In America we follow the Gregorian calendar. The last day in the month of December we celebrate the beginning of a new year at the stroke of midnight. Many Americans participate in the popular New Years custom of making a commitment to a personal goal or reforming a habit. We refer it as a “New Year’s Resolution.”
I made a few resolutions last year and ended up for the most part sticking with them. Nothing too outrageous, mind you. One of my resolutions was to expose my two young daughters to yoga.
I followed through with my commitment by reading up on books on yoga for children. We bought the girls each their own purple yoga mats. My style of teaching them was based on a yoga book and my prior experience with yoga.During the second half of 2010 my five year-old started her Kindergarten level of education, and I implemented a more structured and formal yoga routine. Our routines ranged from 10 to 15 minutes… always depended on any curve balls my youngest daughter threw in.
By the end of December 2010, my girls could strike a yoga pose by name. They even had “feats of strength” style yoga competitions with each other.
At the end of 2010 I was happy with the progress we made with my resolution. I didn’t make any resolutions for 2011 prior to the big New Year’s celebration. I knew I’d be making some alterations in my lifestyle, but no goal setting per-say. One of my personal lifestyle changes was to start getting up early again and get my work out done… something that is normally part of my routine but any injury this past September set me back a bit.
Alas, I digress. I am healed and I’ve been working out consistently since the start of our calendar year, which is January 1st. By the time I am done with my exercise routine, my oldest daughter has been awake working on an art craft at our kitchen table. I come upstairs from our gym smiling, knowing she’ll see me in my workout clothes. I want my girls to know how to take care of their bodies. I believe that if they see me practicing what I am preaching, then I am leading by example.
Ever hear the term “practice makes perfect?” Repetition, repetition, repetition… My little family has been learning Spanish for fourteen months now as a second language. I see the progress we’ve made on a daily basis. I am also aware that we have a long road to travel on that journey.
Each time we practice using our Spanish communication skills we get better or we commit the material more to memory.
One of the lifestyle routines we are continuing in 2011 is to incorporate Spanish into our every day life. I did not set any resolutions or goals for Spanish in 2011 because learning Spanish is an ongoing yearly commitment/goal. But, like I said, I saw the progress we made in both yoga and in Spanish in 2010.
I did, however, make two New Years resolutions within this last week. I don’t see the harm in making them up a little past the new year. Anyhow, my first resolution is fun! The back-story on this commitment is that my family got an ice hockey rink in our backyard. We had our official first skate on our rink this past Thursday.
Now, I’m not a skater. I am a novice. My husband has been skating since he was three and played ice hockey in college. He is calm as can be on the ice. My daughters are the ages of five and two years which puts them in the novice category, as well. My oldest daughter has been skating for two years on our neighbors backyard rink and local rinks.
So, my first 2011 resolution is to get my girls and myself exposed to our rink and out skating every day, weather permitting of course! Five days into our commitment and I am honestly astounded at how quickly my five year-old and I have benefited from such frequent exposure to the ice. We skated three times today and each time got better and better. My oldest daughter, husband and myself each had ice hockey sticks and pucks in our hands at one point.
I feel like I’ve got lots of potential to be a mom ice hockey player. I am anxious to develop my skating skills. Seeing the results quickly is a real motivator!
I made my second resolution last night. The inspiration for this resolution comes from my husband’s transformation of the way our family ate due to his efforts in growing and harvesting our garden in 2010. My husband and I got to talking last night about what we eat during the winter and the way food affects our bodies in both appearance and physically.
Our discussion led us to agreeing to the practice of a Gluten-free diet. Neither one of us has Celiacs disease, although my mother does, so I am aware of the impacts gluten has on some people. After reading about the health benefits that come from eliminating gluten from your diet we set a simple goal of trying to eat gluten-free for one week. If it works, then we’ll go for two weeks.
To maintain a completely gluten-free diet means eating fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and fish and other items available. No wheat, barley, oats or rye. Today was our first day our family ate gluten-free. My two daughters are participating in this New Year’s resolution as well. It was one of the healthiest days for all the main meals that we’ve had in ages. It went freakishly well today… fruits and veggies were consumed by two little girls with huge smiles on their faces.
I wonder what strides I’ll make with my 2011 New Years resolution. Since I am now officially now a “skater girl” I hope my strides will be at a fast pace!
Have you made an “after the day” New Year’s Resolutions? Or, have any particular fun ongoing goals you have made for yourself or your family?
