We like to start off each month (and in this case the year) with tips and ideas from our parenting expert, Jenny Schafer of Evolved Parenting. Her monthly columns are designed to help us over common parenting hurdles. This month Jenny’s column is about remembering who you are.

As we enter another new year, we have the opportunity to learn and grow from our past experiences. Are you at peace with your life? Or do you find yourself mired down in negative thinking, bickering and self-sabotaging?

The New Year brings the promise of a new day. You have the power to change your thoughts and your overall experiences. So why not join in the excitement and the fresh-start that 2008 brings?

How do you begin filtering through some of the stale thinking and habits of yesteryear? Here are few suggestions on how to find the ‘real you’ in 2008. Sometimes it’s a just a matter of kick-starting the memories of who we truly are and what we truly want.

One of the most basic questions we can ask ourselves can be one of the most revealing. Loyal yoyomama readers may recognize the following exercise which starts with asking yourself who you are. Get a piece of paper and a pen and write out “I am” and finish the statement. Do you know who you are? Who are you presenting to the world? To your children?

Another important question to ask is how well you take care of yourself (editor’s note: We’ll focus on this again on Friday). Do a personal inventory of how well you meet your needs. These include grooming, exercise and healthy eating, how much fun you have, how much intellectual stimulation you get, how well you nurture your spirit, how often you have time for friends and family, how often you get “you” time, how healthy your relationships are, how much sleep you get every night, and so on. Do you see areas of your life that are lacking or need work?

You are the greatest role model to your children. Do they see you as a positive force in this world? By having pride in yourself, and presenting yourself as a strong, compassionate, healthy, loving and positive person, you are providing a positive role model for your children

Seize this moment – this New Year – and grab the opportunities around you to learn and grow. You have the power to make changes. And isn’t that the kind of positive outlook and thinking we all want to instill in our children?

Jenny Schafer, creator of Evolved Parenting, is a mother, social worker, trained daycare provider and former nanny. For more information visit evolvedparenting.ca.