New Year’s Resolutions – The Quality of the Little Things 

by Confident Parents, Confident Kids Author, Jennifer Miller is this week’s feature blog article on the NBC Education Nation Parent Toolkit site. Here’s how it begins…

I would like to think that the ending of another year and the beginning of a new one fills me with hope, joy and anticipation but if I am being honest, instead, it fills me with anxiety envisioning many unaccomplished goals. It is when this worry, fear and disappointment overcomes me that I look to my seven year old for inspiration. And I know for certain he will provide it. When I ask, “How are you feeling at the end of the year?” He replies, “It’s the end of the year?” Exactly! He is unaware of the changing of the year because he is filled with the present moment. I realize I can incorporate more of that kind of thinking into my life. “What is important to me today in this moment? How can I focus on the people I love and the work at hand?”

The beginning of the year is an optimal time for reflection as long as it doesn’t include self-flagellation. Researchers assert that when trying to make any changes – major or minor – “It is the quality of the little things that makes all the difference.” I try and reflect on the bigger picture – my values and beliefs – and how I want to be in my various roles including one of my most important, my role as a parent. One question I ask is “If a teacher or another parent met me on the street and told me something about my child, what would I most like to hear?” You might ask yourself the same question. In fact, I did ask parents from my son’s school this question and some of the responses included that they wanted to hear their children were brave, passionate, hard working and kind to everyone they met. Perhaps some of these would make your list as well.

Sometimes it’s challenging to make the connection between those qualities we hope our kids develop and our actions day to day. But when it comes to steps I want to take in the new year, I focus on the quality of the little things. I’ve attempted to answer the question, “What little things can I resolve to do in the new year to promote these qualities?”…

For the full article, continue by going to the NBC Parent Toolkit blog site.