Resolutions for Families: Tips for Making Positive Change that Lasts

It’s already late-January of 2024, which means its time to check up on how those New Years’ Resolutions are going. Making changes to your habits or routines can be especially hard when you have a family. You might choose to eat healthier, but your kids might still want to eat their comfort foods; you might want to exercise more, but you spouse would rather stay in and watch a movie. Perhaps your whole family shares a goal, but you quickly fell back into old habits because change is hard.  

So the question is, how can parents make positive changes to their lives without disrupting the flow of their family’s typical routines, habits, and preferences? Thankfully we have Sandy Portko, our resident Early Childhood Development Expert, to give us valuable insight on this topic. Here’s what she had to say: 

“It’s 2024—a new year has begun and with it the feeling of new beginnings and fresh starts for large numbers of people. If you, as parents, have decided that change is needed in various aspects of family life, it is wise to spend time thinking about what those new actions might mean for your child or children. The potential changes will affect them much differently depending on their ages.  

Consider how this may affect how much time is spent together as a family

For example, if the commitment is to boost healthy living by adding exercise to the family’s daily routine, what will this look like? Joining an exercise program can be a great idea to boost healthy habits, but parents must consider whether this program will decrease the amount of time parents are home with their children. Parental presence is critically important for the healthy development of children at all ages, and especially in the early years of their lives. As more families consist of dual earners who may already spend a great deal of time away from their offspring, additional time away may not be beneficial for the family. 

If necessary, consider investing in equipment or classes that will help you do things as a family

For parents with young children, it might mean getting up earlier to exercise at home before children awaken. It could also mean parents take turns going to the gym while the other parent spends time with the little ones. A third option might be investing in suitable equipment to take the children along on family runs, bike rides, walks, or even cross-country skiing. When including children is a possibility, it’s greatly beneficial to their development; forming healthy habits early on will make it easier for them to continue these habits throughout their lives. 

Talk to your children about these changes before they begin

If new family activities will involve elementary- to high school-aged children, parents should introduce and discuss the plan before implementation. Parents can explain their reasons for wanting the new behaviors and ask their children for input. Encourage them to make suggestions about how to achieve these new behaviors. Such input can increase the children’s willingness to participate because they feel more invested in it.  

Don’t rush it!

If the new behaviors are difficult, it is helpful to break them into smaller steps, so everyone has an opportunity to adjust more gradually. The bigger the change, the more steps there should be so no one feels overwhelmed. This is important for children, but it also holds true for adults as well!”

In summary, if you’re looking to change habits for yourself as a parent or for your whole family, try the following tips: 

1. Consider how this may affect how much time is spent together as a family (will this reduce time spent with kids? How might that affect the overall functionality of the family day-to-day?)

2. If necessary, consider investing in equipment or classes that will help you do things as a family (such as a bike trailer for kids to ride in so you can take them along on bike rides)

3. Talk to your children about these changes before they begin, and ask for their input so they are prepared for the changes and more invested in them as a participant

4. Don’t rush it—the bigger the change, the more steps you should put in place to adapt to this change!

Thanks for reading! If you use any of these tips, tag us in a post on Facebook or Instagram—we are overjoyed to see families thriving in our community and grateful to be a part of it! 

Sandy Portko has served as an Early Childhood Development Expert at Family Futures for 3 years. She holds a PHD in developmental psychology from Wayne State University and spent 32 years teaching in the field as well as 6 years working directly with young children. Got a question for Sandy? Reach out to us below and your question may be answered in a future blog post!