My Kids Are My Every Day Resolutions
I hate seeing “new year, new me” plastered around the internet because I feel every day is a new day for someone to boss up and become better.
A new year is a new year, it doesn’t guarantee anything else but that. We tend to list as many statements as we can and honestly don’t even know if we can abide by them
As a father, I don’t need New Years to promise to do something! My family is all the motivation I need to become a better man, husband, dad, and member of society every single day.
Here are a few things I work on every single year no matter what and guess what….
I fail often doing them and that’s ok.
Letting My Kids Be Kids
I get so upset when my kids do something they aren’t supposed to do. I punish them and even scream at them when I feel like I can’t take it anymore just like any other dad.
But sometimes I forget that they are kids and kids don’t always do what we expect them to do.
Perfect example, I let my 1-year-old play with his cheerios box all the time like a fool. He eats some and then eventually, without even thinking twice, will flip the box over and spill all the cereal on my carpet.
Ohhhhh I get so upset and sometimes even scream out what the (insert bad word here.) lol
Imagine a 1-year-old not doing that… I would think something is wrong with him if he didn’t do what kids do, mess things up!
After a few minutes of cleaning, I laugh at it. I laugh at how mad I got over something I shouldn’t have let happen anyway and then remember how lucky I am to have him at home with me. Every year I vow to not lose my cool so quick, every year I get a little better but I will probably never be perfect.
I Want To Celebrate Their Smaller Wins More
I am horrible at celebrating wins period!
For 3 straight years, my 11-year-old has been blessed enough to win 2nd place in all his basketball leagues.
Am I proud of him??? Hell yeah!
Did I do the best I could to show him that? Probably not!
I come from a home that was super competitive and doesn’t believe in second place trophies. I suck at celebrating second place, it is what it is!
But what I realized is that 2nd place meant something for my oldest son. He didn’t win 1st place with his team but that strong effort got him to the top and it made him proud.
All he wants to do is make me happy and by not celebrating the smaller wins with him, I am adding pressure that he doesn’t need in his life. He is a kid and should be happy just playing the game. I’m getting better but I’m still a work in progress, no shame.
Stop Comparing My Kids To Each Other
Like many dads out there I spend way too much time comparing my kids to each other instead of being happy with their differences!
I do this way too often especially when it comes to school. My oldest is a math genius, you give him a math problem and he will sit there until he figures it out. My 5-year-old is the complete opposite! He rather play with his legos or have us read to him.
I used to tell my wife that we had to work extra hard on my 5 year old so he could catch up to my 11 year old all the time. I was foolish for even comparing them considering the age difference and the way they grew up.
My youngest might not be able to do math like his brother yet, but if you give him a box of legos or anything else to build with, he will get his Elon Musk on and kill it!!!!
It took me a while to appreciate it, but he has a different brain than my son does and it doesn’t make him smarter or not as smart as his older brother. They are different and that makes them extra special!
Stop Getting Overly Upset About Thier Nagging
Who doesn’t get upset about a nagging child???? These kids will nag and whine about anything at any time!
Sometimes I have to scream at my kids to stop the whining and hit them with my favorite line, “stop being a baby!!!!” That shit barely works and sometimes they start to nag or whine even more lol.
I might never stop getting upset over their nagging but one thing for sure, I’m super blessed to have them in my life nagging me!
I look at dads who cant see their kids due to a disgruntled mother or court system. I know some of them would do anything to have their nagging kids around them 24/7 like I do.
But my one huge motivator is remembering that I once thought I was going to lose my child. Not to the court system but to GOD.
The world and god works in mysterious ways, I needed that wake-up call even if I never want to relive that moment again! Let them nag, your blessed to have them in your life!
The Wrap Up
In conclusion, I don’t search or work on creating a list of 20-30 things that I want to do better with every new year!
As a dad, I am a work in progress and my only resolution is to work on what matters to me and my family. I want to be there when they nag and not get upset. I also need to always do better at not comparing my kids to each other and celebrate every little win like it’s their last.
Because in this world, you never know when last year is really your last year! Get better every day!
