How Are Your Monthly Goals Going?
At the beginning of the year, my sweet friend, MaryAnne of MamaSmiles, invited fellow bloggers to join her in sharing Monthly Goals each month through 2014. I jumped on board – knowing that it was just what I needed; small monthly goals and a community of other supportive mamas to help reach them. So throughout 2014, at the change of a new month, I will be sharing my “Monthly Mama Goals” for the month ahead. First, let’s reassess March’s goals…
How Did My March Goals Go?
Personal Goal
- “I will read one healthful eating book and start eliminating sugar from my diet.” – I did read the 21 Day Sugar Detox, and even got Cliff on board to start the sugar detox process with me. We lasted. ONE. DAY. No kidding. By midway through the first day of eliminating sugar and starches, I was headachey, depressed, and downright mean. I feel utterly and completely controlled by sugar and carbs. And honestly don’t know where to go from here.
Parenting Goal
- “I will utilize a sticker reward chart to encourage positive behavior and habits.” – This went great! The kids loved earning stickers toward a Safari LTD toy of choice. Little did I realize that Sawyer had his sights on a Spinosaurus toy in that same section (not Safari LTD) that was $36! But he DID earn it, and I just couldn’t say no. It was a very cool Spinosaurus.
Homeschooling Goal
- “We will work on math at least three days per week.” – We did do this. We didn’t work on it in the same way each time, but we did do math at least three days per week. I just can’t seem to settle on one curriculum. Instead we bounce around between workbooks, Time4Learning, Mathseeds, apps, and board games. I do worry some days that we’re not doing math correctly, but at least nobody can say we don’t do it!
B-Inspired Mama Goal
- “I will get caught up with bookkeeping.” – Ummm… no. That’s all. Just no. Humph.
My Mama Goals for April
Personal Goal
- “I will attend an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.” – So have you noticed that my personal goals each month have all revolved around eating and health? It’s not because I’m obsessed with body image. It’s because I’m unhealthy and out of control. I’ve tried everything. EVERY. THING! And what I’ve learned along this journey is that I am battling an addiction. I’ve read up on Overeaters Anonymous online and in books, but have finally found a local meeting, so I’m ready. I’m ready to give it a shot. I’m at the end of my rope.
Parenting Goal
- “I will do sensory brushing and joint compression at least twice a day with Sawyer.” – As some of you know, my oldest was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder last Fall. He sees an Occupational Therapist for it once per week who recommends sensory brushing (similar to the Walberger Protocol) and joint compression exercises every 2 to 4 hours. Honestly, we have been struggling for months with keeping up with this brushing routine. But I do see an improvement in his behavior and mood when we do it regularly. Every 2 to 4 hours is a lofty goal for this mama of three. So I’m just going to shoot for at least TWICE A DAY everyday.
Homeschooling Goal
- “I will compile our quarterly report and keep a journal of our learning.” – I hadn’t anticipated that I would be such a relaxed homeschooler. I thought that we’d just go along with our purchased curriculum, which would result in easy to document progress. But it hasn’t exactly gone that way. Instead we’ve dabbled with different curriculum, taking tons of “field trips,” read a gazillion library books, listened to educational audiobooks, used cool learning apps, and played some new board games, too. Which is a little trickier to “report” to the local district (as we have to quarterly here in New York Sate), especially when you haven’t been keeping good track as you go. But nonetheless, I do have to get our quarterly report done by April 10th and set up a system of journaling our learning from that point forward so it won’t be quite as tricky to write the next report. Any suggestions, fellow homeschooling mamas?
B-Inspired Mama Goal
- “I will unveil the ‘BIG SURPRISE!'” – I’m not going to say too much about this goal right now. Just know that I’ve been slowly chugging along in the background on something very new and exciting that will be unveiled by May 1st. Yahoo!
Monthly Goals Link Up
Wanna join in the monthly goal setting fun? Just post your monthly goals on your blog and link your post up below so we can support you, too. Don’t have a blog? Let us know your goals in the comments below. Maybe we can offer some help and support.
Cohosted by:
Mama Smiles – Joyful Parenting, 3 Dinosaurs, B-Inspired Mama, Happily Ever Mom, Kids Yoga Stories, Lemon Lime Adventures, Powerful Mothering, Smiling Like Sunshine, The Educators’ Spin On It, The Life of Jennifer Dawn
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Jennifer Dawn says
Great goals. I love how they all begin with “I will” or “We will”. It makes them sound more purposeful. As if to say…they WILL happen! 🙂
Jessica says
I’m not really sure what a ‘quarterly report’ is, but I keep a planner and a binder for each child. The planner is where I write the things we do daily, books we read out loud, field trips, etc. I don’t write anything down until it is done. The binder is where all the paperwork goes: worksheets, reports, cut and paste, photocopies of curriculum synopsis, etc.
With the sugar thing, maybe you’d be better off with a combination of slowly cutting it out? When I quit Dr Pepper, I got all of it out of the house, then I’d say ‘one more hour’ and when that hour was up, I’d say ‘one more hour’ again. I repeated that til I didn’t want Dr Pepper anymore… a few days at least lol
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
Yeah – the quarterly report is just what the school district requires to show what we have covered for that quarter of the year. I finally got it done. Geesh! But it would have been much easier if I had kept better track as we went along. 🙂
Cassie says
I am major over eating right now. So I understand how that goes. I did better for a few days but keep eating things I should not.
Good luck with the brushing. I do it with two of my girls and it is HARD to keep up with some days. But your arms get a good workout while doing it.
I can’t wait to see what you are going to reveal.
maryanne @ mama smiles says
It sounds like April will be a busy month for you!
I love sugar way too much to give it up, although I do pay attention to how much I eat.
Amanda says
We brush my oldest daughter too with joint compression too. Although it seems to work better when I do it, we have her brush herself too. Makes it more manageable sometimes (I’ve got 3 kiddos too) HUGS on your weightloss journey and hoping this next step will be what you need to get where you want to be.