Eight Life-Changing And Fun Resolutions Families Can Actually Keep In The New Year

One December evening as I relaxed on my couch lazily turning the pages of the newspaper, a headline caught my eye. 'Sugar is associated with an increased risk of cancer.' I read the report with a sinking feeling and inadvertently squeezed the super-soft chocolate drip cake I was holding. I licked the gooey cream as it trickled onto my fingers and after a moment's hesitation, I gave in to my weakness and gobbled the irresistible cake.

Yes, I have a very sweet tooth. Also, one of my biggest fears is cancer. So, the report I read shook me. That night, I made my New Year's resolution: Cut out sugar.

So, from January 1, I avoided sugar in all forms. No sweets, no sugar in milk, no chocolates. Boy, was it tough! But I somehow stuck to my resolution for three months. Then, sometime in April, my fiancé showed up with a box of my favorite brand of chocolates. Just this once, I told myself. That was it. Soon, I was back to square one.

Why did I fail? When I think back, I realize my resolution was too drastic. But I'm not alone. Studies show that nearly 80% of resolutions fail, and people give up on them by mid-February.

Top Reasons Why New Year Resolutions Fail

Your resolution is unrealistic. Like mine. If you suddenly cut out something you love or if you have a very high-level goal, your resolution is bound to fail.

There's no plan in place. 'I am going to help others more' is a popular resolution. But how are you going to implement that goal? Are you going to donate old items? Volunteer at an NGO? How much time and resources can you spare? Most people don't spell out these details.

You make a resolution that involves your family, without consulting them. It's easy to write in your journal 'I want to save more money". If you plan to save money by cutting down on entertainment and travel but your family members are not ready to give up on these, well, you are in for a rude awakening.

Your resolution means living a dull life. If healthy eating is your goal and you replace all your snacks with fruits and salads, you're most likely to break your resolution. You must enjoy the process of sticking to your resolution.

You have no support. There's a higher chance for you to succeed at your resolutions if you join hands with your friends and family and cheer for each other as you go along.

Now, keeping these points in mind, we have eight resolutions for you and your family, achievable goals with step-by-step action plans for each resolution. Also, we promise these resolutions won't seem like a burden. You'll have fun and feel nice sticking to them! Read on.

Spend 20 minutes of gadget-free time a day.

With the resounding success of the ParentCircle GadgetFreeHour campaign year after year, we are sure of one thing—families bond better when they put aside their gadgets and spend time with each other. So, here's the first resolution that can bring joy to your family. Spend at least 20 minutes of gadget-free time every day.

Action plan: 

• Sit down together and decide when you would like to schedule 20 minutes of gadget-free time. After dinner? Or maybe first thing in the morning? Make sure the timing you choose suits everyone.
• Make a list of activities you would like to do during your gadget-free time and display the list on your fridge. Include a variety of activities so that you'll have something exciting to look forward to every day. Here are some ideas—chat (for example, about school or your love story), play a board game, sing or dance together, go for a walk, narrate stories to your child, look at old family photos, draw and color something together, create DIY crafts or decorate the house.

Parent Tip: Suneyna, a mom of a 3-year-old, says, "We disconnected our TV recently because we didn't want our daughter to get addicted to it. When my husband and I want to watch a movie or a show, we use our laptop. Spending gadget-free time is so much easier when there's no TV. Every night after dinner till our daughter's bedtime, we put our phones aside and play and chat with her. It's a lot of fun!"

Eat one meal together a day

Multiple studies have shown that family meals lead to better family relationships and help reduce stress. Eating together as a family will also improve your family's health. Research has shown that when children sit down with their parents to have meals, they eat more vegetables and less junk food. Family meals were popular a few decades ago but with television, the internet, and the IT boom, things have changed. Time to bring back family meals!

Action plan:

• Aim for one family meal a day. Discuss with your family and decide which meal of the day works best for everyone.
• Talk and joke with your child during meals. And now and then, try to make family meals memorable. For example, you could mimic a restaurant dinner at home.

Parent Tip: Keerthana, a mom of a 4-year-old, says, "We tried a terrace picnic last month, which everyone enjoyed. It requires very little effort, just pack your food and take a bedsheet with you, and you're all set."

