Parenting Resolutions For 2014
Another year is about to end, while a new one is waiting in wings to unfold the mysteries it has for us. With every passing year a lot of thing changes in our life some good, some bad, and some whose impact we will understand only in the years to come.
While one cannot plan parenting, here are a few things I wish to accomplish as a parent in 2014.
Know the friends of elder one: While we are good friends, I hardly know any friends of my elder daughter. As she gets ready to be a teenager in a couple of years the friends she will make in the next few years will have a far reaching impact on her life. I think it will not be out of place to try to know a bit more about her friends. While we cannot decide who her friends will be, it still helps to know a bit about them. At this age friends are the biggest influencers in any teen’s life and they can provide good insight in their thought process.
More Family trips: We have missed our family trips a lot this year due to my travels, related to work etc. I think 2014 will be a good year to catch up and indulge in some outdoor activities with the kids. I strongly recommend that all parents should take a trip or two every year with kids. Avoid touristy places and take your kids where they will bond with nature as well as with you. You never know what the magic of outdoors will do for your relationship.
Working on pictures: We have thousands of pictures of kids taken during birthdays, parties, outings and they are all somewhere deep inside the computer. I am sure most of you have them too; I plan to catalogue all of them and make some printouts of some precious moments. There is no better conversation starter than some old pictures reminding you of the joyous moments when those pictures were taken. Computers are good for saving pictures, but you need the pictures in front of your eyes where you can see them.
Play Sports Together: A lot of time that we spend with our kids is indoor watching TV, at dinner time or debating over Home Work, the time to play sports is being missed badly. I think 2014 will be the year when we will start playing some games outdoor once again. This should not only help in point no 1 but I may lose a few kilos in the bargain. What better win-win situation you can have as a parent.
Let’s talk Money: Except for giving some pocket money to the elder one, we rarely talk about money. I think it is high time the kids learnt the value of money and understand a few concepts of budgeting and difference between needs, wants and desire. Another thing they need to understand is the value of a good education and the importance of a structured education that will build a solid foundation for the future.
These are the top 5 priorities that we have, as every family is different. I am sure you will have your own priorities for 2014 as a parent. How about sharing them here on parentous. Thanks for reading and wishing you a happy and prosperous 2014.
Sasha and Prasad Np are proud parents of 2 girls whom they fondly call Princess and Pinkette. He wears many hats after taking a break from being corner office critter for a long time. He is now an entrepreneur, blogger, photographer, traveler and a potential investor in start-ups with unique concepts especially if they are in travel related business. He blogs at Desi Traveler, and can be reached at Facebook and Twitter.