3 Easy Tips to Help You Maintain Your Family Goals

Have you committed that this year will be the year you become a better parent? Have you gotten stuck partway through?

Being a parent and caring for a family may sometimes be difficult. As parents, we face many challenges. From caring for our children when they are sick and handling their challenging behaviours to navigating the stages of development they go through and parenting through adolescence. Our daily lives are filled with goals and responsibilities. Navigating challenging situations can bring additional stress and make it more difficult to keep up with the goals we set for our family.

The way you parent your children and set goals for your family matters because it sets the stage for your children's development, health, and well-being. Your children's sense of self-worth, ability to create healthy relationships and resilience in the face of adversity are all shaped by the quality of your family's dynamics and the goals you set as a family.

Prelude

Before you continue, use the checklist below for a quick reminder of what optimal goals should look like for your family.

• Understood: Is it clear and easily understood by all participants
• Checkpoint: Are there checkpoints with feedback scheduled?
• Done: When does the goal start and what does “done” look like?

Remember, optimal goals are not meant for a set-it-and-forget-it approach. In fact, sometimes you may lack motivation. Setting optimal goals will help you to stay committed even when you are not motivated. You will need to be authentic and intentional in your efforts. You probably already know this and because you know this, you realized you were stuck, and we found each other here.

Keeping our family healthy, happy, and successful is one of our most important endeavours. So keep reading for tips to help improve your success and remain committed to staying on task with your family goals.

Prioritize Mental Health

This conversation is about being in a psychological state that encourages our growth and success. We are not just talking about being free of mental illnesses. Now consider, when you hear about having good mental health, what does that look like to you?

A healthy mind allows you to set healthy boundaries for yourself and your family. You will also be able to develop strategies to help you navigate challenges, create a balanced set of rules, set realistic expectations and consequences, and stick to your goals. Take a moment and pause. Think about what it means for you to have optimal mental clarity. Hold that image and say out loud, “I can have mental clarity in my life”.

Your ability to reach your goals depends on how well your mind is doing. Prioritizing your family members' mental health is essential. Gratitude, mindful breaks, and family time reading are 3 awesome practices to help you put your family's mental health first and protect it.

Enjoy Healthy Nutrition

Good nutrition for parents and children can help you reach your parenting goals. Healthy foods for the brain and body, high in vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids can help the mind and body stay healthy and develop properly.

Meals should provide fuel for our body and our life journey. It should bring you joy and protect your health. Moreover, nutrition and a healthy relationship with food impact how well we can accommodate life and our family goals.

According to one study on setting dietary and life goals, people who make it a goal to maintain good nutritional changes are more likely to meet their other life goals. For example, our goals of staying active and healthy, saving money by eating home-cooked meals, and spending time with our families while preparing and eating food are often linked to setting healthy dietary goals.

Keep your meals simple and easy to fit into your schedule. Whenever possible, buy fresh local goods and cook your meals at home. Include your children in the food preparation process since this activity brings the whole family closer together and has a variety of positive effects on each child's unique learning and development experience.

If you get your kids involved in the kitchen, you may help them form good eating habits, learn how to set healthy dietary goals, and contribute to their sense of independence.

Set Aside Time for Family-Time

Sharing time as a family, whether it's eating a meal, practicing spiritual rituals, exercising, or playing board games, may help you keep your priorities in balance.

Spending time together as a family may also help you get to know each family member more personally. This practice can assist you in better aligning your goals and maintaining your commitment to achieving them.

Also, most of us struggle to balance work and life, feeling exhausted by the end of the day. This can lead to stress, anxiety, or burnout, which hurts your mental health, relationships, and life satisfaction and keeps you from reaching your goals.

After an exhausting and stressful day, make time for quality time with your family. This may be an effective way to refocus your priorities and relax. Spending time together as a family can keep each other motivated to reach the goals you've set as a family and strengthen the bonds you already have.

Encouragement for the Road

One of the priorities we give the most attention to is our family's mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being. Positive mental health habits, healthy nutrition, and quality time

spent together are all facets of self-care that a family should strive towards.

There is a great degree of responsibility that comes along with taking on the role of a parent. It is essential to set goals for your family if you want to maintain everyone's motivation, health and well-being and ensure success.

We want what's best for our loved ones. Setting family goals is necessary to enhance our parenting skills and set our family up for success. Throughout our parenting journey, maintaining our family goals is going to help us along the way.

Remember to be intentional in your efforts and practice mindfulness together and take mental breaks throughout the day. Have some fun with outdoor play and nature walks. Don’t forget to bring along nutritious snacks. When you instill self-care habits in your children at a young age, you set them up for a healthy life as they get older.

References
1. Keng, S. L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(6), 1041–1056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006

More References
Chiaet, J. (2013, October 4). Novel Finding: Reading Literary Fiction Improves Empathy. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/novel-finding-reading-literary-fiction-improves-empathy/

Krueger, A. (2015, May 12). 7 Foods for Children’s Brain Development. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/features/brain-foods-kids
NAMI California. (n.d.). Why Reading is Good for Mental Health. NAMI California. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://namica.org/blog/why-reading-is-good-for-mental-health/

Turner-McGrievy, G. M., Wright, J. A., Migneault, J. P., Quintiliani, L., & Friedman, R. H. (2014). The interaction between dietary and life goals: using goal systems theory to explore healthy diet and life goals. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 2(1), 759–769. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2014.927737