Make exercise time fun family time

Numerous studies have shown that regular exercise offers both short-term and long-term health benefits. So, allot half an hour every day for physical activity. And when you plan fitness activities with your family and motivate each other, nobody will fail at keeping the resolution!

Action plan:

• Discuss what activity each of you would like to take up, Zumba or yoga? There are plenty of online classes available now. Or would you like to go jogging or cycling? Zero in on a couple of activities. Share your workout progress with your family for a daily dose of motivation. Once a week, maybe on Sundays, you can all get together and do a family workout session, a combination of all or some of everyone's activities.
• Every month, make one family member the Chief Fitness Officer. This person has to motivate others and will be given a small reward if they manage to inspire others to sweat it out throughout the month. Agree on the rewards beforehand.

Parent Tip: Laya, a mother of a 5-year-old, says, "I started attending online Zumba classes. They're so addictive! Every evening, I teach my husband and daughter whatever I learned in class that day, and we have a gala time dancing together."

Go green with a splash of fun

We are trampling nature. So, opting for a more sustainable lifestyle is one resolution none of us can afford to break. Nobody likes to be lectured. So, use our tips to make this 'green resolution' an enjoyable one for the family.

Action plan:

• Sit down together and make a list of all the things you can do for a greener life. Make it a game and see who comes up with the maximum number of points. Display the list in a common area in your house. Some things you can consider including in your list:

1. Turn off devices when not in use.
2. Use energy-efficient appliances.
3. Don't purchase items you don't need.
4. Car-pool whenever possible. For example, you and your child may need to visit the same locality at different times of the day. Instead of two car trips, try to step out together by adjusting your schedules a little.
5. Use the stairs rather than elevators.
6. Steer clear of disposables, use cloth towels instead of paper towels, cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers, and cloth bags instead of plastic bags.
7. Opt for preloved toys and clothes when possible. Wash them before use.
8. Eat local food.
9. Grow plants at home.

• Next, come up with a fun reward system for anyone making an effort to be environmentally responsible. You could allot points for each action you have included in your list. For example, using a towel instead of a paper napkin, 2 points, tending to a plant, 5 points. The first person to collect 100 points gets a small reward.

Parent Tip: Nathan, a father of two, says, "We resolved years ago to avoid flights as much as possible. I must tell you we enjoyed our train journeys, making new friends, chatting, and playing games sitting on the top berth."

Manage your anger one tiny, quirky step at a time

Whenever you find yourself thinking negative thoughts (I can't stand my child's nonstop tantrums or no one is helping me with housework), try these slightly unorthodox ways to deal with your anger.

Action plan:

• Hug your child when you feel like yelling at them. Watch the tension diffuse!
• Hang a chart paper with an outline of a beautiful rangoli in your living room. When you feel angry, grab a crayon and color the rangoli.
• Kick or bounce a ball with all the force you can muster.
• Keep some peppy numbers ready on your phone. When you're seething, just go to your room, shut the door, play music, and dance with all your might.
• Keep a jar of jokes handy! Prepare small chits. Everyone in your family writes down at least five jokes they know, one joke on each chit. You can also look up jokes and funny quotes, online. Place the jar of jokes on your center table. Pick a chit when you feel mad.
• Grab your shoes and run.
• Count sheep (or dinosaurs or koala bears) in a language you're not too comfortable in!
• Chant something like 'Keep calm and move on' over and over again.

(All these methods may not work for everyone. Tweak them, or come up with other fun ideas to calm yourself down when you're fed up. Once you've cooled down, talk calmly and try to fix the problem.)

• Spend at least 20 minutes a day doing something you enjoy—art, reading, gardening, or singing. Self-care can do wonders for your mood and mental health.
• One of the biggest triggers of anger is work overload. When there's too much on your plate and something goes wrong, you snap. To avoid this stress, discuss with your family and decide how you want to divide the household chores among yourselves. Keep in mind everyone's schedules and abilities when you allot tasks.

Parent Tip: This is what I do when I feel my anger rising. I go to my room and just talk to the air, imagining that the person I'm angry with is standing right in front of me. This helps me calm down. I also scroll through my phone gallery and look at happy photos or videos.

