With the beginning of a brand new year just getting started, it’s a great time to reflect on the year that’s passed. I love to sit down with a notebook and remind myself of my favorite memories, goals met, and funny moments with the kids I don’t want to forget. And of course, a book log of all the amazing literature my children and I read over the course of the year.
I’ll sit down and chat with my children about what they’ve accomplished and what they’re looking forward to in the New Year. It’s a great time to reflect, but also to make goals. I’m not a fan of resolutions, because they are often too open-ended and quick to be forgotten. Instead, I like to set realistic objectives.
For example, rather than say I’m going to lose weight and exercise more, I’ll set smaller goals. I’ll eat more vegetables and fewer sweets. Maybe I’ll set a fitness goal like walking one mile a couple of mornings a week. This works the same way for our children. Help them to set a goal to work towards or choose a skill to focus on and they’ll be able to make it happen. One at a time.
My personal goal is to add some sort of exercise to my routine. I plan to alternate taking the dogs for walks. We are adopting another new puppy this month, so that should help me stick to my goal!
If your kids are anything like mine, it can be hard to get them to talk about things like goals and plans for the new year. That’s why I created this printable freebie to help you and your child reflect on 2020 and think about the new year ahead.
I hope you and your family have an amazing 2022!
Emily Cook is the author and creator of the secular homeschool curriculum Build Your Library, a literature-based K-12 program infused with the teachings of Charlotte Mason. She writes full-year lesson plans as well as shorter topical unit studies. Emily has been homeschooling her four children in Southern NH for 21 years. She is passionate about reading aloud to children of all ages and loves to share her love of literature with others. She and her family also make incredibly dorky videos about homeschooling, books, and more on Youtube at ARRRGH! Schooling. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. You can also check out her author page on Amazon.