My Goals for 2012

I have previously written that one of my goals for this new year is to spend more quality time with the children  in my life. Today, I thought that I would outline some more of my specific goals for 2012.

Bloggy goals

I have really enjoyed Blogging. Much more that I though I would! My goal is to continue my SportyMummy Blog with these four points in mind.

1. My Blog is my way of recording my family’s adventures and development, in words and in photographs.

2. Through my blog, I will aim to share and connect with other like-minded people .

3. To inspire and support my readers  through my experiences and challenges.

4. To build a supportive and motivational community for parents involved in youth sports and an active lifestyle. To develop this communtiy I'm attempting to develop the ‘Youth Sport Weekend’ blog link-up. I understand this will take some time, but I intend to keep posting!

Personal Goals

I have also determined a set of specific goals that I would like to aim for this year:

• One of my goals is to endeavor to support my children in their sport for as long as they still want to keep going. Both the girls have reached the stage where their sport is getting quite serious. My older daughter (8) will be progressing to 4 afternoons per week swimming and competing in NSW state level competitions. My younger daughter (7) will be training at least 6 hrs a week for gymnastics. The girls also have athletics on their schedule as well as school representative sport in  swimming, cross country and athletics. Keeping their sporting commitments is a very big logistical deal! Transporting them to training and competition, feeding them, entering them in appropriate competitions on time and paying for the training requires extreme levels of commitment and organization.

• Another goal for this year is to make the children’s school-work a priority. Often in the rush of after school training, I admit that I have sometimes given the girls homework,  readers, spelling words and times tables a miss. This year my aim is to make sure that I prioritise the school work, even if it means missing a sports  session.  I want my children to understand that their school work is the most important thing in their lives. My oldest daughter will also be taking piano lessons this year. I will be aiming to ensure she carries out her piano practice as well.

• My Son Buster (4), who is struggling with a speech condition called Apraxia, will also require considerable time and attention as I go through the speech therapy sessions and homework with him. My goal is for him to reach his potential and  I am determined to do whatever I can to ensure that he does. For this to happen, we need to conscientiously and diligently practice his speech.  I am 100% committed to this.

• For 2012 I have a goal of making sure that I organize play dates for my children. So-far I have not had the best track-record with some of the school parents. However, I want to make sure that the children get a chance to play and develop friendships and social skills with their peers, away from the structure of school. I am hoping that by doing this they will not inherit their mother's social awkwardness! I am intending to force myself out of my comfort zone and make sure that  I organize social opportunities for the children.

• I also still have the goal of strengthening the relationships with the children in my life. In order to do this I intend to make a real effort to listen, interact, play and spend real quality time with my children. I also aim to positively interact with the other children in my life as well.

• Over the past 8 years of being out of the paid work force I have unequivocally determined that there is no such thing as a ‘money tree’. As the children grow, the cost of their sports training, therapies, private schooling and cost of living seems to be skyrocketing out of control. It has sadly come to the point where I am financially unable to be out of the paid work force. Buster will be starting preschool this year for 2 days each week. It is my intention to use these days to source and apply for paid work. The goal being to be in paid employment by 2013. Apart from the money, a part of me has been missing the intellectual and social stimulation of working. However, I have really enjoyed and been thoroughly grateful for the opportunity of staying home with my children whilst they were young. I still want to be available for the children when they finish school and I would still like to be able to take them to their sports training. Therefore I hope to find that magic, flexible job, within school hours….I know that is a hard ask, akin to finding a needle in a haystack….so cross your fingers for me! 

So, there you have it, they’re out there….my goals for 2012.

Today I am linking up with the wonderful me and you linkup hosted by the Mother Experiment. As a former scientist herself, I know she will forgive my slip into a more scientific and factual writing style  ;)

 ....And, because today is tuesday; I'm linking up with the super stylish Jess at Diary of a SAHM for I blog on Tuesday (#IBOT). Come along and read some of the other fantastic tuesday blog posts!