The New Year brings moments of happiness, excitement, and an opportunity to start fresh. For young mothers, this time of year can also create feelings of pressure. Motherhood is a lifetime role that demands a lot, and for young mothers, this feeling can weigh them down even more. There are several reasons why a young parent may feel this way, including financial pressures, parental responsibilities, and social expectations.
This is why it’s essential to consider New Year’s resolutions that are realistic and don’t require too much of your time or patience. Creating and nurturing a life, especially when you’re trying to start a new year off strong, is something that should bring a sense of calm and balance to a young parent.
Instead of aiming for perfection, it’s best to be right where you are and think about the ways that you can best serve yourself! Going into 2026 should feel empowering and wonderful. These five New Year’s resolutions focus on creating routines, organizing, nurturing yourself, trying something new, and prioritizing mental health.
- Creating Simple Routines
A way for moms to feel like they have a fulfilling daily structure without their lives being too strictly controlled is to create simplistic routines that allow for certain activities to naturally fall into place, rather than every chunk of time feeling like a chore or burden. Think of something that you’ve been meaning to make a part of your daily routine. Some realistic examples are:
- Morning Stretches: After a night’s rest, think about setting 5-10 minutes aside for some stretching, which can be done on a yoga mat or even in bed. Allowing yourself to wake up with calm stretches while setting an intention for the day (such as praying, choosing a word, or adopting a mindset you’d like to carry with you) can provide a fantastic foundation for a productive start. Instead of waking up and absentmindedly picking up your phone, think about stretching out your body to get the day started with more intention and presence.
- Meal Planning: Consider writing a list every Sunday evening of the week’s dinner plans. As a young mom, it’s so important to plan to save time on grocery shopping and not have to rack your brain about quick and healthy meals at the last minute’s notice. Personally, apps such as Todoist provide me with a great way to write lists and jot down some notes for myself, so this would be a perfect app for meal planning. Not only will you be able to plan healthy home-cooked meals, but it can also be very budget-friendly!
- Set 15 Minutes a Day to Tidy Up: Despite keeping up with daily cleaning routines, some parts of the home can be overlooked. Setting up a 15-minute timer every day and focusing on cleaning, folding clothes, and putting away things in their correct spot can help keep a tidy home without it feeling too difficult. Also, having the kids help out can be a way to have a chore feel like a fun treasure hunt activity! Think about the toys that are scattered in the kitchen that should be put away in the playroom, or the bedroom pillows that were used in the living room for a pillow fort.
- Organization
Speaking of tidying up, think about keeping an organized space for yourself to make navigating your home easier. As decluttering is an aspect of organization, dedicate time every few months to filling up bags and boxes for donation. Any item, ranging from household items to clothing, can be donated to others, which is a wonderful thing to do. There is always an opportunity to not only create more space for yourself at home, but also provide other young moms with items that they will find useful. You can also think about selling clothing and other items online, such as on apps like Depop or eBay, for an extra income.
Something else to consider is organizing the belongings you likely use most: your phone. Although it may not feel like a priority or something that should be done at first, making a conscious effort to clear out your phone’s old apps, photos, contacts, and even mail can make your cellphone more efficient to use. Doing such a task every few weeks or so (or however you see fit) can help you organize a tool as necessary as a phone. Whenever you may want to schedule a doctor’s appointment on an app for your child or pull up a digital receipt of your recent grocery purchases, you’ll do such simple tasks with much more ease!
- Indulging More
Being selfish as a young mom is a great quality to have—I know that may sound crazy. Many young moms spend so much time caring for the little ones that they forget to treat themselves to nice things. Although you may naturally want to hand over your favorite candy bar to your child, what would be so bad about getting to enjoy it all by yourself?
Think about taking long showers with your new body care products, or about buying a jacket you’ve been thinking about. Maybe it can even be about buying snacks for yourself, rather than sneaking in some fruit snacks or apple sauce that you had bought for your kids.
It’s necessary to let yourself enjoy things without guilt. That show you’ve been meaning to binge-watch can finally be enjoyed on a calm Saturday evening without feeling like you’re doing something wrong.
Let indulgence be part of being. The little joys matter, and you deserve them. Of course, we aren’t suggesting to prioritize me-time if your child is in need, but it’s about recognizing how important it can be to take care of yourself as an individual to better serve your family.
- Trying Something New
Trying new things helps you reconnect with yourself while fostering confidence and creativity. This can be something like adding a new vegetable to your lunchtime meal, or maybe even reading a best-selling book from an author you’ve heard such great reviews about.
Immersing yourself in something new can help you grow not only as a young mother but as a person. Every day is a new opportunity to try something new, such as:
- Picking up a Hobby: Learn to cook up a new recipe and fall in love with cooking. Buy a needle and thread and learn how to sew. You could even buy an adult coloring book (or buy a kids’ one) and set some time every weekend to just doodle and color.
- Exploring the Outdoors: Take the opposite route when hiking. Have a picnic at the city park. Visit a mall or museum nearby—celebrate the experience of simple enjoyment.
- Practicing a Skill: Challenge yourself to learn a new language. Buy that ukulele you’ve always wanted and learn some pretty songs.
No matter what you set your mind to try out, make sure to give it your all and appreciate the moments you have to try something new.
- Mental Health
One of the most important New Year’s resolutions for young mothers to carry into the new year is to prioritize mental health. Motherhood is a journey that can be shared, yet it can also feel isolating. Taking care of your mental health is the foundation for taking care of yourself in the emotional and physical aspects, too. Things can feel difficult when you have to carry unwanted thoughts and heavy burdens without opening up about them. Young mothers deserve to feel understood and supported.
A mother who knows she’s not alone can feel empowered and strong. Building healthy habits, such as sleeping enough, nourishing yourself, and surrounding yourself with loved ones, is the best way to uplift yourself and push forward.
Ensuring you get enough rest is one of the ways to feel well-rested even after long days, and having a full night’s rest can alleviate any exhaustion while also fulfilling such a need. A well-rested mother is a parent who nourishes themselves with life’s basic needs without having to sacrifice that aspect of self-care. Let yourself sleep in when possible, and enjoy the warmth of a cozy blanket.
As it can feel like there is no time to even grab a quick bite for yourself as you carry yourself through the busy day of a mother, make sure to nourish your body with healthy and delicious food. Staying hydrated provides you with energy, and having full meals while being on a busy schedule will allow you to not feel fatigued. Creating stability through proper meals and snack time is just as important for moms as it is for little ones.
Surrounding yourself with friends and loved ones who support you can create a lasting impact on the way you perceive yourself and the way you create long-lasting connections. Being able to be yourself and exist without having to apologize for it is a way to feel seen and heard. Keep your loved ones close, and open up with the knowledge that your community will be there for you.
As the year 2025 comes to an end, let yourself carry these New Year’s resolutions into 2026 with patience, compassion, and resilience. Give yourself a moment to reflect on everything you’ve accomplished, and all the goals you have planned for yourself and your family this upcoming year. Let yourself accomplish these resolutions at your own pace, while ensuring that you balance both your identity as an individual and a young mother.
You deserve a year filled with support and grace. May 2026 provide you with everything you deserve.
About the Author
Karen M. Camacho, a San Francisco Bay Area native, began creating design content for South Project in August of 2025 and is now pursuing her passion for blog writing. She is currently studying a B.S. in Visual Communications Design at San Francisco State University with a minor in Marketing. When she’s not writing and designing, she enjoys spending time with her partner and loved ones, practicing yoga, rewatching her favorite shows, and traveling along the California coast.
Wow! Very informative! Thank you so much.