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A New Year for many, means a new start, a blank page on which to write on.  While this may seem silly to many, changing our habits can be difficult and a new year could be just the world event that helps us to resolve to do some things different.  Here is a list of family related resolutions that you may wish to consider:

1. Spend more time with your spouse and kids and less time at the office, on the computer or your phone, and doing “me” things. Think of the needs of your wife and kids before thinking of your own needs.
2. Focus on being present to your family, give of your time in a scandalously generous way, even if you don’t necessarily like what you are doing.
3. Spend more time with your extended family, you never know how much more time you will have with them.
4. Play with you kids, even the teenagers.
5. Pray every day as a family
6. Get to know another family in your parish, invite them over for dinner or a family game night.

Dancing with Grandpa

And if these suggestions don’t appeal to you, perhaps Pope Francis’  advice to the Vatican employees and their families may tickle your fancy:

1. “Take care of your spiritual life, your relationship with God, because this is the backbone of everything we do and everything we are.”
2. “Take care of your family life, giving your children and loved ones not just money, but most of all your time, attention and love.”
3. “Take care of your relationships with others, transforming your faith into life and your words into good works, especially on behalf of the needy.”
4. “Be careful how you speak, purify your tongue of offensive words, vulgarity and worldly decadence.”
5. “Heal wounds of the heart with the oil of forgiveness, forgiving those who have hurt us and medicating the wounds we have caused others.”
6. “Look after your work, doing it with enthusiasm, humility, competence, passion and with a spirit that knows how to thank the Lord.”
7. “Be careful of envy, lust, hatred and negative feelings that devour our interior peace and transform us into destroyed and destructive people.”
8. “Watch out for anger that can lead to vengeance; for laziness that leads to existential euthanasia; for pointing the finger at others, which leads to pride; and for complaining continually, which leads to desperation.”
9. “Take care of brothers and sisters who are weaker … the elderly, the sick, the hungry, the homeless and strangers, because we will be judged on this.”