Making Family Plans For The New Year Ahead
The new year always seems to spark a resurgence in new beginnings and grand plans.
Often these grand plans revolve around quitting bad habits and starting new good ones. Normally, fitness, health, and wellness are involved.
We always start with a hiss and a roar, maybe even making it all the way through January with high levels of motivation.
Then the summer holidays end, motivation starts to wane and your grand plans fall by the wayside.
So, instead of resolving to do something trivial, why not resolve to do something that really matters… quality family time!
It sounds so cliche, but it really is true. The best thing you can give your family is your time.
Why not try some of these ideas to kick the new year off in style and to guarantee some fun family times that will last right through until December.
Making Family Plans For The New Year Ahead
Family Dates
Life gets so busy. We all have the best intentions to do certain things, and then something comes up to mess with those plans!
The beauty about family dates is that you can fit them around your schedule. Your date could last an hour or it could be a whole weekend. They can be in the evening after work and school, on a Saturday morning, or mid week if that works for your family.
The only criteria is that you have fun! Go with the flow and pick an activity on the fly, or be more organised if you tend to get stuck for ideas. You might even want to create a family date ideas box. Each family member can take turns pulling an envelope from the box. Each envelope should contain the instructions for what you are going to do on that day’s “date”.
Get creative with your dates and choose the thing that you love to do - watching movies, hiking, scavenger hunts, geocaching, board games, art projects… anything is fair game.
Set aside time every month to have fun together.
Learn Baby Sign Language
Sometimes the youngest members of the family can be left out of conversations as no one knows what they are trying to say. Instead of having to wait for them to find their words, communicate via baby sign language instead.
Baby Sign Language is a tool that is designed to allow you and your baby to communicate before they are able to speak. Removing frustration and confusion, simple signs help you to know when your baby is hungry, full, wants up, or simply has had enough.
Your baby can start to learn these signs from 6 months old. It does take a bit of practice for the whole family to get the hang of it. If you are interested in knowing more, check out our recent blogs on what Sign Langage is all about and how to get started with it.
Plan A Holiday
Vacations are always exciting. Away from the distractions of work, school, daycare and social commitments, a holiday gives you the chance to reconnect and enjoy each others company.
If you start planning your next holiday now, then you have something to look forward to and something to save for. If the kids are old enough, why not get them involved in the planning too? Think about where you might go, what you might do and how you might get there.
You could plan a stay at your local campground or an overseas adventure. Even organise a staycation at home if time or funds are tight. The important thing is dedicated time together to do the things that you love to do!
Eat Meals Together
Eating meals together is a great way for the family to connect after a busy day. Sometimes this isn’t always possible with the varying ages and commitments of some family members. If you can’t make it happen at dinnertime every night, then why not a family lunch on the weekend?
Not only do you get to chat and reconnect with each other, but it is an open opportunity to learn about eating. Younger family members can learn about the dinner table experience from the older ones and how to navigate new and different foods.
On The Go
Many family time resolutions will mean that you get out and about. That can mean sleeps, comforting, and learning on the go.
The perfect accessory for all of that is your Gobstopperz! A snuggly, a safe keeper of the pacifier learning tool and a comforter all in one, it makes family adventuring a breeze with little ones.
Made right here in New Zealand from a range of gorgeous fabrics, you can choose one to suit your little one’s personality… or to match their outfit. Shop the range now.