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A Teachable Moment:
The New Year is a Good Time to ForgiveIt can be challenging to follow through on New Year's resolutions...Become neater? The papers pile up! Go on a diet? One week and it's over! Most of the time you feel like you failed because you didn't stick to the resolution. Well, guess what, I have a two-part solution to a successful resolution!
Part One: Love yourself!
Rather than promising yourself that you will achieve all your (sometimes impossible) goals, instead resolve to forgive yourself for not always achieving them. This also includes teaching your child to forgive and love herself, because it will help her develop high self-esteem, a good body image and the ability to think optimistically. There are three steps to this process:
1. Make a list of everything you appreciate and value about yourself (do this with your child too-helping him as necessary). Make the lists as long and detailed as possible.
2. Make a list of everything you have achieved in the last year in every area of your life: parenting, other relationships, work, volunteering, feelings-and any other important arena in your life. Your child's list should include achievements in areas such as school, social life, activities, family, emotions and any other you and she consider important.
3. Resolve to continue focusing on these positive achievements and feel proud of yourself. You will find that the more you focus on the areas you like about yourself, the easier it will be to overcome obstacles and challenges. Help your child to do the same, now and for the rest of the year.
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