2021 Intentions: How a mom with a preschooler plans to have a great year

Is it a bit late to write our intentions this year?

Not really, when you’re spending most of your time indoors! The indefinite travel and leisure restrictions for the young ones compelled us to become more creative in this time of the pandemic. A way to do so by writing goals because it helps us to see the big picture. It gives us something to look forward to, which, by the way, keeps us happy and excited!

This year my goal is to inspire my preschooler to live an effortlessly healthy lifestyle that will set her for life.

All people are the same; only their habits differ.

Confucius

I spent most of the first month of 2021 trying to find harmony between a solid healthy lifestyle and figuring out how to become an awesome furmom. And the result are these 10 intentions that I found to be effective for us.

I may no longer bring my kid for a stroll or some window shopping, but there are still ways to enjoy a walk with my little one, only this time, we have a puppy to tag along. The nationwide lockdown and age restrictions taught us to appreciate the things we have, especially the free ones. 

The pandemic helped us to appreciate the simplicity of life. And it also challenged us to improve our lives through basic things like getting healthy and fit. I remember being determined to inspire my then 4-year-old to workout with me. It was silly in the beginning, so I had to get her a bike that she used at home. Later on, we got a stationary bike which I also shared with her. I am always on a lookout for anything that could inspire her and push us to live a healthy lifestyle. So far, we’ve tried Just Dance, pilates, yoga and today, I’m considering a mom-daughter Zumba session too.

From cooking sautéd bitter gourd to introducing dragon fruit, I found ways to enjoy my grocery shopping trips. It’s fun to get random berries and try new dishes now and then. I always get quirky reactions from my kid whenever she sees fresh fruits and veggies to try. So if I’m looking for something new, I would go to Landers but for local staple foods and produce, SaveMore grocery store is mWeore practical.

It’s easy to get off track in our bedtime schedule when we have nowhere to go but home. But this MasterClass lesson about the Science of Better Sleep by Matthew Walker changed my relationship with sleeping. I have confirmed that I am more of a morning lark, but my caffeine intake is slowly messing up my natural sleep patterns, making me feel sluggish the next day. And the worst part, my daughter was slowly following my footsteps in staying up late. Since the last quarter of last year, we set our bedtime to 9:30 pm, so we’re up at around 7:00 am, giving us time to catch the morning Sun.

One of my goals before my daughter celebrated her birthday was to improve her reading skills. I introduced long words instead of the usual CVC words because I wanted her to feel comfortable reading long words. Her reading confidence has improved tremendously by merely reading together every single day. At the same time, I have my monthly stash of books to read for obvious reasons – setting myself as a good example, of course!

My daughter is at the right age to help around the home. She can wash dishes, tidy up a bedroom and arrange her toys. It’s part of our “before bedtime” routine. Well, it isn’t perfect, but the fact that she sometimes cleans up voluntarily brings joy to my life as a mom.

It would be nice to celebrate the first anniversary of being cooped up at home because we thrived in this challenging time. But it doesn’t mean we should lock ourselves up until this pandemic is over! I discovered how to enjoy the outdoors without risking our safety. We follow all social distancing and health measures every time, and we choose spacious outdoor spaces for our field trips. Since the lockdown, we visited Yoki’s Farm, and went on a beach trip to Laiya San Juan Batangas.

Learning isn’t about our homeschooler. It’s also about the facilitator of learning at home. So, to keep me motivated, too, we are trying different apps and learning tools. Since last month, we subscribed to Education.com; this web app has games, worksheets and lesson plan, so homeschooling parents stay on track with an age-appropriate curriculum.

Now, this 2021 intentions and goals will keep on improving and adapting to our needs, with the main goal as “having a healthy lifestyle” with my daughter.

I can’t wait to add somewhere!

How about you? What are your 2021 intentions?

Feel free to leave you tips on the comments.