Resolutions

As a mom of two (soon to be three) little ones, setting New Year’s Resolutions are hard and oftentimes unrealistic. Last year our family decided to implement monthly goals to accomplish and it was a total game changer. (read more about that in Family Goals for the New Year).

This year, I am exhausted. Running after two toddlers while pregnant is not for the weak, but I still wanted to set a goal for our family. Late December, after the craziness of the Christmas season started to wind down, I was spending time reflecting on the season.

Busyness

As moms, I think we tend to wear our busyness as a badge of honor. Why is that? I spent some quiet time in prayer and realized I knew what our family- and mostly myself- really needed. We don’t need another goal to strive for, another activity to sign up for, or another thing to add to our plates. We needed to slow down. We needed a pause, a reset, and an opportunity to look around at our many blessings without thinking “What’s next?”

Goal Setting: Meal Time

The next day I sat down and wrote a list of some ways to do this. Big goals, but I wanted to start with something small and attainable. The first thing we decided to implement as a family was intentional meal times. Most nights our family would eat on the go, or I would make some form of meal for my husband and me to eat, while the girls snacked and walked around the house with food. Not ideal, but it was easy and it was what worked for us. I have been reading the book Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley and learned the idea of lighting a candle when sitting down for family meals. The idea of the candle is that it signals to everyone at the table that this is a sacred time. For younger kiddos like mine, it is also a visual for what is happening, and we explained the rules- that no one leaves the table while the candle is lit. My three-year-old quickly caught on, and now every night she asks to help light the candle and blow it out after dinnertime.

Create Routines

Before eating we make a point to say a prayer, and while eating we talk about our favorite parts of the day to keep the conversation flowing. My husband and I also make a point to put our phones on silent and away, to show our kids that they have our full attention.

The first night didn’t go too smoothly. My 18-month-old still threw her food on the floor for the dogs to eat, and my three-year-old still complained that the food was “yucky”.  But by night two, my oldest started getting the hang of it. I don’t always cook- night three was cereal, and night four was leftovers. One evening we brought home fast food, and my oldest reminded us to say our prayers and light the candle. It was a beautiful reminder that these children are always watching and observing. 

Keep Trying

We haven’t been successful with doing this every single night, but we aim to do it as often as possible. This small change in our routine is something we plan to continue. One day, my little girls will grow up and have a whole life outside of the one in our home. I hope that this is something they will always remember and look forward to. By making these dinners a priority, we are showing our children that intentional time spent together is an essential part of being a family. What are some ways you can be more intentional in your family life?

Story by Alyssa Dock for BlueWaterParent.com.

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