Here comes New Year; a time to forget about the mistakes of the past and get ready for the possibilities of the future. One of the most popular traditions of the New Year is to make resolutions. Especially for kids, this is the time for change and growth. Kids between the ages 7-12 are at a learning stage when habits are not firm yet and so it is easier for them to develop healthy habits. Here are a few tips to make New Year Resolutions for kids:
1. Be a Role Model
There is a popular quote that goes “Practice what you preach”. If you are able to complete your resolution, your kids will be inspired to do the same. Kids look to their parents on how they handle a task. Speak to your children about your New Year’s resolutions. If you are not able to live up to your promises, you can’t expect your children to fulfil their resolutions.
2. Be Positive
When we talk about change, we often look at the negative aspects of us. However, change is just not limited to the wrong things we do in our life. We should make it a self-improvement opportunity. New Year is a time that gives us a celebratory feeling. New Year’s resolution can be a chance for your kid to challenge themselves. While making resolutions, instead of talking about the failures of the previous year, talk about the accomplishments. You want this to be a positive experience for your kids.
3. Let the kids choose
As a parent, you think that you know what is best for your kids. This is true, but when it comes to making important decisions, you have to let your kids choose. However, this does not mean that you let them loose. You should offer them suggestions, but ultimately it’s their decision. New Year’s resolutions are personal commitments and if your kid feels that these have been forced upon them by someone else, they might not stick to it. You can guide them and encourage them, but it is them who have to work on them.
4. Age appropriate resolutions
While making resolutions, keep in mind the age of your kid. The expectations from a 3-year-old are different from a 16-year-old teenager. For preschool-aged children, the resolution should be being kind, respecting elders, cleaning, washing their hands, etc. For kids from 5 to 12, resolutions should be their decision. You can come up with some areas where your kid needs improvement. For teenagers, the resolutions should be focused on taking care of themselves like resisting bad habits, dealing with stress, taking care of their body, etc.
5. Take baby steps
When it comes to fulfilling the New Year’s resolutions, we often try to set unachievable goals. Same goes for your kids. For example, if your kid made a New Year’s resolution of getting good at general knowledge, instead of holding a book all day, start spending some time reading the newspaper daily. Once they have developed this habit, you can try getting them some encyclopedia. Do not use any past failure as a source of motivation. If you want them to improve their skills, talk to them and help them move forward their struggles.
6. Display the resolutions
As the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind”. Make sure that you write the goals somewhere and keep them at a place, where it is visible. There are many ways that you can do so, both offline and online. You can try making sticker charts or you can buy some motivational posters and hang them around the house. Also, there are many options online that help you keep track of your goal like Pinterest.
7. Narrow down the list
Often, kids can come up with a whole bunch of New Year’s resolutions for them. You need to remember to not end up with too many resolutions. What you should do is ask your kid to write two or three resolutions on a piece of paper with some space between them. Then, you can fill the space with small steps that will help them achieve their resolution. Also, the resolutions should be specific and manageable.
8. Don’t scold if they can’t reach their goals
You should check periodically on how well they are working on reaching their goals. However, if they are unable to reach their target, don’t scold them. Don’t keep nagging them. No big change occurs without any setbacks. Help them feel motivated again. Find out why they lost interest. It is easy to lose excitement, so try talking about the resolutions once in a month. If they are lost, find them another way. When making resolutions, we often forget the practical limitations, so it is totally normal to get derailed from the tracks. Kids love the sense of achievement, so praising them for achieving smaller steps will help them stay motivated in the long run.
What are your child’s New Year Resolutions? Let us know in the comments.