Happy New Year!

We usually start the year with new goals. People are open and eager to improve themselves at the start of each brand new year.

Have you come up with your own goals for this year?

A lot of people come up with work goals, decluttering goals, and health goals at the start of the year. But do parents come up with parenting goals also? I think not too many go through this exercise.

But being a parent is one of the most important roles one can have in life. It’s even more important than your role at work. Someone can take your place in your work. Someone else can do your job and replace you. But you CANNOT be replaced in your child’s life.

So, I urge you, fellow parents, to make time to pause and evaluate your parenting. Be honest with yourself and set some goals that would help you become a better parent to your child or children this year.

If you can make time to plan and set goals for your work or business so you would have a better and more successful year, why not make time as well to plan and set goals so you could be a better parent and become successful in parenting your children this year?

Let me share with you a form that I have customized to help parents introspect and set parenting goals this year.

You can download this printable worksheet for FREE when you click here.

This was inspired by the action plan worksheets that I use in the training programs and workshops that I conduct for my clients and in my previous job as a Training Manager and HR Manager.

Let me go through each item that I have included.

DO MORE OF… What are the things that you do that make your child truly happy? What are your strong points as a parent? What do you think are the things that your child appreciates the most among the things that you do for him/her? We may not be perfect parents but we surely do some things right. What are those things that you do right? How do you know which of the things that you do make your child truly happy? Ask your child. =) You can also base your answer on your child’s reactions or responses. Last but not least, use the results or outcomes of your actions. Your children may not immediately appreciate your efforts in setting a curfew or limiting their time in using gadgets or watching TV. But, what are the positive results of these parenting decisions or actions in their lives?

Let me give a few examples. Do you play with your child? Maybe, you need to do more of that? Do you eat meals with your children? Do you know that based on studies, children whose parents eat more meals with them have lesser chances of committing crimes or becoming delinquent? If you are working outside the home, this could be challenging because of the traffic. But, I highly recommend that you more of this especially if you only get to eat 2 to 3 meals each week with your child.

DO LESS OF… What are the things that you think you need to do less of to become a better parent to your child? What are things that you cannot totally eliminate or stop but you can at least lessen? We all have our weaknesses. The new year gives us a great opportunity to start anew. Let’s seize this opportunity and aim for a better year at parenting.

Here are some examples again. Do you need to watch TV less or use social media less so you can have or you have more quality conversations with your children? Do you need to have less overtime work so you can go home earlier and see them while they are still awake?

START… What is it that you need to start doing this year to improve your relationship with your child or children? What is it that you know you should do but you were not able to do in the past?

If you have not been reading books to your children daily, maybe you could start doing that this year. Do you know that even children who already know how to read benefit when their parents read books to them? Are you the type of parent who does not show affection in words or in action? Maybe it’s high time that you start doing this. Hug your children when they wake up and/or before they go to school. Hug them when they come home and/or before they go to sleep. These hugs will not only benefit your child. They also benefit you. Experts say that we need at least 4 hugs each day to survive. You can also start saying “I love you” and “I’m proud of you” to your children this year if this is something that you do not verbalize to them. We should not assume that our children know this because we work to provide for them and we take care of them and their needs. We need to say these words as well. They need to hear these words from their parents. Do you know that there are kids who misbehave and eventually become delinquent because their love tanks are empty and because they have not heard these words from their parents while growing up?

STOP… What is it that you need to stop doing so you could be a better parent? This is not an easy question to answer. You need to be brutally honest with yourself to answer this question. You can also ask your spouse to give you some suggestions or feedback. If you are more courageous, you can also ask your children. After you ask them and they give their answer, ask for their help so you could be successful in stopping what you need to stop. I’m sure that there are triggers or signs that often lead to whatever it is that you need to stop. They probably notice that also. Get your kids to be on your team.

Some examples of things you might want to stop doing are the following:

• smoking, especially with your children present in the same room. Do you know that aside from the health hazards of second and third-hand smoke, your children will most likely smoke as well because they see you smoking? Even if you tell them not to imitate you, your actions speak louder than your words.
• cursing or saying curse words in front of the children.
• using your mobile phone while eating with your family.
• using your mobile phone while your kids are talking to you.
• comparing your children with their siblings or other kids.
• yelling at them when you are angry.

You know yourself better as a parent. I’m sure that you will be able to come up with your own list with some introspection.

You need not come up with a long list. In fact, I would advise you to limit your answer to a manageable number. Two to three items per category are manageable and feasible. Actually, even if you just implement one from each category, you will have a remarkable improvement as a parent and your children will most likely notice that.

The key is consistency in implementing your action plans. Make small adjustments daily until these become your habits and part of your daily routine. Soon, you need not exert much effort doing them because they became habits. You learn to do them automatically, without much thought.

One of my mentors, Bo Sanchez, says that one of the best ways to stop a bad habit is to REPLACE it with a good one. Why don’t you try it?

I suggest that you do monthly and quarterly reviews of your parenting goals to check if you were able to do them.

If you seriously want to be successful in implementing these parenting goals this year and you think you can benefit from getting a coach to ensure that what you have written down will happen, I invite you to check out my coaching and counseling packages. You can choose from one-session coaching to two-sessions or three sessions or more if you want. You may read more details about these coaching packages here.

We have great news for you this new year! You can get these BONUSES when you sign up for my coaching and counseling packages.

BONUS #1 – Get a FREE COPY of the Amazon bestseller and award-winning e-book From Career Woman to SAHM, WAHM then Businessmom: Lessons from my Transitions.

BONUS #2 – Get FREE LIFETIME ACCESS to the Full Life Cube downloadable set of planning pages which you can use every year for as long as you like! 

These are perfect for those who are planning to make a career transition or a career change this new year. Be inspired and equipped through this award-winning and life-changing e-book and plan how you’ll successfully transition or make that change through Full Life Cube’s planning pages.

Having a coach gives you an accountability partner. Of course, your spouse should be your accountability partner also in parenting your children. But sometimes, you also need an objective person to whom you will not react violently or respond with too much emotion.

You can also sign up for my iHOPE Online Coaching Program which you can take anytime and anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. You can take it at your own pace and where it is most convenient. I designed this online course/program for parents who seriously want to become hands-on parents while earning for their children. In this program, you get LIFETIME ACCESS to a number of worksheets that will help transform you and your family life and so much more! You may read more details about this online coaching program here.

I sincerely wish that this action plan worksheet would help you come up with your parenting goals for this year and that it would help you become a better parent this year! Cheers!