My 21 Resolutions for 2021 – My Goals for Happier Parenting

Even in the midst of the pandemic, the new year gives us so much hope. Make 21 resolutions for 2021 and plan to have some serious fun!

Parents like you are busier now than ever.  Especially for those of you with small children who can’t do much for themselves.

Why in the world would you want to set resolutions for 2021? Well, when you go the non-traditional route, you can actually set fun resolutions.

Learn more about how to set Resolutions for 2021, and check out what I’m resolving to do this year!

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21 Resolutions for 2021

The idea for doing 21 Resolutions in 2021 came from the Gretchen Rubin podcast Happier. This is my favorite podcast because it has so many practical ideas to make you happier!

Instead of doing big, grand overwhelming resolutions you can come up with whimsical and pleasant resolutions.

Some of them may be practical (clean a closet) and some may be enjoyable (rewatch The Office), but the focus is on things to make you happier in the New Year.

Scroll down to grab a free printable, read some suggestions and ideas for your resolutions, and to check out my 21 Resolutions for 2021.

Parenting in a Pandemic

Parenting small children during a global pandemic is no joke. You’re exhausted and so am I.

Thus, this is NOT a big to-do list.  Every item on my list is things I want to do for myself.

There is nothing like “quit eating take out” or “lose weight” that will cause more stress or steal more joy.

We are parenting in a pandemic. It’s important to prioritize things that will make you happier.

And you’re going to need to prioritize them over other things.

This means at times, you can:

  • ignore the laundry
  • avoid mindless social media scrolling
  • tell your children “no” when they ask you to play with them

Tips for a 21 for 2021

These are my best tips for a 21 in 2021 list.

  • Avoid long and ongoing projects. Those can be hard to measure and intimating.
  • Try projects that don’t take longer than a weekend.
  • Make sure you can do things in a COVID-safe manner in case of more lockdowns.
  • Aim for things that feel FUN!
  • Choose things you can control (i.e. we want to move but who knows if that will be possible with the housing market).

21 Manageable Resolutions for Parents in 2021

  1. Watch your favorite series.
  2. Have an at-home date with your spouse.
  3. Try a new crockpot recipe.
  4. Take a long bath.
  5. Set up socially-distanced walking dates with friends.
  6. Have focused playtime with your child 3 times.
  7. Read a chapter book to your children.
  8. Have three family movie nights.
  9. Camp in the backyard.
  10. Subscribe to a guilty pleasure magazine.
  11. Have a no-cooking weekend.
  12. Go on a new hike.
  13. Clean a closet.
  14. Take a week-long social media break.
  15. Read X new books.
  16. Visit a museum virtually
  17. Follow a no-guilt Instagram parenting influencer (I recommend @kids.eat.in.color or @drbeckyathome)
  18. Shop at one new Black-owned or local business.
  19. Try a new local restaurant for take-out.
  20. Find a new podcast.
  21. Go to bed really early one evening.

My 21 Resolutions for 2021

Without any additional delay, here are my resolutions for 2021:

1. Catch up on Podcasts

I love, love, love podcasts and I primarily listen to them while exercising. But I only recently restarted exercising.

During Patrick’s pregnancy, I developed pretty severe SPD, or pelvic girdle pain. My OB and physical therapist almost gave me a walker.

While that healed almost immediately after his birth, I had complications with his delivery and also couldn’t walk for months.

So I’m behind in my favorite podcasts. I’m going to catch up because they make me happy.

2. Prepare Family Birthday Cards

I like to send birthday cards to Kyle and my family. It’s hard to remember month-to-month.

So I’m going to take a list of birthdays and purchase all the cards at once (limiting trips in public, too – win win!).

Then I will address them all at once so they are ready to send out.

3. Read 12 Fiction Books

I’m not sure what I’ll read but I’m starting with The Queen of Hearts.

4. Read 6 Non-fiction Books

I’m starting with Overcoming Dyslexia since Molly’s diagnosis.  I’m not sure it’s something she needs to “overcome,” but this is THE book recommended to parents of dyslexic children.

5. Teach Molly to print her lowercase letters

This is a resolution Molly set for herself. It’s fun for me to teach her to write (plus now it’s part of our homeschool curriculum).

We’re using Handwriting without Tears and my Lowercase Letters Binder.

6. Teach Andrew all the letter sounds.

He’s really interested in this lately. It’s fun for me.

Plus learning letter sounds is really important for learning to read.

7. Teach Patrick to drink from an open cup.

I put this on here because I wanted to make sure he had a goal since his big brother and sister have them – haha.

This was a big developmental challenge for Molly. I’m motivated to get Patrick off a bottle.

8. Finish Patrick’s baby calendar.

I finished Andrew’s the week before Patrick was born. I’d like to do better this time!

This is the calendar we use and like!

‘Hello World’ Baby Calendar Baby First Year

9. Make a family photo book for 2018.

I use Shutterfly and keep it really simple. I just choose 12-20 photos by month and drag and drop.

10. Make a family photo book for 2020.

Same as above and I’ll probably do it while I ….

11. Watch The Crown on Netflix.

I’m not sure which season I am on, but I’m going to catch up. It’s a great show!

If you like English film and television, check it out.

12. Get our carpets cleaned.

They are gross. It’s been way too long.

We have a great guy who does it. He’s a firefighter and we had to delay during the fires this past year.

13. Declutter 400 items.

A few years ago, I did the 400 Items in 40 Days Challenge for Lent.

I will do that again this year.

14.  Celebrate our 10th Anniversary in a fun or unique way.

I wanted to do a trip. That might not be possible with COVID.  But I’m sure Kyle and I can come up with a fun and unique way to celebrate 10 years of marriage.

15. Set up my tripod and ring light.

I asked for a tripod and ring light for Christmas. I have such a hard time getting good light for Instagram stories.

This is the kind of thing I need to put on a list or else it will sit in the box for months.

I want to do this so I can …

16. Do live video on Facebook or Instagram 10 times.

I know a lot of people prefer videos to posts. So I’ll go live for all those parents.

17. Give myself a manicure (or get one when it’s safe!)

I’m comfortable getting my haircut the pandemic now that it’s allowed but I don’t feel it’s necessary for me to get a manicure.

I need to make time to do it for myself.

18. Give myself a pedicure (or get one when it’s safe)

Same as above.

19. Get rid of baby gear.

Patrick is our last baby. His pregnancy was difficult; his birth was traumatic.

We’re ready to pass on the big baby gear. I’ll probably sell some at a consignment sale or we might just donate if the spring/summer sale is canceled.

20. Set up my new computer.

This one is on its last legs. But I never want to take the time to set up my new one.

I’m putting this out publicly so I’ll do it. And I really should by the end of March.

21. Rest more (at least 10 days)

I want to plan 10 Sundays where I don’t work, go on social media, lesson plan for homeschool, or do housework.

Instead, I’ll rest and hang out with my family. It might seem in a global pandemic with no childcare, no family support, no housekeepers, etc that this goal is impossible.

For me, it feels essential.

Conclusion

What’s on your 21 for 2021 list?

Leave a comment, or take a photo and share on your Facebook page. Make sure to tag @printableparents!

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