Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Inspiration

New Year’s resolutions the whole family will love to do together

Skip individual goals and create family resolutions for the whole clan

Dannielle Beardsley
By

As a parent, you may fall into the trap of trying to make the same New Year’s resolutions no one with children could realistically stick to. Goals like “I’m not yelling this whole year” or “we’ll have screen-free time every day for 8 hours straight” seem to end up on the list, but go right out the window after a week or two.

Instead of dreading resolutions you know you won’t stick to, as a parent, try a more fun approach the whole family can get involved with. We have the family resolutions you should do this year instead.

Family cooking together in the kitchen

Family cooking night

Let’s face it — more teens know about Uber Eats than where the pots are in the kitchen these days. Even if you aren’t the best cook yourself, there are plenty of recipes that are easy to make, nice on the budget, or require minimal ingredients, depending on your family’s needs and comfort level.

Recommended Videos

Cooking is a great way to bond as a family, build your child’s self-confidence, and to turn it into a check-in time with everyone. Put on some music, let the kids pick a recipe from a few pre-selected, adult-approved options, and turn dinner into an opportunity to create memories as a family. Start with once a week and see how many more you can add.

Mom taking to her son

5-minute check-ins every night after dinner

If you can’t make dinner together as a family, or not everyone is home for the actual meal, then use the time after cleaning the kitchen but before everyone scurries to their favorite spots for the night for a check-in. You don’t have to spend an hour with each family member every night. Pick one question to ask each family member or a topic for everyone, and make the rounds. It doesn’t have to be a deep, philosophical question, but just something to get everyone comfortable talking to each other.

Can’t get to everyone every night? Designate specific nights for certain kids. You should still be able to get to everyone a few times a week, depending on family size.

Siblings sorting recyclable material

Find one way a week/month to reduce household waste

Households with kids create an unbelievable amount of waste. From trash to food scraps, it seems you’re changing the garbage constantly. Look into ways your own home can reduce the amount of waste that goes out.

Ideas for reducing waste

  • Create a compost area
  • Look into recycling
  • Make a grocery list every time you shop
  • Declutter and give away items you don’t use to local online groups
  • Take reusable bags to all stores you shop at
  • Buy secondhand when available

Write the weekly family dinner on the calendar, color coordinate the check-ins, and plan out the way you want to get your house to reduce waste. Instead of going for those New Year’s resolutions you know won’t stick to, try these more reasonable resolutions that include the whole family.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle Beardsley
Contributor
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
Teens hate making New Year’s resolutions, so make one with them
Teen New Year's resolutions they will actually want to do
A teen hugging their parent where both are smiling

When it comes to making New Year's resolutions, teens usually aren't a fan. Things like eating more healthily, exercising more, and finding a new hobby don't rank high on a teenager's list of ways to make their year better. Plus, your teen shouldn't have their year focus on weight and food, anyway. Or, the second you ask your teen what their resolutions for 2023 are going to be, they immediately ask you what yours are.
Instead of your teenager being miserable planning out resolutions they don't want to do, help them pick one that will help them set up healthy habits as they enter adulthood and beyond. And, let's face it, parents could do with taking up these habits themselves.

Unplug for a certain amount of time a day
Just telling your teen to put away their phone, for even an hour, and then staying on yours, is unfair. Do you really need to check Instagram three more times this hour? No. So, find a fun little basket or bowl to put the phones in, put away the laptops, and do anything that doesn't require a screen. Start small, say 30 minutes a day at first, and work your way up to something manageable for your household.
Ways to pass the time

Read more
Try these realistic parenting resolutions for 2023 – the entire family can benefit
These achievable resolutions can up your parenting game
Family rings in the New Year

New Year's resolutions usually focus inward. The usual suspects — getting in better shape, quitting smoking, and reading more — are noble goals, but tend to center on the individual. Resolutions, however, can also extend to the people around you — most notably in your household. In fact, taking a wider lens on your resolutions can present a golden opportunity to assess parenting habits and family relationships.

It is the rare (if not mythical) family that won’t benefit from healthy scrutiny and fresh ideas. We’ve done our research to find several New Year's resolutions for parents in 2023 that you can do with your partner, children, or extended family that could have lasting benefits for the entire squad.

Read more
6 creative and delicious meals to make with your holiday leftovers that’ll please the whole family
Take the holiday leftovers and turn them into fresh and flavorful dishes
Leftover Thanksgiving sandwich

Holiday leftovers offer plenty of inspiration to those who love to remake them into specially created meals. Whether it's turkey dinner on a bun, stuffing and mashed potato savory waffles, or shepherd's pie, many delicious options await frugal folks looking to make the most out of their flavorful seasonal excess foods. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite options to get the most bang for your buck and stretch the flavors of the season just a little longer by making some of these bombastic and festive foods.

Holiday leftovers remix: What do to with Thanksgiving dinner leftovers
Creamy turkey orzo soup
A quintessential dish to create with the remnants of your holiday feast, turkey soup is a rich and hearty dish that warms the soul and spirit. This creamy, stick-to-your-ribs soup is excellent to have on a brisk winter day. It is also great to store in the freezer for use later and is even better after its flavors have had a chance to meld together, forming a cohesive dish. This soup can easily be prepared early in the day and then transferred to a slow cooker set to warm, making it perfect for late-night dinner meals or busy weeknight suppers.
Mashed potato and wild rice stuffed mushrooms
Leftover, creamy, and dreamy mashed potatoes are no longer being relegated to topping savory meat pies or drying out in the back of a refrigerator somewhere. In this Pioneer Woman recipe, Ree Drummond whips up a new dish using leftover whipped russets perfect for appetizers to ring in the new year. Fresh mushroom caps are stuffed with a soft and substantial filling that takes those old mashed potatoes of our childhoods to new levels.

Read more