When we announced the full name we’d chosen for our newborn, my mother-in-law oohed with delight. “It’s very presidential! He’s going to be successful with a name like that.” It was hard to wrap my head around making it to the next diaper change, much less the presidential election of 2060. Now, that year doesn’t look nearly as far away and I’ve learned how quickly time flies when you’re parenting.
One thing I’ve learned is that the years are going to come and go whether we’re actively working toward something or sitting back and letting life happen. In the early years of our children’s lives, we don’t have to walk around like finger paint- and syrup-covered zombies. We can actually set some 5-year goals to live more fully and form our children more completely. So here are five 5-year goals moms of toddlers should reach for.
The years are going to come and go whether we're actively working toward something or sitting back and letting life happen. Click To Tweet1. Learn your mom personality.
As toddlers become little kids and then big kids, our parenting needs might change, but our styles will likely stay the same. Pinpointing how we approach parenting while they are itty-bitty will help us see where we are gifted and where we need to ask for help. Take the MOM I AM Personality Test here.
2. Pray for your child daily.
Math time! If you pray for your child every day for the next five years, you’ll have prayed for him or her 1,825 times. What a gift to give your children to be able to say that since January 4th, 2022, “not a day has gone by that I haven’t prayed for you by name.” We have some great printables to help you, like these 10 Ways to Pray for Your Toddler.
3. Discover your purpose in parenting.
This feels like a big-picture concept and it is. But when your kids are young, it’s the perfect time to decide why you’re doing what you’re doing. Why are you setting that rule? Why are you sending your child to that preschool? It all comes back to your purpose. Whether you want to raise a future leader, a child who loves to serve others, or a person who stands for truth, identifying your purpose will influence every decision and serve as a rudder to steer you in the right direction.
4. Instill a love of reading in your kids.
Even if you are a mathematician or you hope your child grows up to play in the NFL, developing a love of reading should be high on your list of 5-year goals. Reading helps with cognitive development, increases empathy and creativity, sparks curiosity, and helps with concentration. The best and easiest way to help grow this in your children is to crack open a book with them for a few minutes every day and dive in.
5. Focus on loving the phase you’re in.
I’m sure you’ve been told by some well-meaning mom of older kids to “savor every moment of these early years.” If you’re like me, you’ve had to bite your tongue because wow, these “precious” years are really hard. But here’s the truth—you are in a position now where everything is ahead of you and if you keep wanting for the next phase, you’re going to realize you missed out on the time you were in. A great 5-year goal is to master the art of living in the now and seeing the gift in this time in your child’s life. I promise there are moms with kids in their teens who wish they’d done that.
What 5-year goal for moms of toddlers do you want to set for yourself?
