How are the kids’ new year resolutions going?
This blog post takes a look at new year resolutions. For more ideas about thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise children see http://homemadekids.wordpress.com. She has also written a parenting book, see Homemade Kids. More info at www.nicolabaird.com
Ready to surf, even though it’s proper winter.
Who will you be in 2013?
It’s so wonderful to be dreamy enough to believe in the new year-new you rebirth. But I rarely make new year resolutions. My excuse is that it’s always better to aim to take something up, rather than give it up.
So when Nell, 11, said on a slightly mad New Year’s Eve (everyone was dressed up as something beginning with B*) that she’d like to do more adventurous things during 2013 I was impressed. Not so long ago she used to try to give up yucky broccoli or some other vegetable she had a vendetta against. But this year she started off her adventure persona well, as you can see from the pic showing her ready to swim/body surf in freezing Cornwall on 2 January with friends.
When children have enough nouse to think up something they’d like to work on to improve the quality of their life they deserve a big cheer. After that I think everyone else in the family needs to forget everyone else’s “new year resolution” so that at no point is anyone nagged into their new character. If this doesn’t happen it is too easy for rowing kids or tired adults to take pot shots at often very peculiar fears (eg, scary clowns, the monsters under the bed, eating too much) simply because their “target” suggested that they wanted to live their life a little differently as the clock ticked off New Year’s Eve.
* Nell’s B outfit was buccanneer. I went as a (polar) bear, but got mistaken as a badger. Pete was Tom Baker as Dr Who (an excuse to offer jelly babies around)…
Over to you
What have your kids given or taken up for the new year – and how did it make you feel as they try to do it, or abandon the cause?
Tags: adventurous kids, broccoli, new year new you, new year resolutions, new year's resolutions, postaweek2013
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January 28, 2013 at 11:11 am
Nicola here: I was sent this link from a big website – but it contains some lovely ideas about how to make family life harmonious and of some use to society, see: http://www.gonannies.com/blog/2013/4-ways-families-can-start-the-new-year-off-right