Are you a new year resolution slave?
Every year I usually make a nice long list of new years resolutions.
I fulfil maybe two of them and usually not as well as I would like...
So... what to do... how to be more successful?!
After thinking long and hard about this I decided to change tactic.
I have decided to make some, gentle changes instead.
Making changes which are likely to stick and stay rather than fade away!
(2013 Mantra!)
So here they are, my small and steady changes:
Keep a spending diary - My
fab spending diary,
It may seem expensive start to that change, but it is leather so will last and the notebook inside can be replaced when filled! So it looks chic when I grab it out of my bag to note my spending but will last beautifully!
I think this is important because you often don't realise how things add up, I know I don't unless you see it written there in black and white. All the ebay shopping and little bits add up and fast!
If you are anything like me you will hate the running total adding up too high and so will control what you buy better than without it!
Don't leave the room without tidying one thing -
Whether it is taking a child's discarded shoe out or a mug abandoned as it's contents where exhausted, they all need taking care of and you will rest and relax much better if it is gone and put away!
It's amazing the difference this rule makes, and it may just surprise you how many opportunities you have to do this, we get up and move around far more than you would think!
Trust me, this could be a life saver if you have someone turn up at the door unexpected!
Children interviews -
This one is more for David and I, I have sat down with the school age children to discuss their goals for the term and how I can help them. We have come up with a plan for each of the children and even started a family book club. Sounds odd, but we have a tradition in the run up to Christmas that David reads The Christmas Carol to the children (voices and all... it's hilarious!) and the children loved it so the older three have asked that we continue reading together once a week. They get to choose the books and I get to enjoy helping them fall in love with numerous mysterious worlds they can only access through their amazing imaginations!! I get to join them in those worlds, what a privilege!
Sammy taught me a lovely lesson during his, I had been discussing what his report said he could improve on and not given much thought to anything else. He stopped me and said " Mum, so, what am I doing that is good?". Such a wise boy! This gave me such a wonderful opportunity to point out all the wonderful and impressive things he does everyday.
David has scheduled the children for monthly Father/ Child meetings.
They like this, most of them have calenders now so love being able to add their appointment to their calender and seeing their name on the family calender too!
This is an opportunity for David to talk about important things and for the children to be able to have open discussion with the him about anything they need/ want to discuss.
I got a fun idea form a fabulous blog I found;
(I love this blog!)
The lady who writes this blog said her father used to do father/child interviews, but he would start them by writing letters on his children's fingers. Each letter represented something he thought they were amazing at.
I.e. if they were good at art, he would write am 'A' on their finger, he would continue this until each finger was filled.
What an amazing way to show your child they are truly talented and wonderful!
So we have decided this is a good way to start parent/ child interviews.
Our Family Tree -
We made a lovely dining room tree for Christmas this year..
We have decided to keep it going throughout the year, changing what hangs on it depending on the season.
Obviously there is Valentines day, Easter, summer, Halloween, thanksgiving and Christmas.
But it would be sad to be naked the rest of the year, so I am making some little tags with journal prompts on them. That way if the children or us grown ups get stuck on what to write that day we can ask the tree!
I am leaving out all the eat better, exercise more type resolutions.
They are things we need to do anyway and not as a fad.
So those types of things will be worked on over time making steady and permanent changes.
So what are your big or small changes for 2013?
No comments:
Post a Comment