New Year's resolutions that every mom makes... and why it's okay to break them

Jan 03, 2012 10:00 AM by Katie Kavulla

Posted in Parenting / Parenting Tips & Advice / Mom & Dad

The Reality Of Resolutions For Moms

Are you dreading it? The New Year is here and that means that it's resolution time. As moms, we're always working to improve ourselves so that we can also improve the lives of our kids, but being realistic is key when it comes to resolutions for moms. Let's break down some common mom resolutions to make them easy for all of us to conquer this year.

Woman cleaning New Year's Resolution

I will keep the house cleaner

Raise your hand if this is on your list of New Year's resolutions... every single year. But moms, it's time to get real -- if you have kids at home, your house is never going to be perfectly clean. Between the sports gear dumped in the entryway to the sticky fingerprints on the stainless steel refrigerator, making a resolution to keep the house cleaner is only going to send you in circles all year. Instead, pick a couple of things to resolve to keep clean at home -- to fold laundry on Fridays or to clean out one closet once a month. Specific cleaning goals will help you have resolution success.

Make some progress with your New Year household cleaning plan >>

I will make a healthy, homemade dinner every night

Less boxed macaroni and cheese and more fresh vegetables. It's on every mom's New Year's resolution list, especially after the holidays, when healthy, balanced meals may have been few and far between. If better family meals are on your resolution list, keep the pressure low by taking on some simple meal planning first. Try setting a general weekly menu plan with meals that are easy and quick to make for busy weekday evenings.

Have the whole family pitch in with these family dinners that the kids can make >>

I will spend less time plugged in

The amount of time we spend online is a concern for our generation of moms. It's so easy to get sucked in to browsing the latest Pinterest pins or checking Facebook statuses that it's likely that there are many moms out there who are resolving to spend less time plugged in for 2012. Cut yourself some slack by admitting that you enjoy spending time online and that it can be a great way to wind down or have some "me" time. Make this an easy resolution to succeed at by giving yourself times during the day where you can jump online -- first thing in the morning while your kiddos catch a morning cartoon or during naptime instead of doing that extra load of laundry.

When you are plugged in, see how technology can help you be a supermom >>

This year, I will take more pictures of my kids

When you're carrying a sippy cup, two coats, the scooter that your child decided they didn't want to ride anymore and a bag of groceries, it's nearly impossible to also dig your camera out of your purse to catch that split-second precious moment on film. Try making it a goal to take a picture each week and work your way up from there. Or, get a phone with a great camera on it -- you're sure to take more pictures with it always close by.