Children grow up so fast. They go from babies to toddlers to grade-schoolers to college grads in a flash. When your babies were born you probably had a mountainous list of family activities you wanted to be sure to do with him or her. Things you wanted to teach them, show them, do together in bonding, etc. Some of these “list items” may have included:

• Attend Mommy and Me classes
• Coach your child’s soccer team
• Start an annual mother/daughter day or father/son fishing weekend
• Go on a road trip together to explore Yellowstone
• See Europe as a family
• Fly a kite
• Learn something new together as a family – like to ski,  scuba dive, or karate
• Take a cooking class together
• Enjoy your child’s first concert together
• Tour college campuses together
• Run a race together (5K, 10K, marathon)
• Volunteer together (Habitat for Humanity, serve food at a homeless shelter, etc.)

However, we know that life gets busy and often time passes so fast these family activities get pushed to the side for “next year.”

But now it’s time to take the controls back and challenge yourself and your family members to take the opportunity to create a “Parenting Bucket List.” Make a list of all the things you want to do as a parent – include anything you have been meaning to do but have never had the time or have always pushed to the side to do “later.” This list could be your own or you could do it with your significant other – whichever works for you – everyone’s different.

Write it down and post it in a place where it will serve as a constant reminder to you and your family. Each year make a pact to come back to it to access how far you’ve come and how far you have to go; after all, you don’t want to live your “parenting” life with any regrets, right?

What’s at the top of your parenting bucket list?