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Courtney Cappallo of Massachusetts, USA. Courtney can be found homeschooling on her blog, Table of Four.
Photo credit to Courtney Cappallo.
Sounds like fun, amazing things going on in your household! I love the leading by example mantra and adore that many of the goals are ones that y’all can do together! Happy New Year! 🙂
Courtney,
I can MAYBE stay as structured as you for…10 minutes. Good luck with your goals and plans, Courtney!
Veronica Samuels 🙂
That’s not true at all! Look at all that you do on a daily basis!! I feel like each one of us moms out there has her own special super power… whether it be knowing where the missing toy is every time or knowing which dress your 2 year-old wants when she yells “dress!” We have that 6th sense kind of thing going on, don’t we! We each do what works best for our family and that makes us all quite powerful!
Thanks for your well wishes… we are day 4 on eating gluten-free. I am still astonished at how well my girls are adapting. They don’t fuss or push away the food. In fact, Sydney’s exact words for each meal that I’ve put out for her for the past four days has been “YUM.” Can you believe it?! I feel a difference in my energy level, not sure if that is because I have fruits and veggies at every meal now or what?! Two meals down on day 4, one more left to go. So far, so good!
You are the second family that I know with a rink in the back yard! That awes us folk in SF where it doesn’t get that cold.
Anyway, your post always inspire me to do new things with my girls. I don’t know where you get your time and energy. Thanks you for sharing your stories with us.
A
A. Roselyn ~ The rink has been loads of family fun! We are probably one of the few families on Cape Cod that actually hopes for a cold winter!
I love that you have a rink! My 5 year old son learned to skate this past year and is in a beginner hockey class. Seeing pee wee’s in full pads is adorable. And nice job on the food front! I think anytime we teach our kids (and ourselves) to be intentional about eating is a huge stride, even if that specific diet doesn’t last.
Tara B. ~ Have you perfected the art of tying your son’s skates? I’ve faced the challenge of tying my girls skates a few times… I was so proud after my first time lacing the girls up… but I came back down to reality when my 5 year-old daughter requested my husband retie her skates because I didn’t make them tight enough. Ah well… I am trying! I understand where she is coming from though, I feel the difference myself when I lace my own skates compared to when Kyle has been kind enough to lace them for me.
As for the food, we are still so far, so good on that front. I honestly can say putting the meals down in front of my girls makes me feel really good about what we are doing.
I am amazed at the thought of an ice rink in the back yard. We don’t have one within visiting distance – so my daughter and I really enjoyed a very wobbly session on our Christmas trip to Australia! Best of luck with your resolutions.
Thanks Kate! I continue to be amazed at our rink. I find myself just in awe of it really… I never considered I’d have one in my backyard. Although my husband planted that seed long ago in my head.
Sounds like a special trip you had with your family in Australia. I think you’ll find you’ll be less wobbly your next session. I’ve skated more in the last two weeks than I ever have in my life. I can actually skate now, nothing pretty mind you! Now stopping… well, that’s another matter entirely. I’ve acquired some lovely black and blue bruises on my lower back trying to perfect the ‘hockey stop.’
It’s hot and humid here (New Zealand), so hot that the children struggle to sleep. So the ice-rink looks like a gorgeously refreshing place to be!
I (almost completely) cut out wheat from my diet last year and really noticed a difference in my energy levels after about three or four days, too.I think there’s definitely a slight intolerance going on.
I am amazed how many American mothers are homeschooling…what’s happening over there?
kloppenmum ~ New Zealand! Fantastic! I’ve been talking about your country to my daughters. We’ve been discussing how you are going through the season of summer right now and how our seasons are on an opposite schedule… this of course fascinates her!
I too have noticed a switch in my energy levels. I am eating much healthier than I have been and have almost completely cut out wheat. I still have a protein shake in the mornings, which I believe may contain wheat. Other than that, we’ve cut it out of our life. We’ve made pizza and pasta dishes using gluten-free products within the last nine days. They’ve tasted delicious actually. I’d like our grocery store to provided more gluten-free products. My husband did find a small grocer on Cape Cod that carries a larger supply of gluten-free products near where he plays ice hockey. He bought some gluten-free products there.
Home schooling is an option that Americans have a legal right to exercise. Parents have options to send their children to public school, private school or to home school them. We decided to take the road less traveled…
The poet Robert Frost sums it up beautifully, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Courtney – love your comment about “leading by example”. I have to keep reminding myself about that 🙂
Thanks Eva!