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22 Resolutions Special Needs Parents Are Making for 2016

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Every day we get emails from our parent readers looking for guidance for how to improve. Here’s what we take from that: Mighty parents want to do everything they can to ensure their kids with special needs have the best lives. Since the new year is a great time to think about what goals you have, we asked our special needs parents what their resolutions are for 2016.

Here’s what they had to say:

1. “Every new year, I do the same as before: take cues from my daughter to see where she is ready to take yet another step into independence.”

"Every new year, I do the same as before: take cues from my daughter to see where she is ready to take yet another step into independence."

2. “To be an even better advocate to her, so I can ensure she gets all of the therapies and accommodations she needs.”

3. “To continue to cultivate the relationships and friendships my child is making.”

4. “To be more mindful of how the present will impact the future.”

5. “To focus on me a little more. If I put more in my gas tank, then I have more to give every day!”

"To focus on me a little more. If I put more in my gas tank, then I have more to give every day!"

6. “To wage a battle with both of my kids’ schools to deal with issues I didn’t have the strength to last year.”

7. “To be more patient.”

8. To take some time to just breathe. To let them just be kids and let me just be their mom.”

9. “To enjoy time I get to myself without guilt.”

10. “To continue to encourage my amazing daughter to try new things and challenge herself, and then support her choices.”

"To continue to encourage my amazing daughter to try new things and challenge herself, and then support her choices."

11. “To focus more on the cans than the cant’s.”

12. “To Google less what ifs and alternatives. To feel confident that we’re moving forward in the best possible, most educated way.”

13. “To be more understanding.”

14. “To do my very best to give and teach my son what he needs, and if I can’t do it then I will learn/research until I can!”

15. “To focus more on the progress and less on the potential backslides.”

"To focus more on the progress and less on the potential backslides."

16. “To be more present in the family photo album.”

17. “To keep everything as simple as possible. Small and simple daily goals, simple daily plans.”

18. “To not let the ‘Mom Guilt’ get the better of me so much. I need to accept that sometimes it’s out of my control and life happens. I’m not perfect and that’s OK.

19. “To involve my child in choices about him.”

"To involve my child in choices about him."

20. “To appreciate more and be grateful for all my family has.”

21. “I don’t do New Years resolutions. I resolve every day (sometimes every hour) to get up, put one foot in front of the other and live life to the fullest.”

22. “To trust that I am enough.”

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What is your resolution for 2016? Let us know in the comments below.

Originally published: December 28, 2015
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