Spring reminds us of renewal and new life; perhaps even a fresh start. People find that this time of year brings them more energy, enthusiasm, and motivation to throw away the old, unused, or meaningless and bring in the new and beneficial. When we look at families, the same thought process can apply. The following quotes are from working moms who I’ve coached who realized they had formed unhelpful habits and needed to start fresh again. Can you relate to any of them? Here are a few ideas how to spring clean your family’s habits.

10 Unhealthy Habits

1. “Forgetting to schedule regular time for myself every day–even if it’s just 10 minutes.”
2. “Forgetting to begin dinner at 5:00 pm so that dinner is ready by 6:00 pm. Starting later just isn’t working!”
3. “Forgetting to schedule in a proper date night with my husband. It seems to come last on the priority list, but I miss it.”
4. “Forgetting to be consistent with the ‘Four Tricks.’ I’ve been mixing mine and yours again. Oops!”
5. “Forgetting to shave my legs regularly. I promise to myself I would keep up with this and haven’t.  Therefore, I feel better about myself when I do, so I must start again.”
6. “I have forgotten to state the ‘First Trick’ you gave me in a matter of fact tone–it’s getting a little wishy-washy again.”
7. “I’ve been allowing my daughter to get away with saying, ‘Okay, I won’t do it again,’ so that I won’t apply the consequence.”
8. “We thought we had a flow going with our family activities, but have noticed that we don’t have as much fun time lately. We are going to start using the strategy you taught us again. Thanks!”
9. “I’ve seen my girlfriends a lot but it’s always with the children, so I must focus on planning children-free time with them.”
10. “Forgetting to stick to the homework routine. After relaxing on it a bit I realized that my son began making excuses again, so back to the routine we must go! Should never have relaxed–you told me this would happen, but some of us are slow learners!”

What habits have you formed that need a little renewal? Perhaps it is a personal habit that needs tweaking so that you can be more present or patient with your child, or perhaps it’s a parenting habit that you know you shouldn’t do (like giving in when your child whines). Whatever it is, know that all it takes to change a habit is three steps.

 Spring Clean your Family’s Habits

1. Being aware that a habit you have isn’t really working for you.
2. Reflecting on an alternative habit and then replacing the old one for the new.
3. Getting consistent support or motivation to continue practicing your new habit for at least 21 days where it will have become your new normal.

So, have a look at an area in your life as a working mom that been nagging you or has been on your mind lately then follow the three steps above. You will be amazed at how powerful changing just one habit can be!