I love this time of year. The transition from the festivity of the holidays into
the relative calm of January feels like a nice, deep breath. I enjoy putting all
of the holiday photo cards we received in December into an album and I like how
clean and neat the house looks after we’ve tucked the holiday decorations
carefully into their boxes.
There is one thing I don’t much care for this time of year, however, and that’s
New Year’s Eve. Although I’ve never really put my finger on why I don’t like New
Year’s, I suppose it’s because it has always felt like a holiday infused with
too many expectations and not enough substance. After all of the richness of
Thanksgiving and Christmas, New Year’s seems a little empty to me.
This year, in mid-December, I sat on the couch drinking a cup of coffee while my
17-month-old son played with his trucks on the floor. “Probably not a bad idea
to drink less coffee in 2007,” I thought inhaling the delicious aroma from my
steaming cup. Then I grimaced, mulling over how to implement resolution #2,
cutting back on caffeine, while still sticking to resolution #1, implementing an
early-morning work-out regimen. Ugh. I found myself wondering, absent-mindedly,
if my son would write New Year’s resolutions one day. “Oh, I hope not,” I
thought to myself, “I really hope that he likes himself enough to not waste his
time writing resolutions.”
Wait, WHAT?!
Do you ever find yourself having a thought that is so unexpected that it brings
your brain screeching to a halt? A thought so startling that it feels almost
like it came from somewhere else? Because that’s what happened to me as I sat
there on the couch that day; in a flash I realized that in the name of New
Year’s resolutions I have spent the last few weeks of December for as long as I
can remember contemplating all of the things I don’t like about myself, writing
them down and vowing to change them in the coming year. No wonder I don’t like
this holiday!
My mind began to spin with my new-found revelation. This is not what I’m about
and it is definitely not how I aim to live my life. Slowly, I began to form a
new resolution to look upon the year past not with regret for the things I did
not accomplish or the aspects of myself I think I could improve. I have resolved
to treat the year past with respect and gratitude for all of the joys it brought
to me and my family and to appreciate the good in the year that we are bidding
farewell.
In this spirit, last night, my husband and I began a new tradition. Before
dinner with friends and family we went around the table and took turns saying
three things that we really loved about the year gone by. Not surprisingly, not
one person mentioned cutting back on caffeine or sticking to a workout regimen.
Instead, we talked about travel and friends and kids and the joy of trying new
things. We laughed, remembering things we had nearly forgotten and heard stories
that we had never heard before.
As our family grows, it is my hope that we will continue this tradition with our
children and that in saying these things out loud we will remind each other that
life is not always about looking forward and striving to meet our goals. Perhaps
with this small gesture we will remember that the year past was full of moments
of magic and that the year to come will, once again, offer us boundless
opportunities to love our friends, our families and, yes, even ourselves.
* * * * * *
Sasha is the owner and founder of Sasha B. Designs, an online baby boutique that
specializes in beautiful, handmade nursing covers for breastfeeding moms. Shop
online at
http://www.sashabdesigns.com
Dressing Girls For School
I have spoken to so many parents who tell me it is a monumental task to get
their younger daughters ready for school in the morning. Unless your daughter
has only one set of clothes to wear, she probably wants to change her outfit
three times before choosing the one she will "agree" to wear to school each day.
Here's how we solved the problem in our family...
3 Easy Ways To Make An Awesome Playroom
Are you irritated every time you walk past your kids playroom? Paper here, toys
there, the floor is strewn with stuff that you can't even guess what it is! Most
of us feel a whole lot better when things are organized. Is it natural to be
neat and tidy or is it a skill that must be learned? We'll let you worry about
that question but we'll give you a few simple ideas on how to make that playroom
fun again.
What should you expect at 6 weeks, 6 months or 1 year? We provide useful
milestones and developmental stages so that you can keep an eye on your
baby's development in the first year. Baby Stages
Ideas For Sharing Stories
With Children
This two-part article discusses the ways in which stories and
storytelling play an important role in children's lives. Techniques are
offered for using stories to help develop children's verbal skills and
imaginations. This is part one.
Who Owns The Problem; Parent or Child?
It is tempting for parents to assume ownership and responsibility for everything that goes on in the life of their child. However, when the parent jumps in too soon to solve the problem or give the answer, the child never learns to trust his own judgment and become a critical thinker.
Parenting - Making A Schedule This article on the benefits of scheduling your day as a parent
really struck home with me. It took me a while to work this out for
myself when I had young children at home, and I wish I had done so - and
benefited from the much calmer household that was the result - sooner!
