Setting Family Goals in the New Year by VTech Mom

Before the calendar even rolled over to 2015, many of us were already looking head and making resolutions for the New Year. A running list of things we want to do (or don’t want to do), achieve, or try in this fresh New Year.

But, as parents, it can become difficult to balance those 2015 resolutions while still finding time for our family. This year, instead of just making resolutions just for yourself, consider adding Family Goals to your the New Year!

1. Set Separate Goals with your Kids

As much as we love our family time together, we also know it’s important for each individual member of our family to set their own personal goals for the New Year. Encourage each family member to brainstorm two or three goals they want to achieve in 2015. For example, my toddler wants to master tying his own shoes while my oldest daughter is giving herself the goal of earning enough money to go to horse camp this summer.

2. Set Family Goals

Once you have some ideas for individual goals, it’s time to put your family’s heads together and make a list of family goals. This is where my family really lets their creative juices flow! It’s a great time to take everyone’s individual interests and find a way for the whole family to enjoy them!

For example, a few of my family’s 2015 goals include discovering new hiking trails this summer, read together each night, and host a BBQ for all of our neighbors.

I’ve also found great ways to take what might have been one of my individual goals and transform it into a family goal. Shedding a few unwanted pounds tends to make it on most resolution lists, mine included. But instead of just making that my goal, we’re creating a goal as a family to hike and bike together. I’m getting the exercise I want but I’m also able to do it with my family!

3. Make A List & Display It

While everyone is brainstorming their lists, we begin adding them to piece of poster board. A small piece of paper is easy to tuck away and ignore, but a piece of poster board….not as easy to ignore!

With everyone’s goals and our family goals written on the poster board, we then hang it in our home office and homework room. Keeping our goals displayed helps to remind us of them. We also add a little extra fun to ours by letting the kids decorate the poster board with drawings and cut out images that reflect the goals.

My favorite part about setting goals together as a family is that our goal setting does not stop the first week of January. As we discover new interests and adventures in the coming year, we will add new goals to our list, continuing to stretch our family and ourselves.

I love the idea of revamping the traditional New Year’s Resolutions from a list of “do”s and “don’t”s and creating a simple list of reminders to get out there, make memories and play together as a family!