I'm a bit late with my New Year resolutions post, but here it is in an arse-up kinda way.
Besides books of the more inspirational variety – mainly on natural birth – we haven't really taken to baby literature. But the other day PB brought home Parenting for Character from the library, a book about creating good habits for your children to empower them for adulthood. One of the things the author, Andrew Mullins says, is that raising a child is a heaven-sent chance to rebuild negative habits and face temperamental deficits.
I'm not reviewing it here – although it is a great book – but it did bring to light certain aspects of my own character I want to fix before I pass them down to BB. So in 2011 I'm aiming to correct or create one habit a month, starting with wiping out superfluous negative comments (also known as whining).
I'm not too bad, but I do make the occasional ridiculous remark. For example, walking past the croquet club recently I said to PB I love croquet! It's so crap that our yard is on such an angle we could never play at home. What?! Firstly, I should be grateful to even have a yard considering we live in a flat and secondly the purchase of a croquet set is not even in our foreseeable future therefor the state of said yard is irrelevant. What I could of said was I love croquet! Won't it be unreal when one day we can play it with our kids in the park? Or, I love croquet! Have you seen the movie Heathers? Or, I love croquet! Let's go find some pink flamingos for mallets!
(Or I could have just silently remembered the time I whooped his butt in a game in England and smirked to myself.)
So this month I'll be taking a little longer to reply to things – while my brain ticks over and finds the words to best address a situation.
PS. Credit where credit's due. Jill bought that notebook and I copied – even though over the phone when she was describing its radness I adamantly said I could never be swayed from being a moleskine snob. Apparently all it takes is flying people, triangles and mustard yellow.
Nothing more satisfying that a new notebook. I'm a total Moleskin snob too (budget, what budget?) but there's no resisting mustard yellow.
ReplyDeleteYou've got a good goal right there. Here's to achieving it and the prizes you can buy as a reward. xx
ps. Um, how freakin cool is Jill?
I like this post. I don't like croquet, or moleskins (just well marketed crappy paper in my humble opinion!) but I really dig this post. I have often thought that about parenting but it's awesome to hear it in a scholarly fashion.
ReplyDeleteChanging habits is a tough hurdle to set yourself so I wish you all the best!
ReplyDeletegood post, good resolution....my resolution is of the same kind, especially being negative, or saying something negative as soon i as get up, hate that about myself.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are a bit older, my daughter is 8, and i am starting to see quite a few of my bad character traits in her. It makes me feel awful.
Have a wonderful year and enjoy your little bear!
L~
Have you ever seen the croquet club at Elwood? The number of times I walked or drove past it and thought 'I'd love to try croquet' and now I live on the other side of the world and I keep thinking 'Why didn't I just go in and organise a game?'. So my resolution for 2011 is to stop thinking too much about stuff and start doing, or at the very least putting steps in place that make doing possible. Lovely post!
ReplyDeletelove your reference to 'Heathers' - that alone made me smile. i too am a open and avid whiner, not because I'm ungrateful but because I do it without thinking - saw a post about a challenge to not complain for a whole week. I was going to write about it but completely forgot - until now. this might be one challenge I need to try.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog and for the kind comment.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I love moleskin notebooks, but I love their weekly diary - nothing else will do when it comes to keeping me organised.
Good luck with your resolution - it sounds like a very positive and achieveable one!
that is a great resolution!!
ReplyDeletei love the movie Heathers and croquet also.
will have to check into that book, sounds helpful. ;)
Rad German pencils AND a rad German book? Hmmm, maybe I'm in the right country after all.
ReplyDeleteThat book sounds awesome by the way. What a find PB. My parenting definitely needs more character. All the best for your habit-making plans. I would love to hear more. x
PS Ah Heathers. How hot was Christian Slater back then?!
PPS I kicked Dave's butt in table tennis last week and he still can't believe I could beat him at anything. Whatevs.
I'm immediately adopting a NO WHINING policy for 2011!
ReplyDeletemay I humbly suggest my 2 favorite parenting books on earth :)
http://ripetoday.blogspot.com/2009/08/seeing-forest.html
Awesome resolution! I love croquet, and I too look forward to someday playing it in a yard of some sort. Love the notebooks also!!
ReplyDeleteI definitely approve of your notebook choices, and Lyra pencils are so lovely to hold. Holla!
ReplyDeleteEk.. my husband (most annoyingly optimistic person in the world) is often reminding me that I put a negative spin on the things I say too.. Might have to adopt that resolution aswell.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the tip about the parenting book. I was actually going to write a post this week asking for suggestions on parenting books.. will have check it out.
I like your resolution and your notebook !!!
ReplyDeleteLove moleskin - have diary and notebooks...nothing makes me feel more organised! A very good resolution - I made mine a little late this year too and I think they are such a good idea - it's important to reflect on life, otherwise it can just hurtle right past us.
ReplyDeleteHi Rummey Bear,
ReplyDeleteI just want to say you have inspired me, to start my own Blog. i have recently found out that i m pregnant with my first. and reading and watching everything you have gone through, i m super excited for the adventure. Thank you.
ps your baby is beauitful
great attitude, I really need to learn from you. I've been having a hard time with my Enzo because he's EXACTLY like me. I need to be more positive.
ReplyDeletePosted about you today. And featured some of your old (and beautiful) belly shots :)
ReplyDeletehttp://aliveinthefire.blogspot.com/2011/01/in-beyond-childhood-series-bellies.html
XO
rachel
Great resolution Anna. A little while back, I saw a post on A Cup of Jo about not complaining for week. She tried it and said it made her week so much better and happier. I need to have the same approach as you now. But it's hard. You know us French and the complaining! ;)
ReplyDelete