Visit Granny and Granddad

Little kids love going to see their grand-parents and will have great memories of fun days with them. By the time children are teenagers though, they don’t always want to go visiting as they'd rather be hanging out with their mates. So, getting them along to spend time with Granny may not be easy but thew will enjoy it when they are there and will have fond memories when they grow up.

Resolution: visit Grandma and/or Grandpa with the kids double the times you did in 2014.

Practice that skill just like Britain’s Got Talent

Does your child constantly do hand stands, spend hours training the dog, dances ball room in the garden or even play the spoons?! He or she may have an amazing talent and maybe one day could be on stage showing everyone. They can only get there with practice though.

Resolution: encourage your child to practice their talent every day. You could even video them from time to time so how their progression.

Join a sports clubs

Children can get fit, make friends for life and gain self-confidence when they play a tennis.

Resolution: try out up to three new sports this year with your child to see what they fall in love with.

Tidy up your bedroom

Ever get annoyed that your family does not help you wash up, tidy their bedrooms or empty the bins? You could put in a reward system for them – your favourite Apple Pie if you do your chores this month or even a day out with the family.

Resolution: put a piece of paper on the fridge, add the two or three chores and agree what the reward is. Keep it going until it becomes an automatic habit for the children to do their bit!

Bake a cake every month for Mum and Dad

Inspired by The Great British Bake-Off? Love cake? In our house, our teenage girls love baking and we often have the smell of cake cooking in the oven. This is lovely in itself but I also love the fact that they feel confident enough to cook and when they leave home that independent skill will be with them for life. Children can learn to cook with lessons or learn to cook with you at home - either way it is a fun skill!

Resolution: put aside one Sunday afternoon each month to bake a cake – a simple Victoria Sponge, a challenging Bakewell Tart or my favourite …. Lemon Drizzle cake.

Learn a Musical Instrument

Does your child dream of being in a band? Touring around the world with millions of fans? Does he or she sit and drum their feet, play air music teacher near you and get your child three lessons to try out that dream.

Resolution: book three trial lessons with a recommended music teacher near you.

Read at least one book every month

If your child is old enough to read, alone or with you, then this skill can open up your child’s horizons, fill them with dreams and give them a way to distress as an adult. Reading is a skill that I have always encouraged in my children as much as possible.

Resolution: decide the best way to read a book a month with your child…. A trip to the local library each month, an afternoon wrapped up in your favourite park or a little read before bedtime every night.

Learn to juggle

Juggling is huge fun and is always a handy party trick as an adult, not just as a child! Taking the time and patience to learn juggling is a good life-lesson in setting and achieving goals. It is also fun and can be done with the whole family cheaply – you can usually buy juggling balls for just a few pounds.You could even make the next birthday party a circus-themed party and your child can compare his or her skills with the circus-clown entertainer!

Resolution: decide with your child how many balls you and he/she are going to be able to juggle by June. Buy some juggling balls and get practicing! You could make it a Saturday morning activity…..and progress every week.

Turn the TV off at least one night per week

So many families watch lots of TV or sit in front of electronic screens. How about saying that every Friday night, there is no TV or electronics and the family will sit at the dinner table together and eat your favourite meal? It could be Spaghetti Bolognese, home-made pizza or Bangers and Mash. You could even make it board game night or special reading book night too.

Resolution: decide what day you’ll be turning off all electronics and having a special treat family night in.

Discover photography

Every child I know has loved taking photos and they often have a fabulously different view on life and take amazing photos. Digital cameras are pretty cheap nowadays and second hand ones are often perfect for young children. Get the kids out in the park or in the woods for a walk and take photos of their favourite things, whether that is the family, trees and grass, the park slide, cars or buildings. If you’re looking for inspiration, you could see what the professional photographers take photos of too. You could even create a collage of their favourite photos in the kitchen and could even make great Christmas presents for the family next year.

Resolution: get an inexpensive camera and get the kids out snapping away.