New Year’s Resolutions
New Year’s Resolutions are usually a waste of time. Ac-cording to some statistics less than half of the resolu-tions made will be kept after two months. However, you can make some important resolutions that will benefit you and your child.
1. Laugh a lot. Laughing re-leases endorphins and other hormones which make us feel good. Laughing makes being a family fun. Young children love physical comedy and older children often love a joke played on parents. Laugh loud and laugh often.
2. Catch your children being good. Studies show that children are told "no" about once every nine minutes. Find a reason to say "yes" and praise good behavior. Be specific as you praise well and praise often.
3. Add some boredom to kid’s lives. Call it what you will— downtime, relaxation, day dreaming, vegging out. They will call it boring, but it renews the brain. Stargaze or cloud watch, but teach your child to relax. In the harried world we live in, it may be an invaluable lesson.
4. Read to them every night. Developing language skills, learning to listen, time spent together are only three little reasons why this is important. The Bible is a great thing to read together as a family.
5. Plan adult time. Nurturing your adult relationships is very important for you and your kids. They will, after all, leave you one day. Your adult relationships are part of what makes you a healthy adult and those will not grow if not nurtured. So, get a babysitter or take advantage of a parent’s night out and go once in a while.
If your resolutions don’t last the week, mine never do, cut yourself some slack and start over!
Lakeland Presbyterian Church Children’s Ministry
1. Laugh a lot. Laughing re-leases endorphins and other hormones which make us feel good. Laughing makes being a family fun. Young children love physical comedy and older children often love a joke played on parents. Laugh loud and laugh often.
2. Catch your children being good. Studies show that children are told "no" about once every nine minutes. Find a reason to say "yes" and praise good behavior. Be specific as you praise well and praise often.
3. Add some boredom to kid’s lives. Call it what you will— downtime, relaxation, day dreaming, vegging out. They will call it boring, but it renews the brain. Stargaze or cloud watch, but teach your child to relax. In the harried world we live in, it may be an invaluable lesson.
4. Read to them every night. Developing language skills, learning to listen, time spent together are only three little reasons why this is important. The Bible is a great thing to read together as a family.
5. Plan adult time. Nurturing your adult relationships is very important for you and your kids. They will, after all, leave you one day. Your adult relationships are part of what makes you a healthy adult and those will not grow if not nurtured. So, get a babysitter or take advantage of a parent’s night out and go once in a while.
If your resolutions don’t last the week, mine never do, cut yourself some slack and start over!
Lakeland Presbyterian Church Children’s Ministry
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