Happy 2020! Many of you have shared your resolutions for the new year. Here are my goals for 2020:
Spend more time with my husband
Specifically, I want to make sure we get a date day or night in at least once a month.
My husband and I wished, hoped and prayed so hard for kids and now that we have been blessed with a growing family, it's easy to put our marriage second.
We love being parents and cherish moments with our kids, but as a mom it is so easy to put your kids first. For the first couple of years, they totally depend on us. Our husbands still need us, just like we need them.
After all, once our kids are grown up and move out, it's just the two of you. If you don't put the work in now while the kids are around, that's going to be an awfully big hole to fill once they're gone.
Adopt “me time” into my schedule
I'll be getting in this more in the coming weeks. It's important for us to find some time, even five minutes, during our day to reset. Parenting is hard and it's okay to admit that we need time to breathe. And it's important not to lose your sense of you.
This year, I want to make sure I don’t continuously put myself on the back burner. Self love, folks. With this comes something that is very hard for me and that's accepting help.
Patience is a hard thing to keep up when you live in a house of chaos. I'm hoping a little me time each day will help me keep control.
I am making it a goal of mine to take help that is offered to me and ask for it when I am feeling overwhelmed. We as moms try to do it all and frankly, the saying "it takes a village" came about for a reason.
Disconnect and engage
I will be putting down my phone more this year. My goal is to have it out of eyesight for two hours each morning and then again for two hours after nap/quiet time. This is really easy for some people, I get it.
Part of the issue is that so much of what we do now is on our phone. Especially when you work in the media. There is always something I could be looking at, posting or checking.
BUT I want to hear my kids, be in the moment and really engage. Not only is this a great thing, but they behave SO much better when mom isn't distracted. Turns out kids really like our attention lol. It really is important for my boys to know that they are more important than my phone.
I'm taking the reigns now on trying to make sure my kids aren't addicted to technology. I can already see it. Mav loves my phone and the games on it. It's getting to be too much begging. It can be such a time-sucking, attention-grabbing dark hole.
Become more organized
Oh my gosh I am the least organized person out there. I mean I keep my house tidy and de-cluttered, but I never write anything down. I lose just about everything: my keys, phone, jewelry and clothes. I don't keep my deep cleaning up to par as much as I would like.
I bought a wall calendar so my husband and I can both see what's going on during the week and add to it. I am going to try to keep my phone "to-do" lists and calendars up-to-date.
I've said all this before, but I'm doing it. 2020 watch out.
I will be putting things away as I am finished with them, so we can find things like tape and batteries. Maybe it's just scatter-brained? Ryan always jokes that I live in a state of disorganization better than most organized people do.
I am sharing with you this cleaning/organization chart that I'll be following to help keep my organization of things like the fridge, pantry, my closet (Ha, that may be far reached) and general deep cleaning on track.
It's good to get rid of stuff. Live a simple and happy life this year, which brings me to my next resolution.
Be positive
I generally pride myself on always finding the silver lining, but I want to further that this year. I will be starting out my mornings with scripture or devotional. If that's not your thing, ever heard of the saying "kill em' with kindness?" It really does take you further in life. People are going to respond better to someone who is nice, rather than negative.
It's easy to complain and fall into negative habits. I've seen it around me my entire life. But boy does it make life more enjoyable when you're happy. And sometimes that means faking it.
I know that sounds awful but it works for me. When I wake up unhappy I force a smile. Grin and bear it. Sometimes I close my eyes and say a prayer of thanks and it truly does help.
Try looking forward to something better, take a deep breath and if you need help, get it. Counseling is AMAZING.
Make more mom friends
This is my final and major resolution for 2020. Ryan and I have been so ingrained in parenting and work that we have not made a lot of friends that have kids. We love our kid-less friends, but it would also be nice to add people to our lives who are in the same boat as us.
I have joined two mom groups in town and will be following up on play dates this year. I often meet moms out around town and have wonderful conversations and every intention of meeting up and exchanges numbers, but then I never follow through. That is changing this year.
Next week I'll post a list of my favorite places to take the boys that are free (or cheap) where I can run them out of energy and enjoy time with other parents.
P.S. My husband doesn't do the whole resolution thing, so if he's watching, here's some ideas: Maybe throw away boxes when you've taken the last protein bar or yogurt. Remember we have a trash for your string cheese wrappers. Let your wife talk and ask questions more during movies. Really work on the health of your hands with more back rubs. And give into my needy attention. Love you.
