On this last day of 2013, our thoughts here at GCP turn to what New Year’s resolutions we can make about parenting. We’ve come up with one resolution, which we hope everyone will make: To be focused, conscientious parents in 2014.

Sounds good, but the important part of this resolution is figuring out how you will take it to heart. Perhaps you will choose one thing to work on, like paying less attention to your devices and more to casual conversations with your son, or devising and sticking to a plan to regularly touch base with his teachers, or stopping yourself from saying those words in anger and frustration that you know won’t help a situation, or fighting that instinct to protect your son from failure. Maybe you will use it more as a mantra, so that fewer of your parenting mistakes this year will be made because you were multitasking or spreading yourself too thin.

Take some time on New Year’s Day to think about what you can do to be a (more) focused and conscientious parent. Then pop open some leftover champagne, and toast yourself for making it through another year of parenting. Here’s to you, to your children (especially those amazing boys), and to a great year together. Happy New Year from GCP!