I was flipping through a magazine and saw an advertisement for a necklace that read “A Hope & A Future”. It made me think of all of the families that we work with here at TEIS, and how much amazing progress we have all made! The children, the families – of all shapes and sizes, the therapists and our entire TEIS family have all made progress of one kind or another! What kind of progress have you made this year?

On the flip-side, there may be some things you’d like to work towards in the coming year. Many people want to get healthier! My husband says these newbies to the gym are called “resolutioners”…which implies that their interest in going to the gym is going to fizzle out in the coming weeks of the new year. It’s a funny little name, and so true! I’m sure that no matter what the resolution is – there’s a chance you might allow it to fizzle out. What resolutions have you started and then gave up on?

So, the question is then, HOW do we keep our resolution? We certainly have to be motivated to continue, so there’s got to be some benefit or positive feedback happening, and we have to take INTEREST in it!

If you haven’t already set your New Year’s resolution… I encourage you to take a look at these ideas! I can guarantee that you’ll have an interest. They involve your favorite people…your children!

1. Take a walk with your child…leave your phone at home. Just walk and talk. No rush, no pressure, just enjoy the time together!
2. Read to your child. Every night…for younger kids, resolve to read one picture book. For older kids, resolve to read at least one chapter. Even after kids can read, research shows that there are a multitude of benefits of being read to.
3. Eat dinner together. Eat dinner at the table if you can. So many of us have gotten away from this. It may be a good resolution for my own family! Even just one time per week.
4. Play a game together! UNO, Candyland, Memory…it doesn’t have to be complicated, it’s the time together that counts.
5. PLAY! Play ANYTHING…THEIR choice…give them 10 un-interrupted minutes without you calling the shots. Get down on the floor and just play. At first they won’t know what to do, and you might not either! But you will begin to enjoy the time together.
6. Cook together. Even young children can take part in cooking! Pour in the ingredients, mix the batter, choose the menu, surprise Daddy!
7. Turn off the radio in the car. Use it as a time to talk. How was daycare? Who did you play with? What did you have for lunch? What songs did you sing?

These are just a few ideas. Don’t pressure yourself to do all of these every day…choose one a week. You will begin to see the BENEFITS of time together, which will motivate you not to be the “Resolutioner”…keep it going! Tell us your favorite quality time activity with your child! We love to see your comments on the blog!

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