Happy New Year! Here’s to another year of awesome parenting and making memories with your little loves. Did you make resolutions this year? If not, feel free to borrow some of our easy-to-keep resolutions to make this year wonderful.
1. Ask for help
Parenting is a 24-hour job that entails so much: feeding, diaper changes, playtime, errands, laundry, the list is endless. Moms are absolute superheroes but doing everything comes at a cost. You lose out on sleep, burn out from always being on the go, and scrape what you can from energy and patience reserves just to get by. Be kind to yourself, Mom. The old adage, “it takes a village”, is true. Grandparents, siblings, and friends are usually happy to help when you ask for it. Help comes in many forms; it could be a couple hours of babysitting, making dinner, or picking up diapers from the store
2. Get your kids to eat their veggies
As a mom, you want to see your child eat a well-balanced meal without the dramatic outbursts of “Yucky!” or “I don’t like that!” Introducing new foods to your wee one can be a fight, but it doesn’t always have to be this way. For picky eaters or kids who won’t eat their veggies, you can implement some tricks that encourage them to at least try something new. Check out our blog post on raising an adventurous eater for some ideas on how to make mealtime easier. Strap a bib on your little one and get ready to work some magic.
3. Get some alone time
We’ve heard a lot about the importance of self-care over the last year. Overall, moms need to get better at taking care of themselves too. Little breaks from being mom give you the ability to recharge your batteries. If you’re constantly running on empty, your patience is short, or you’re feeling stressed, take some time to yourself.
FYI, alone time shouldn't include doing errands or catch up on chores—that’s not going to fill your figurative cup. Use your mini-breaks to rest, read, chat with your friends, or get out of the house for a coffee or walk.
4. Spend some time with your significant other
Just like taking time out for yourself, you need to show up for your relationship too. When it’s been a long day, you may take it out on your partner (and vice versa). Parenting is rewarding, but one of the toughest jobs out there and you need to balance out the hard days with love and appreciation for your other half. Make time each week to connect or go on a date. Don’t talk about kids or the household agenda, instead, have fun and be sweet together like you did before kids.
5. Create a sleep routine that works
For moms still waking up several times through the night because of restless little ones, this is the year to try sleep training. There are several approaches to sleep training besides the “cry it out” method. Find a method that aligns with your parenting style and help your child fall asleep and stay asleep so you can do the same. For small babies, you may want to try a swaddle, which prevents their startle reflex from waking them up. Older babies and toddlers can stay warm and cozy all night in a sleep bag or sleep suit.
6. Read more books with your kids
Now is a great time to start reading with your kids. Making it a priority to read with your little ones every day shows your little bub that reading is fun and worthwhile. When children enjoy storytime they’re more likely to love reading as they get older.
Reading teaches your child language skills by building their vocabulary and forming associations with words and pictures. It sparks their imagination, teaches them listening skills, and adds to how they understand the world around them. At Nest Designs, we love books so much, we have a line of products inspired by Eric Carle’s work.
7. Buy some plants
Adding some green to your home is a wonderful way to teach kids responsibility and how to care for the natural world. Have your little one help you choose a couple of plants and actively participate in their care.
For beginner green thumbs, a low maintenance plant such as a succulent or jade plant is a great way to start—these guys don’t need much, just lots of light and occasional water. For older kids, growing herbs or flowers from seeds or propagating existing plants can be an amazing exercise for them (and perhaps inspire future gardeners).
8. Put the phone away
Do you spend a lot of time taking pictures of your little cutie and posting the pics on your socials? Children are small for such a short time, and it’s understandable to want to capture as many moments as possible. While you’re snapping away and preserving moments in pictures, you’re missing out on making memories from playing with your little bub. Social media won’t go anywhere—you can take a few hours away from your smartphone; if you absolutely need to take a picture, only take one, put your phone away, and get to playing.
9. Be more flexible
Mom, you’ll drive yourself crazy if you need everything to be perfect and on time. Be honest with yourself, there are some items on your to-do list that don’t need to be crossed off today. It’s okay to delay dinnertime, doing the dishes, or laundry for something more important, like a nap.
Keep a schedule but let go of a rigid structure—it may help relieve some of the stress you carry around. When you start to feel anxious about a chore, errand, or time, take a moment to breathe; very few tasks need to happen at an exact time in or in a particular way.
10. Give more hugs
This might be our favorite resolution: give love and get love back. It takes only a few seconds, but holding your loved ones tight gives us some pretty great health benefits. Hugging may increase the amount of oxytocin you produce, which lowers your stress. Lower stress keeps your immune system from going into overdrive, which in turn helps prevent you from getting sick. There’s more good news! Hugs may also have a beneficial effect on lowering your heart rate and blood pressure. Hug your little one or your partner often to get these beneficial effects.
Did you make any resolutions this year? Let us know in the comments!We like these resolutions because they’re easy to implement. Moms are really busy and suggesting they incorporate some lofty resolutions may be unrealistic. Give these a try and make this year a fantastic one. Happy New Year, Moms!