Fun & Easy Ways to Help Your Family Set Goals For the New Year

A New Year – A New Beginning

Here’s something for January besides the usual diet promises. The start of the calendar year is a wonderful time to celebrate life and new beginnings. It is no wonder so many of us choose this time to set goals for ourselves.

Most of us define goals as objectives that are within our control to obtain. Wishes, on the other hand, are our hopes and our dreams. It might seem impractical, but we still throw pennies into fountains and long for our wishes to come true. Here, we offer a different take on the standard New Year’s resolutions. Introduce your family to goal setting in a fun, child-friendly way.

Begin at dinner by discussing your own wishes and asking other family members to do the same. Give everyone a day or two to organize their thoughts, then gather in the room where your family feels most comfortable and begin to write. Let each person write as much (or as little) as they want. Leave a piece of paper on the breakfast table or in the car in case someone is suddenly inspired.

Remember that dreams are very personal. Encourage everyone to share ideas without adding the slightest criticism or suggestion. Let your enthusiasm motivate you. By writing and sharing your dreams you make them real. Often, the greatest reward is not the destination but the journey itself. This New Year commit to building your own family traditions.

Here are three ways to help families visualize their goals:
1. Create a wishing tree. Have family members inscribe thoughts on colorful ribbons. Tie the ribbons to a barren winter tree. Listen to the ribbons whisper their messages as they flutter in the wind.

2. Cast your wishes to the wind. Using a permanent marker, write your goals on Mylar pinwheels. Place them in a bank of snow and declare your goals to the world.

3. Greet New Year’s guests with good wishes for the coming year. Write your resolutions or greetings on small slips of paper and package them in empty walnut shells along with small chocolates. Place a bowl of these diminutive gifts near the front door or at the end of a buffet line for a surprise treat.

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About the Authors: Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes are the co-authors of the award winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out their website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit www.togetherparenting.com
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