I realize that changing family habits is a monumental task, especially if you are the maternal “decider.” Steering my family toward greener, more aware and responsible choices hasn’t been easy, but we’ve made some big changes. No more Target binges resulting in compulsive (and unneeded) purchases, fewer convenience products (wipes, paper towels, garbage bags, baggies), and a heightened awareness of how everything we buy affects the planet (who made it, how and where it’s made or grown). Last year I made five Momster Family Resolutions [0]. Spend more time in nature, use public transportation, use less water, eat less meat, and organize/simplify. Three we did pretty well with, but two of the five find their way to ‘09’s list.
1. Plan a Vacation
I really don’t know how to relax. If I’m not doing something productive I feel like I am wasting time. In our many, many years together Hova and I have taken three true vacations. I do not want to pass this on to Georgia; I want her to retain her need for fun and to be able to make vacation and fun time a priority. This year I will plan and save for a vacation, even if we have to stay home and become tourists in our own town.
2. Simple Living, with Meaning
I’m working toward a simpler, less consumer-driven lifestyle. I also crave ritual and tradition, but I want it to mean something to my family. I want our choices to have meaning, and I want to make acting responsibly for the good of the world make sense right here. I want to formalize what matters so it’s not just me saying, “I decided we should do this thing that makes our lives harder.” The exercises and ideas in Living Simply with Children [1] should help a lot, and I’m really looking forward to putting them in motion!
3. Organize
Somehow I think my ongoing battle with organization isn’t going to resolve itself until I have both surplus time and money. But maybe I’ll learn something as I try and try again this year! My new plan is to paint one room a month, and I think I’ll have to have some residual cleaning/organization to get that done. Or maybe the resolution should simply be to paint one room a month, so I don’t fail the organization part? Help, someone!
4. Drive less
Oof, this one has taken a hit. Hova takes public transportation to work daily, but with Georgia in school or daycare, and me squeezing every non-Georgia minute into freelance work, we drive more than ever. And now that G has walking as part of her school day ("The Lap," done twice a day), she has no interest in walking in her “off” hours. I think this will get easier once we start formalizing reasons and making active choices about not driving (see #2), but it sure was easy to let walking become an afterthought.
5. Volunteer
It’s hard to imagine fitting time for others into our lives, but I have always wanted to make it priority. Now that Georgia is older and can be helpful, I want to find something we can all do that will make a difference, and give Georgia a sense of helping her community. My goal is to set this up by January 31, so we can be volunteering in February. VolunteerMatch [2] has a search tool that can help whittle down the list into kid-friendly options.
Well, there it is on “paper.” I’ll check back with these resolutions during the year to see how we’re doing. Feel free to post yours here, for solidarity and encouragement!