Part three in my series on New Year's activities for families will be for those families looking to participate in what is considered more 'traditional' reflection and goal setting activities. There is value in reflecting on the highs and lows of the last year while setting some intentions for what you want in the New Year. Because this is a fairly typical way to celebrate the New Year, there are plenty of resources out there to help you structure this for your family. I'm going to share with you some of my favorite resources and ideas, ranging from light and casual check-in all the way to a highly structured, detailed, but still fun plan.
The New Years’ Tree
Those families looking for a light and casual option for reflection (who also celebrate Christmas and have a tree) consider upgrading your Christmas tree to a New Years' tree. This is quickly done by taking off any unique/valuable/ fragile Christmas ornaments and allowing the family to create their own New Years' ornaments that represent the best parts of 2020 and their dreams for 2021. Personally, I would even leave room for a few ornaments that represent the parts that were tricky as well. Those moments are going to be just as pivotal in our lives as positive ones. I can't be the only one that saw all the Facebook ads with toilet paper and dumpster fire 2020 ornaments, can I?
The best part about this is that you can easily do this with only the supplies on hand in most families. With a minimalist approach, you could genuinely do this project using printer paper and a pencil. I would recommend trimming the paper into quarters. Paper can easily be propped up on a tree. If you are a family the does not celebrate Christmas, you could tape these sheets onto a wall in whatever shape feels significant to your family. If you are a family with supplies on hand, bring them all out and see what kind of masterpieces can be created. Some families might even like to collect special supplies to make keepsakes ornaments to keep for each year. An open heart and mind are really all that is required! The added bonus is that you have an excuse to keep your tree up longer.
Personal story: Two years ago, my youngest got so upset when it was time to take down the tree that we ended up keeping a small tree up and hand a New Year tree AND a Valentine tree.
New Years Interviews
Another simple, thought-provoking exercise would be to do a New Years' interview with your children. I've created a printable with my favorite interview questions to inspire reflection and goal setting. One enjoyable and easy way to turn this into a keepsake is to record the interview on your phone. Then you can review the videos each year after you create the new one. I'm excited to keep these snapshots of my children even when they have grown into full-sized people.
My Big Life Journal New Years’ Kit
My final idea is equally as simple as my first but with more structured and a small financial commitment. I highly recommend the products from My Big Life Journal. I had considered making my own New Years' downloadable to share this year, but it is hard to justify it when someone else is already doing it so well! Perhaps next year, I will create something simple to share, but I genuinely believe you can't go wrong with any of their items. In this case, I want to specifically draw your attention to a few specific products- their New Years' 2021 kits! There are two available; one for ages 4-10 and one for 11+
There are 3 easy ideas for reflection and goal setting for your family during New Years'. If your own reflection leaves you wondering if your family is as healthy and happy as they could be, check out our family therapy page to learn more about the services we offer.