You know the thing I like about New Year? It allows me to start all over again. I am given another 365 days in my life so why not make the most out of it, right?
For this year’s resolutions, I vow to become the best mom for my kids. Here’s what I will do.
Photo from Dilexa, Creative Commons, Flickr
1. Play with them more.
There’s a reason why I decided to allot one room for my kids’ playroom. Aside from minimizing the clutter in the house, it allows them to play in just one area – with everything they need in it. And yes, I bring them in the playroom so I can do my freelance job.
This year, I will do my best to play with them more. My kids are getting bigger each day and demands more interaction. I was even surprised to see my three-year old doing role plays with Doc McStuffins and Peppa Pig while my youngest is starting to appreciate toys.
Aside from confining them in the playroom, my husband plans to bring the girls every weekend in Bulacan (where he grew up) so they can run and swim around and get exposed to sports and outdoor activities. It’s a good form of exercise too, don’t you think?
2. Teach them more.
When my eldest was born, I started showing her flash cards and recite her ABC by the time she turned two months old. Yes, I know, it’s too early. But it did pay off. With my second child, I wasn’t able to do those activities that early because I was too preoccupied with work and managing the household. I noticed she was a bit delayed with her speech so I started to pay attention to her more. Thankfully, there was an improvement.
And this is what I plan to do this year. Aside from the fact that my eldest is going to school, I will do my best to teach them more so they will be ready by the time school starts. iPad has advantages but I prefer teaching them the old school way, which is what I’ve been doing for the past years.
3. Pay more attention to their needs.
I have to admit, I am physically present but there are moments when I am too engaged with something that I tend to just say “okay” and “that’s good” when my kids say something.
This 2015, I plan to reduce my workload so I can pay more attention to my kids. I want to be there for them, witness their milestones and help them learn more – and this means more than just being physically present. They are at this point in their life where they start to discover the world and learn different tasks, whether it’s tying their shoelace or fixing their toys. I promise to be there for them to guide them in every step and at the same time, assure and encourage them to do better.
4. Read with them more.
I love books. When I was younger, I had an entire shelf full of Sweet Valley Kids, Babysitters Club and Nancy Drew books in the library. As I grow older, my book collection included other authors and more serious subjects. I owe that to my mom who exposed me to books at an early age.
I wish to do the same with my girls. There’s still something about holding an actual book and turning the pages compared to just swiping. I’ve started growing my kids’ book collection and plan to add more for as long as I can. I’m happy because my eldest is showing inclination towards books and love to visit Powerbooks every time we’re in the mall. She’s even pretending that she knows how to read and creates her own stories. Of course, I’m still having difficulty keeping them still every time I read them a story, which leads me to my next momma resolution.
5. Be more patient with them.
Did I say patience was never really my virtue? Well, until I became a mom, I don’t even know where I get my truckload of patience. But dealing with everything all at the same time can be exhausting, especially when my kids decide to not cooperate.
This year, I challenge myself to be more patient – even if it means answering the same question from my kids over and over.
6. Feed them more.
I have another confession to make: my eldest is a picky eater. It’s really giving me a hard time feeding her since all she wants is chicken and bread. My mom would always say to be more patient in feeding her since she might not get enough nutrients, which her growing body needs. I have tried making burgers used cookie cutters to shape it and prevent her from eating sweets since it tends to spoil her appetite. Sadly, none of it worked.
This is what I want to focus on this year. Going back with my patience resolution, I need to make sure that my kids are getting enough by being patient in feeding them more.
7. Be a good role model for them.
Have you noticed your child mimicking everything you do? My kids are like mirrors. Anything we do or say, they make sure they do it too, which is why we all need to be extra careful in terms of words and actions. You know what they say, “Sa mata ng bata, lahat tama.” I’m pretty sure I’m not doing or saying anything bad in front of my kids but I still want them to look up to me.
If you notice, the word “more” is always part of my mommy resolutions. With my husband’s assurance, I feel I’m doing a great job raising my kids and being the best momma I can be. Still, I want to make sure I don’t stop from “pwede na yan” and continuously strive to be the best for them. After all, our kids are reflection of who we are as parents, right?
How about you? What are your mommy resolutions for this year?
Ayi is a stay-at-home mom of two. When her kids are in their best state, she keeps up with chores, work, and ensuring that her sanity is intact. Join her as she navigates through this rollercoaster ride called motherhood.
My mommy resolutions include being more patient, being calm and stop yelling altogether. Yes, to also be a good role model. They really do mirror all I do, say, and even my attitude.
this is really sweet of you. our children becomes our yearly goal hehe we become selfless all we think about is their welfare which is a good thing though we should not forget of ourseles too… we should be reminded that as we look for theirwell being we should take care of ourselves too, in order to function well…. cheers to selfless moms lke us…
I’m also planning on having a room for our baby with no bed para di sya mahulog pag natutulog. You’re right, less clutter din tlaga pag may sarili silang kwarto.
I like your lists, that’s what my goal too every year because time flies so fast and next school year, my son will spend 7 hours in school not including the travel time so I will really miss our time together.
I can relate to most of the things in your list especially the feeding part. Like your child, my son is also a very picky eater, and I’m concerned that he doesn’t have the right nutrient intake. So this year, I’m going back to making veggie juices and smoothies even if it means more effort on my part! Do you want to do the same? 🙂
I do! Actually, I’m addicted to juicing so I ask my daughter if she wants to help me prepare. Go naman siya, though every time I ask her if she wants to try, hanggang sip lang ginagawa niya 🙂
That’s nice! I’m thinking of buying a juicer myself. Good luck to us!
I like the the resolution number 2 “Teach them more” even though my son is doing good in his school I want to teach him more, iba pa din kasi turo ng mommy. I have to admit that sometimes I was not able to teach him madalas pag may exam lang. This summer I want to teach him more in writing and reading
Of course mommy. Even if there are teachers, iba parin talaga the kind of knowledge we can impart on our kids 🙂
Good New Year’s Resolution you have there! When it comes to our kids, everything we do for them will be worth it. Though it’s not be that beneficial to us but for them–which means less “sakit ng ulo” kids for you.
True. As parents, we want to raise our kids as disciplined and responsible ones. Sabi nga nila, start early daw. though of course, I’m not pressuring my kids to act like they’re 7 already :))
My daughter loves Pretend Play. I read that it is good for kids to do that. Good for you and the kids for having a separate room as play area.
xoxo
MrsMartinez
It’s a must! Otherwise, I wouldn’t know where to put their toys. And I can’t even imagine how our house will look like :))
My momma resolutions for this year are : to do more outdoor activities with my son, to be more patient in explaining things to him (right and wrong, why and how), to eat and live healthier!