A New Year and a New Family: Great Resolutions and Ways to Celebrate 2014 (Guest Post)

The New Year is just around the corner,
and that means thinking about ways to make the most of 2014. Here are
some excellent ideas for starting out the New Year right.

Eat More Veggies Together

One great resolution you can make as a
family is to eat healthier in the New Year. Creating a goal of
incorporating more vegetables and whole grains with less junk food in
your family diet can help kids and parents to keep each other
accountable. It will also allow you to all enjoy the experience of
healthier
eating together.

Try Something New in the New Year

A great way to challenge yourself and
your children in 2014 is by setting a few goals to branch out and try
new hobbies. Sign up for online
acting classes or a few ballroom dancing lessons.
Tackling a new challenge might result in discovering a fun pastime or
even passion to enjoy as a family. And making a family resolution
will help encourage your kids to experience the arts and develop
their cultural awareness.

A More Active 2014

The New Year is the perfect time to
start exercising more and incorporating physical activity into your
weekly routine. Families, too, can get in on the action by setting
fitness goals together. This might include charting out an exercise
plan, registering at a gym or YMCA or finding creative ways to have
fun outdoors.

There are many fantastic ideas for to
get the family outside and moving at the same time. Browse through an
adventure gift
guide to find ideas for family ski trips, day hikes,
rock climbing and more. You can also plan family adventures by
season. Try snowshoeing in January and surfing in August.

Be Kind to Everyone

Perhaps the best resolution your family
can commit to is trying to be kind to more people. Whether it is
younger siblings, peers at school, adults or elderly neighbors,
everyone can use a little more kindness in their day. Set up a few
endeavors as a family to smile more often, to be nice to the people
you come in contact with and to go out of the way to show you care.
This might mean baking cookies for a lonely neighbor or cutting the
grass for an older friend. There are lots of creative ways to be
kind, so put your heads together as a family to generate new ideas.

Celebrating the Noon Year and More

Once you have discussed your
resolutions, it is time to decide how to celebrate the New Year. For
families with younger children, deciding when to celebrate is often
an important discussion because most little ones either can’t or
shouldn’t be up until midnight. PBS Parents recommends celebrating
the
noon year at 12 pm in the afternoon on New Year’s
Eve. You can pull out the noisemakers and toast with apple cider
right before lunch time. This way, children don’t feel left out of
the fun when going to bed on time in the evening.

Another fun tradition involves setting
alarm clocks for each of the different time zones around the globe
and celebrating as each region reaches midnight.

With these tips for ringing in the New
Year, your family will be off to a great start for 2014.

Image from
www.timeout.com