New Year Resolutions: Raising Children

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I wanted to share in the week leading up to the New Year some of my goals for the coming year. I love the week after Christmas, as I can use it to plan away and dream about how good the next year will be! I always plan high, and then get disappointed later in the year that things aren't going as I planned, but I have always been that way. :-)

The first area that I have been putting a lot of my attention to is my Children. This past month things have gotten a bit out of hand here. My children's bedroom is upstairs (our bedroom is right at the bottom of the stairs), and they have learned if they run upstairs and play, they can disappear upstairs for quite a while before Mama realizes where they are and calls them back down. I'm trying to come up with creative ways to let them play, but not upstairs by themselves. So that is a top priority for the new year, to work on keeping the children closer to my side and not playing by themselves.

I asked my husband for his opinion on what character qualities the children needed to work more on. These are the thoughts he told me, in mixed up order for my children's sake. :-)

One child needs to work on being diligent and obedient. I will be doing a lot of games during pick up time specifically with this child to help him learn how to pick up toys faster, timing him as he does chores to see if he can beat his record in how fast he can put away dishes, etc. We will also play a game like Simeon says, instead it will be Mama says. :-)

Another child needs to work on being obedient. I will do the same things with this child.

Our other child needs to work on being humble and truthful. I will be reading lots of stories to this child on what happens when people do not tell the truth, or have a proud spirit. We will study the scriptures together (Proverbs) and memorize verses that pertain to this.

I will be spending more time this coming year praying for my children. And praying that I will be a better Mother. I know that my children are led by example, so it is very important that I show them what it looks like to be humble, truthful, and obedient (by being submissive to my own husband) and that it can be done cheerfully.

Some of the resources I will be leaning on this year are:

Proverbs People

For Instruction in Righteousness

Tiger and Tom and other stories for boys -You can read a free version of the book here!

Created for Work and Boyhood and Beyond -These are excellent books by Bob Shultz! I have read the created for work book out loud to my boys, and plan on doing so again this year. It really speaks to the importance of being diligent in our work.