How I Plan to be a Better Mom in 2013

I, like most moms am FAR from perfect. We all have our days that we roll out of bed, slap some breakfast on the table, get the kids dressed and and literally just try to survive the day. I hate to admit this, but I am guilty of this for too many days to count. I always have the best of intentions to truly enjoy each moment with my children, but then life stress hits, work calls, laundry piles up and my house looks like a tornado swept through it. I spend too many hours just trying to get through my to-do list and find myself stressed about how I’m going to get it all done.

Lately it seems that with every blink of my eye, my children are growing up just a little bit more, and it’s just going by way too fast. I feel like I haven’t had enough time to cherish those precious little hands, feet and words that come out of their mouths.

One of my goals in 2013 is to be the best mom I can be. I don’t strive to be perfect, but I want to truly enjoy my role as a mother and cherish as many precious moments I can. How do I plan to do it? I made a list of 9 things to do to help me be a better mom this year. I hope that by doing some of these things for my children, not only will I enjoy them more, but hopefully they will enjoy me more too!

Put the Phone Down: Sometimes I feel like I am more connected to the internet than my children. There are times when work e-mails, phone calls from family and friends and Facebook messages consume my whole day. Before I know it, I am putting my kids to bed wondering if I spent enough quality time with them. This year, I plan to spend less time chatting, e-mailing and texting and more time being present and in the moment with my children.

Work Can Wait: I am one of those people that has a hard time relaxing until all of my work is done. While I know that I still have to earn a paycheck, I don’t have to be constantly consumed by work either. I am striving for more balance between work and family this year.

Patience, Patience, Patience: Anyone with small children could use an extra dose of patience and I will be striving for that this year. They are only little once, and I plan to tap into my inner patience and try to keep the bigger picture in perspective when I get frustrated. Little things like mud tracked through the house, toys scattered all over my living room or foods splattered on the side of the refrigerator just aren’t important in the grand scheme of things.

More Crafts and Cooking: My son LOVES to help me cook and I want to do it more with him. I also hope to be more creative with him to help explore his natural talents. Some of my fondest memories with my parents and relatives are when we spent time cooking and crafting—I hope to give my children the same types of memories.

More Music and Dancing: Music and dancing can brighten any room, and my children really light up when we sing and dance to a fun song. I want to sing, dance and be silly with my children more.

Learn to Participate in the Mess Making: Messes are fun and a great way for a child to express themselves! This year, I will be less focused on the cleaning up part and more focused on the fun my children are having making that mess.

See the World Through My Children’s Eyes: I always say, “I wish I could be a child again and look at the world with such curiosity and joy.” While I may not be able to go back in time, I certainly can live a simpler life and go through life with the same joy and curiosity that my children have. By doing this, I hope to be able to understand my children’s feelings and perspectives a little better.

Say “Yes” More: This year, I plan to tell my kids “yes” more. While I know I can’t say yes to everything, I certainly can say “yes” more when my children want to go to the park, have breakfast for dinner and read one extra book before bed.

More Story Time: This is one of those precious moments every parent enjoys with his or her child. Most children and parents truly enjoy story time together and I plan to do that as much as possible this year.

While these are my resolutions for 2013, I hope to carry this on and better myself as a mom each and every single day.

What would you like to do to be a better mom? Have you made your list of “mom resolutions” yet? We would love to hear about your “mommy goals!”