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Raising children? Have to deal with someone else's? Considering a family?Let's talk kids!Claudia Quigg hosts this weekly reflection on best practices, experiences, and research related to child rearing and parenting. Thursdays at 12:50 PM and 7:50 PM

Let's Talk Kids - "A Fresh Start"

Claudia Quigg headshot
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WUIS/Illinois Issues

In Bill Murray’s old romantic comedy “Groundhog Day,” the television weatherman awakens everyday to the same date on the calendar.  All the same things happen each day, so that he wishes more than anything for a new day.

Contrast this experience with young children who see every new day with a fresh set of expectations.  They wake up wide-eyed every morning, ready to notice every new experience the world has in store. 

At this, the beginning of another new year, we have the opportunity to relive the same rut we know so well just like Bill Murray’s character or we can do something different:  we can recognize our opportunity for a fresh start. 

What if we decide to forget how our kids disappointed us last year?  Instead of allowing those disappointments to color our view of our kids, we can open our eyes to a new understanding of them.  If they forgot their school bag regularly last year, instead of thinking of them as “irresponsible,” what if we form a new opinion based on our hopes for their having learned to be more diligent?

If we worried all through 2014 that our kids overdosed on screen time, this is a new day!  We can establish new habits and routines in our family this year.  What vision do you have for the daily schedule you want for your family?  Can outdoor play and family interaction replace some of that time formerly spent on electronics?

If 2014 was a happy, year for your family, what practices brought joy into your house?  Instead of leaving them behind in the prior year, bring those forward with you to experience them in the new year. If a family trip made for some amazing memories last year, plan now for this year’s adventure. 

When we’re in the thick of raising our children, the days stream out ahead of us in what appears to be an endless line.  But that is an optical illusion.  Our days are numbered, and our children’s childhoods are shorter than we can imagine.

This year will never come to us again.  Instead of becoming dulled in our expectations, assuming each day will be like the last, maybe we can become like children again, seeing the possibilities in each one.

Claudia Quigg is the Executive Director of Baby TALK and writes the Let's Talk Kids parenting segment and column that honor the expertise parents have about their own children and explores issues that are universal for families. From toilet training and sibling rivalry to establishing family values, Claudia Quigg provides thoughtful and accessible insights that are meaningful to families' needs.
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