New Year parenting resolutions

It's a new year and a time for reflection and resolutions.

And looking back at 2012,  there are things I, and many parents I talk to, would like to improve.

Top of the list...patience.

This is a resolution I will probably have to make every day.  A parent's day is full of all kinds of emotions and stresses.  But in 2013, I want to breathe more, count to ten...do whatever it takes to remember life is short and we should all cherish those minutes we seem to rush through.

I'd also like to mind my tone of voice. Just because I'm not yelling, doesn't mean my kids don't know I'm upset or impatient.

Sometimes not saying anything is better that the sharp knife of a stern voice.

Then there's understanding the old saying that it is not quantity, but quality.  I only really have a handful of hours a day when both me and the kids are awake and together. So maybe fewer TV shows and computer games, and more wrestling on the couch and cuddling up with a book.

And finally, showing more love.  I kiss and hug my kids so much, but is it ever really enough?  Maybe instead of losing my patience or busying myself with another task, I could just kneel down, open my arms and give them a good squeeze.

Because if there is anything this past year has taught me as a parent...it's that you never know what can happen.

And the one thing I want my kids to always know, til the end of days, is that I love them.