When we think of New Year’s resolutions, we typically think of personal goals: hitting the gym four times a week, responding to emails faster, not letting our annoying neighbor get under our skin. But when you’re a parent, you have a whole crew to consider. So we tapped real moms and dads here at PureWow to find out what family-centric goals they’re working toward this year, and exactly how they’re plotting to reach them. Here are our five favorites.
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5 Family-Focused Resolutions for a Healthy and Happy Year, Straight from Real Parents
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Published Feb 19, 2020
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1. Keep The Car Clean
“As a family we resolved not to leave trash on the floor of our car. Every time one of our children gets in the car with food, we tell them they must take the wrapper out with them before they leave, and we’ve started keeping leftover grocery bags in the back seat to hold any empty juice boxes or apple cores for longer trips. It’s midway through February and we’re failing miserably ... but at least there’s a system in place, we guess?”
—Jillian Quint, senior vice president of content
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2. Stock The Pantry With Healthy Snacks
“My wife and I are focused on our family’s snacking habits this year. We have a 3-year-old and 5-month-old, and we’re trying to set healthy examples by what we keep in the kitchen. One way is to make good food choices before we hit the grocery store by writing up a very specific shopping list, so as not to let our stomachs decide that we need that box of cookies or bag of greasy chips when we’re walking down the aisles. Instead, we’re opting for no-sugar-added foods, like Mott’s no-sugar-added applesauce pouches, which are easy to grab on their way out the door or pack into their lunchboxes.... Or, ya know, for my commute to work. This is a judgment-free zone, right?”
—Mark Abrams, chief of staff
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3. No Phones In Front Of The Kids
“Basically, since [my husband] Matt and I both work full-time, we have a hard time shutting off from our jobs right when we walk in the door at 6 p.m. But as working parents, we also only get about an hour a day with our [two-year-old] son, Finn—his bedtime routine begins at 7 p.m. A resolution we’ve made is to be phone-free during that time. Any work threads can be picked up post-bedtime, but that hour to 90 mins is sacred. Our resolution is that it’s meant exclusively for family time.”
—Rachel Bowie, director of special projects
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4. Adhere To A Shared Google Calendar
“Another resolution we made was to lean into a shared Google calendar. It has been a game-changer for our life with [our two-year-old son], Finn. I plug in super-specific details like: gym class (drop-off by [my husband] Matt), so there’s zero confusion. Also, nothing brings me more joy than when Matt asks, ‘Does Finn have gym class this week?’ And I can be like, ‘Check the calendar, dear!’ I’m a paper calendar girl, so this was a tough switch for me, but it’s been such a time-saver!”
—Rachel Bowie, director of special projects
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5. Keep Sunday Night Dinners Family-focused
“In 2020, we’re really trying to have a consistent family dinner every Sunday of the week. Before dinner we have a casual meeting about the week ahead, say prayers, and include one thing we’re grateful for. It’s really brought us together as a family, and helps us stay up-to-date on each other’s lives.”
—Kate Mesquita, director of brand strategy
