partner or to write them into a journal for your own reference.
Complete the following prompts:
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- My favorite moment(s) of bonding between my child(ren) and I this year was…
- One way I worked some rest or relaxation time into my schedule this year was…
- One thing I did especially well as a parent this year was…
- I am grateful for the way [insert person’s name] helped me or supported me this week…
- My favorite aspect of this age of my child(ren) is…
- A way I’d like to parent a little better next year is…
- If I had to choose one word to focus on for next year it would be…
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Another way to focus on the positives and reflect is to create a reverse bucket list. Sometimes to-do lists and future-focused thinking can create a sense of anxiety. Instead, try reversing the process and write a list of all the amazing/inspiring things that already took place. This will leave you feeling less anxious about all that is still left undone and grateful for all that has happened.
It’s also a great time to get your child(ren) excited for the new year to come. Instead of simply writing ideas for resolutions, make it more fun for kids by creating a vision board for the coming year! To make your vision board follow the instructions below:
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- Gather some old magazines, scissors, glue/tape, coloring supplies, decorative items (stickers, ribbons, glitter, shells, beads, etc.).
- Print out our vision board template. If you want to create your own grab a blank piece of paper or poster board.
- Have your child reflect on what they want to accomplish or do this year. If you are using our vision board template use the provided reflections. If you are creating your own have your child reflect on what they would like to achieve with the following topics: family/friend relationships, learning, travel, self-care, sports/activities.
- Visualize it! It could be in the form of words or pictures – tell them to think creatively and have fun. If you are making your own vision board, have your child write the areas of focus and have them spread out all over the board. Decorate and have fun!Â