Make resilience-building your priority

Life often throws unexpected challenges our way, leading to stress, frustration, and a sense of overwhelm. So, how do we prepare ourselves for whatever life may bring? By building mental toughness. Use this opportunity to strengthen your resilience and better equip yourself to handle whatever comes next.

Action plan:

• Invest your time in building strong relationships at home and outside. If you have a big support system, you'll be able to handle challenges and stress better. Get your child to participate in a lot of group activities at home (cooking, family art, a team game). After your child's school reopens, encourage them to participate in team activities like debates, quizzes, and dance.
• Whenever you're filled with hopelessness, list all the blessings in your life, starting with your child. And here's an activity for your child. Let them jot down all the positive things in their life—their pet, best friend, hobbies, and so on. Have them display this list on their study desk.
• Self-love is important for confidence which in turn helps build resilience. So give yourself a treat when you achieve your mini-goals, and appreciate the effort your child puts into studies, housework, or art.

Parent Tip: Ramya, a mother of a 9-year-old, says, "I have started narrating to my daughter real-life stories of people who have overcome grief and setbacks. I think this will help both of us understand that everyone goes through problems and we can learn from others' experiences.

Viba, mother of a 7-year-old, says, "I show my love to my child by saying 'I love you' to him often. I think when he understands that we love him unconditionally and that we have his back no matter what, it will help him face challenges with confidence.

Switch to healthy and equally important, tasty food

Any diet-related resolution that doesn't satisfy our taste buds will most likely fail soon. So, vow to make a switch to not just healthy, but also yummy food. Yes, healthy foods don't have to be boring. There are many delicious options. This may require a bit of imagination and effort, but it will be worth the hard work you put in!

Action plan:

• Make a pact with your family to try at least one new healthy-cum-tasty recipe together, every week. Here are some links you can check for ideas.
• https://www.parentcircle.com/oats-recipes-to-keep-kids-healthy/article
• https://www.parentcircle.com/tasty-indian-breakfast-recipes-for-kids/article
• https://www.parentcircle.com/healthy-and-tasty-grandmas-recipes/article
• https://www.parentcircle.com/healthy-fast-food-recipes-for-kids/article
• If there's any high-fat or high-sugar food item that you like, think of a suitable replacement for the same instead of pledging to avoid it completely. If fried potato chips are your favorite, come up with an acceptable alternative (e.g., baked potato chips). Gradually, bring down your consumption of baked chips, take smaller servings, skip them for a day, then two days, and so on.

Parent Tip: Asha, a mom of two, says, "I get my children involved in cooking on weekends, shelling peas, rolling rotis, and peeling garlic. They love it and have begun to show a lot more interest in eating our regular food."

Save 20% of your income without sacrificing the little joys of life

It's easy to save money if you cut down on life's pleasures, travel less, buy less, make do with whatever you have, and put up with inconveniences. But what if we tell you that you can save considerably without leading a blah life?

Action plan:

Sit down together and analyze all your expenses and discuss how you can reduce them. Here are some ideas:

• Check all your monthly subscriptions and identify the ones that are simply going down the drain. The gym membership that you rarely use? Multiple streaming services that you hardly have the time for? Cancel them.
• Use preloved items (after washing them well). Some of the used items look as good as new.
• Consider selling items that you no longer need. For example, your child's crib, expensive toys, and tricycle.
• Cook more at home, and make it fun! Start a family cooking YouTube channel and showcase your delicious dishes. Needless to say, this will benefit your family's health too.
• Clear credit card bills on time to avoid late payment fees.
• Learn about smart investing. This requires time and effort, but it's worthwhile.
• Go ahead and purchase things you want, but try to avoid impulsive shopping. Here's one tried and tested way to handle that: When you want to buy something, save it in your cart and wait for 24 hours. If you still want it a day later, buy it.
• Track your spending.

Parent Tip: Aamir, a father, says, "We have saved quite a bit by planning our vacations well in advance. Flight tickets and accommodation costs are much cheaper when booked in advance."

Swathi, mom of a 4-year-old, says, "We opt for the DIY route whenever we can. This helps us save a lot. DIY videos are available for almost any item. We love making DIY gifts and our friends love them too. It's a fun family exercise!"

Try these resolutions and let us know how you're faring. Wishing you and your family good health, happiness, success, and peace this year.