I love that life comes in seasons, even in South Florida, where the weather doesn’t change much. There is always excitement for change, for fresh beginnings. God reminds us of this every morning with a beautiful, new sunrise.
Changing seasons
We live our lives in rhythms. When I look at the month of August — especially for parents — a fresh, new, shiny school year is coming. There is excitement (hopefully) over all the new things: new clothes, new supplies, new classrooms, new classes. This fresh start is such a great opportunity to work on new habits, new rhythms in our homes.
Take the temperature
We have the chance, as we look toward the new school year, to take the temperature of the family. What worked last year, what could be improved upon and where there any outright fails? Reflecting then processing together as spouses is a great way to stay on the same page in goal setting.
Set goals
If you have elementary-aged kids and older, you can include them in a family meeting to set goals. This exercise can be as fun as you make it! You can throw a pizza party or cover your wall in multicolored sticky notes. Think bigger than, “It would be great if I didn’t have to fight my kids over getting up every morning.” Is this the year you set the goal to eat breakfast every morning as a family? What about the year that you reign screen time in and implement family game night? This could be the year where you all focus on saving for a certain vacation. Family goals can be as unique as your family is!
Tackle problems
After coming up with family goals, you and your spouse can talk about what didn’t go smoothly last year. Now is the time to come up with a fall game plan to tackle problems as you head into the school season. If the kids had a hard time getting up in the morning, do bedtimes need to be adjusted? If homework was a battle, does a different homework time need to be implemented? Consider adding snacks to make the time more enjoyable. Did the school year feel frantic and out of control? Maybe a new schedule would help. Think about these things now and you can be ready to launch the new year with a plan!
Remember, each year we have with our children is such a blessing. We get 18 fall seasons with our kids. One of the sayings at Sheridan House is “It’s never too late to start.” Even if our children are in high school, it is never too late to start setting the example of goal setting. It’s important for all ages to take stock of where we were, are and want to be. Make good use of this fresh new beginning.
Visit parentingonpurpose.org for more advice from Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts.
For more articles by Dr. Bob Barnes and Torrey Roberts, visit goodnewsfl.org/author/dr-bob-barnes-and-torrey-roberts/
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