Grandparenting Goals for the New Year

I don’t have a good track record of sticking with resolutions. I don’t know how many resolutions I’ve made over the years, but I do know they were usually broken by February. Some studies show that about 80% of resolutions are broken within two months, so I’m obviously not alone. I’ve given up on resolutions, but I am setting goals for 2026.

Even though they sound alike, goals and resolutions differ. A resolution tends to be broad and sweeping. Some typical resolutions include things like “I will be healthier” or “I’ll lose weight.” They’re aspirational but not action-oriented, and they usually lack a timeline. Goals are more effective when they include specific action steps, are measurable, and are achievable. For example, a resolution might be to exercise more, while a goal would be to run three days a week and finish a 5K in under 45 minutes by May. My grandparenting resolution is to become a better grandparent, and that’s a worthy one. To turn the resolution into a goal, I broke it down into steps, giving me a plan to achieve it.

Goal: To be a better grandparent

1. Get to know each grandchild better.

I will spend one-on-one time with each of them once a month. I will ask them questions beyond the typical adult query of, “How is school?”

2. Stay fit to keep up with grandchildren.

Working fitness in might be a stretch, but keeping up with active young kids is not always easy for grandparents. I will swim or run five times a week and lift weights twice a week. I will also practice getting off the floor at least twice a day. (My grandkids’ version of hide and seek is very physical!)

3. Create a strong sense of family unity to give grandkids a secure and happy extended family.

To achieve this goal, I will organize a family dinner with my adult children, their spouses, and my grandchildren once a month. I will also maintain boundaries and not interfere with their parents’ rules.

4. To be integrated into their daily lives, I’ll volunteer at their school once a month.

Being a volunteer at their school helps me know their teachers and their classmates. It helps me to become familiar with their school and their daily surroundings. They’re young enough that they still love to see me show up at school. I’m aware that will eventually change.

5. Be their cheerleader.

I’ll show up for their events. I’ll give them specific positive feedback and cheer them on in every endeavor! I’ll always greet them with enthusiasm, and my trademark greeting of, “There they are, the best grandchildren in the world!” Words of love and encouragement will be spoken with wild abandon. I believe every person needs at least one person who thinks they are the best thing since sliced bread. Grandparents are in a unique role of being able to indulge in being their grandchildren’s ultimate cheerleaders.

6. Create memories.

My grandkids are eight and five, and sometimes it hits me that if I were to die now, they would have very few memories of me despite the fact that we spend so much time together. There are some things, like my own death, that I don’t have control over, but I can strive to create special memories with them. I will have grandchild sleepovers on Saturday nights. I will take them to our special restaurant once a month, and I will do either a craft project or a science experiment with them once a month.

It’s important to plan things, but I’ve found some of our best times together happen when we slow down and let it unfold organically. Recently, on an unseasonably warm evening, we sat by the pool all cuddled up, looking at the sky, and quietly talking. Maybe what I hope to instill more than memories is a core feeling of being loved deeply, without conditions or restraint.

7. Instill a love of reading.

I used to think this was a given since I started taking them to story time when they were infants, their parents are readers, and they are read to every day of their lives. Now I see that, like any good habit, it needs reinforcement. I will read to them every time they come to my house. I will make age-appropriate, interest-appropriate books available. I will take them to the library once a month. Reading is not only a worthwhile hobby but also the key to learning.

8. Establish traditions.

Traditions are a powerful tool in creating a strong sense of family. From small things, such as singing a favorite song when we’re together, to bigger things like celebrating half-birthdays together, traditions serve to weave threads of connection.

As we approach another new year, I hope you set some good goals for 2026. Some families sit down together on New Year’s Day and set family goals for the year. I love that idea! It gives a family a strong sense of identity and a feeling of being a team. As for me, I’m going to stick to my steps as I work toward my 2026 goal of being the best grandparent I can be. Happy New Year’s!