Hello, PATH parents!
Congratulations, we made it to 2021! As we all know, at this time in history, that’s a real accomplishment! A new year typically ushers in a breath of fresh air, hopes for new beginnings. What hopes are stirring in you? Are there any areas where you need new beginnings with your teens? New beginnings with communication? New beginnings with conflict resolution? New beginnings with cultivating a closer relationship?
Sometimes even small adjustments can make a big difference! What New Year’s Resolutions have been coming to mind as you start this new year as a family? Statistics vary, but I recently read: “Research shows that as many as 50 percent of adults in the United States make New Year’s resolutions, but fewer than 10 percent keep them for more than a few months” (https://www.westernconnecticuthealthnetwork.org/newsroom/article-listing/new-years-resolution). Many people do not keep New Year’s resolutions because they go too big, declaring things like, “I will exercise 2 hours every single day!” But that action plan isn’t realistic. Few of us have 2 hours to spend at the gym or running on a home treadmill, let alone carving out the time to do it EVERY day!
As you think of new beginnings with your family for 2021, consider small, attainable ways that you can build the today and the future that you want to live in together.
Maybe it’s just having more family dinners or creating a weekly family game night. (We’ve been having so much fun with the Jackbox games I showed you last month!) Maybe it’s establishing a once-a-month parent-daughter date night or parent-son outing. It doesn’t have to be grand or expensive; it just has to be on the calendar to show your teen that he or she is a priority!
Teens often act like they don’t want or need us, but honestly, they need our love, support, and mentoring during these teen years as much as ever! (And while they might not admit it, they want our time and attention, too.)
So let’s be intentional in 2021 to take little steps toward the family dynamics we want to experience most.
I used to laugh that the childhood years were “long days, short years.” But now that I have all teenagers, I realize how very short these TEEN years are feeling! I feel the pressure to be intentional, to embrace the joy (and even the messiness) of mentoring our teens while I still have it! Before we know it, time will speed by, and they will be graduated and suddenly off on their own adult adventures.
As always, be kind to yourself regarding your own expectations. Rome wasn’t built in a day, as it’s said, and new beginnings sometimes take a minute to become the norm and produce the results for which you’re hoping. Hang in there, and try your best to enjoy the 2021 journey! Maybe it will be smoother than 2020, or maybe it won’t, but regardless, as we are intentional with our teens, bright days are ahead! As always, thank you for being on the parenting journey with us at PATH! We are here for you, cheering you on!
Happy New Year, everyone!
Lisa Raftery
