7 Parenting Resolutions You Can Keep in 2023

2023 brings with it the opportunity for new beginnings. For many of us, the beginning of the year is also a time to come up with new resolutions that will guide many of our decisions as the year progresses. 

Sadly though, according to 2022’s New Year’s resolutions statistics, a lot of people tend not to stick with their resolutions. 75% of people who make resolutions are successful in keeping them after the first week into the new year, 71% after the second week, 64% by February, and only 46% by June. These numbers don’t look great, do they? So what can you do about it? Well, the secret is to make resolutions that are relatively easy to keep. 

If you are a parent, this means setting realistic parenting goals and having a plan on how to achieve those goals throughout the year. This guide will outline exactly how to do this. Here is a look at 7 parenting resolutions that you can keep in 2023. 

  1. Date your spouse

Making an effort to spend time with your spouse, especially once kids are in the picture, is extremely important for the health of your relationship. Over the years, your and your partner’s interests, hobbies, and outlooks will change. Dating your spouse presents the perfect opportunity to keep finding out new things about them no matter how long you are together. 

How can you make this happen in 2023? Well, start by scheduling regular dates with your spouse every week or at the beginning of every month. Stick with it and make it your new tradition for the rest of the year. 

  1. Ensure your child gets enough sleep

Kids need plenty of sleep. It is essential to a healthy, calm lifestyle. However, quality sleep was probably one of the first things you let go of during the holiday season. Unfortunately, it will also be one of the hardest things to restore in the new year. 

So how can you ensure that your child gets enough sleep this year? Well, the key is to keep bedtimes consistent and early throughout the week. During the weekends, do not give them more than a 15-minute difference. Before too long, their internal clocks will reset and they’ll go back to having a normal, healthy, sleeping routine. 

  1. Be more open and accepting in your parenting style

2023 is the perfect time to change your parenting style a little bit. There are many ways to accomplish this, some of which you may already be doing: 

  • Help your child become more independent by letting her do some things on her own
  • Push your child to do things that you know they are capable of doing even if she thinks she can’t
  • Don’t jump to solve all your child’s problems; let her struggle with some frustrations and learn from them
  • Encourage more independence in your child’s school work, social life, and problem-solving without parental intervention
  1. Demonstrate the behavior you want to see in your child

Whether you know it or not, the things you do contribute to your child’s behavior. Kids see the world in black and white. While you might want them to do as you say and not as you do, the reality is that when they notice that your actions are not consistent with your words, they will start pushing back. And that’s when you start seeing the beginnings of poor behavior in them. 

So start modeling the behavior you want to see in your kids. If you want them to pick up after themselves, clean up after yourself, too. If you want your kids to stop yelling, don’t yell at them. If you want them to eat food at the dining table, don’t snack on the couch. Kids pay more attention to what you do than what you say. 

  1. Enjoy spending time with your kids

It is easy to get caught up in everyday life and forget to make time for your kiddos. This year, make it a point to intentionally spend time and have fun with your kids. Your kids will only be that age for a short time; it is easy to miss everything in the blink of an eye. 

Wondering how to do this? Ensure you have lots of downtime to simply enjoy being around your kids. Try to find out what they are into as well. For example, if your child loves jokes, memorize a few funny ones and share them with her. If your child has a favorite show, try to watch at least one episode with her every week. Entering your child’s world in this way will make her feel more connected and loved by you. 

  1. Disconnect from technology more

Being connected to technology 24/7 has its merits. However, it also has lots of side effects, not least of which is that families get relational fatigue from the pressure of constant communication. When you disconnect for a while, you reaffirm your commitment to the people who matter most to you. 

How can you do this? Simple: have regular device-free weekends, nights, or dinners. When friends or relatives visit, put away the phones and engage with them and just talk or play games together. Make it a point to teach yourself and your kids to survive for a few hours without being connected. 

  1. Stop playing detective

It is easy for us as parents to spend a lot of time trying to uncover all the ways our kids are behaving badly and why they are doing it. A lot of times, this ends up being at the expense of dealing with the misbehavior, because you might find yourself making excuses that your child is doing something because she is tired or upset, or busy. This makes you more ineffective as a parent because you constantly assess the why instead of dealing with the what. 

This year, spend more time addressing the what instead of focusing on the why. Your kids will thank you for it and you’ll end up having better-behaved kids. 

Final Thoughts

The new year is the perfect time to start making changes to your parenting habits and style. Put your family at the center of your resolutions because they are extremely important. Through parenting resolutions, you will be able to build stronger connections with your kids and get rid of some of your worries and stresses as a parent. With the tips and tricks outlined above, you should be able to make 2023 your best parenting year yet!