8 Realistic New Year’s Resolutions For Tired Parents

New Year's Shutterstock No gym memberships. No green juice. by Katie McPherson Dec. 28, 2021

recep-bg/E+/Getty Images This year we’ve worked from home, done distance learning, and spent more time with our kids than ever. And love ‘em like we do, it’s exhausting. So when someone asks about your 2022 resolution, it’s easy to laugh off the idea. But there are some goals even tired parents can meet.

Move your body. Let’s be real: the going-to-the-gym resolution rarely works for anyone past January, and it’s not realistic for many parents. Instead, focus on taking walks, stretching, or riding bikes as a family. Any and all movement is good for you.

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zoranm/E+/Getty Images Stop comparing yourself to other parents. Yes, especially the ones on social media you don’t even know. Comparison isn’t just a thief of joy; it also requires energy, which is in short supply as it is for most moms and dads. Use yours for things that make you and your kids happy.

Let go of feeling guilty about screen time. Everyone deserves to take a shower, poop without an audience, or to sit and stare into the void for 20 minutes. If a little TV buys you that slice of time each day, enjoy it fully.

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Westend61/Westend61/Getty Images Try that new parenting technique. Sounds vague, but something probably came to mind as soon as you read it, right? Whether it’s crying it out, gentle parenting, or time ins, have a go at that parenting hack or style you think will help you, your kid, or your family.

ibnjaafar/E+/Getty Images Get Mom in more pictures. Mothers tend to be the ones taking photos of the kids and their partner, family outings, and special occasions. But being the photographer means you’re not captured in the memories as often. So try to call Mom into the shot this year.

PeopleImages/E+/Getty Images Follow a cleaning method. If household chores feel overwhelming or out of control, try a method that breaks things down into bite-sized chunks of tidying. Some moms swear by the FlyLady method while others prefer zone cleaning. Even if you only adopt a hack or two, it could help.

Read books with diverse characters. A quick search will show you lots of recommendations for books that star characters who look different from your child, whether that’s in their body type, skin color, or gender. It only takes a few minutes to search some titles and add to cart.

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urbazon/E+/Getty Images Eat one more vegetable per day. Trying to eat healthier is a common New Year’s resolution, but doing an entire diet overhaul isn’t feasible. If you can add one more serving of veggies daily to your plate, that’s a great start on the journey to a more nutritious diet.

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