During the summer, older kids are often out doing their own thing, so this is a good opportunity for investing some time in your relationship with your partner.
Creating habits is not about who gets there first…it’s about who stays there longest. Cultivating better habits is a learnable skill where you take control of your personal change.
Get in the habit of re-starting when you falter. Have a back-up plan, a ‘get back up and keep moving’ plan. Find an incentive, motivation, accountability, and an alternative strategy for when you get stuck.
It’s common for parents not to see their friends as much, especially when children are very young. But summer provides a chance for reconnecting as there are lots of activities, like picnics and barbeques where parents and children from different families can get together.
If you have time off work in the summer holidays, make sure it’s really time off. Try not to check emails or work ‘phones and really focus on enjoying time with your family.
Arguments are often a part of family life. Take care to diffuse tensions before things get too heated. If children are arguing, ask them to go into separate rooms and take five minutes to calm themselves. You can do this too if you’re getting wound up.
Take just two minutes out of your day to focus on being grateful for all the things you have. Make a list of them in your head or write them down in your journal at the beginning or end of the day.
Look at how you have grown and what you have achieved. Appreciate what you have done and what you have. See how far you have come and what you are planning to do.
Learn to enjoy your new, better habits, and the habit will become its own reward. The goal isn’t some distant achievement, but the process itself.
If you want to start a good habit of creative writing, sit with the words and enjoy the quiet concentration, the excitement of creation.