Celebrating Our First Family Day: A Pledge To My Family

I don’t know about you guys, but I spend a lot of time reflecting. My most recent reflection being one about what the word family actually means to me and what I want mine to look like in the coming years. Not literally (fams come in all shapes and sizes and I’m grateful for whatever the universe has planned for us) but more along the lines of how we are together — the family dynamic. You see, in an increasingly hectic world, I find that I need to press pause and consciously weave in the moments, routines and traditions that matter into my daily life. I fear that time will just slip through my fingers otherwise, so I’ve decided to write a little pledge to my family as we celebrate our first family day. Here are five things I hope to do more or less of this year…

My Family Day Pledge

1. More Hugs – Oh yes, the simple things. Hugging doesn’t cost a penny and is truly one of the most fulfilling acts in life. I’ve always been a hugger. In fact, I even hugged Little L daily when he was in my belly. And when he was born, I had a Huggies Hug Plan in place to make sure he got all the skin-to-skin hugs he needed to thrive both psychologically and physiologically. It felt good knowing that I could play a part in helping lower his response to pain, stabilize his heart rate and aid in his brain development along with so many other benefits. Family hug time is now a tradition for us — it’s how we kick off our day and cap off the night. Those few moments are so powerful and now that Little L can hug back they’re even more special…

2. Less Phone Time – This one is really tough because most of my business involves a cellphone in some way. Especially on the social media front. I love my online community and do my best to respond to everyone who emails/DMs/comments, but at times I find being a blogger/influencer pulls me away from those who matter most: my family. I hope to change this by putting down my phone more often and living in the moment.

3. More Family Getaways – Little L has been on many trips with us already, but I want to incorporate even more local and international travel in our lives. Not only do these experiences teach him about the beautiful planet we live on (the different cultures, landscapes and people), but it also teaches Hubster and I so much about ourselves. Traveling with a baby challenges us as a family and makes us stronger, more patient and resilient.

4. Less Hasty Meals – Gone are the days of our leisurely dinners where conversations were had and food was ingested at a normal rate. Given Little L’s bedtime and the fact that our meal prep time has been significantly reduced, I find that our meals have become incredibly rushed. As someone who gets so much pleasure and happiness from food, this is one trend I’m seeing that I really don’t like. So, I’m going to try to prep meals the night before so we can have dinner earlier and have time to eat properly before putting babes to bed. I’m also going to make more of an effort to take Little L out for meals…

5. More Time For Self-Care – I’ve recently noticed that even a quick shower break or coffee with a friend can really shift our mentality when it comes to family life. Sometimes we just need a few minutes to refresh and gain perspective before hanging out with Little L. As new parents, breaks can be difficult to squeeze in to the daily routine, but make such a difference in our stress levels — something Little L definitely picks up on immediately. Slowly, Hubster and I are starting to find a balance that allows us both to have some “me time” outside of our condo. Hoping to do more of this moving forward…

Thanks for taking the time to read through my reflections. Let me know how you’re spending Family Day and whether or not you have a pledge/things you’re trying to focus on when it comes to family. It’s our first year with babes so it’s a learning curve for us all!

This post was sponsored by Huggies® Canada as part of my partnership with them as a #NoBabyUnhugged Mom. As always, all reviews and opinions are my own. If you’re a mom or dad-to-be, I highly encourage you and your partner to visit nobabyunhugged.ca to download the Hug Plan for free to ensure your baby receives hugs as soon as he/she is born!