Help Your Kids Make Resolutions

It's a fresh start, a brand new year. We adults are used to taking a moment to reflect on our lives and figure out goals to help us steer our lives in the direction we want to go. But what about our kids??  This is a great habit to teach them also. Here are some tips & suggestions to get started...

Discuss the process as a family and give your kids time to think about something they would like to work on or improve this year. Help them to keep this realistic and accomplishable! Depending on the age of your children, they will obviously need more or less of your guidance.
The key is to make their goals something they can easily accomplish. As we say in our family, set them up for success! Then give them tools to help them remember & follow through with their goals.
Here are some age-appropriate suggestions for resolutions (provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics):
 
Preschoolers

• I will clean up my toys.
• I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
• I won’t tease dogs – even friendly ones. I will avoid being bitten by keeping my fingers and face away from their mouths.

Kids, 5- to 12-years-old

• I will drink milk and water, and limit soda and fruit drinks.
• I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors.  I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I’m playing sports.
• I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week!
• I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.
• I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car.  I’ll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
• I’ll be nice to other kids. I’ll be friendly to kids who need friends – like someone who is shy, or is new to my school
• I’ll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet.  Also, I’ll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without my parent’s permission.

Kids, 13-years-old and up

• I will eat at least one fruit and one vegetable every day, and I will limit the amount of soda I drink.
• I will take care of my body through physical activity and nutrition.
• I will choose non-violent television shows and video games, and I will spend only one to two hours each day – at the most – on these activities.
• I will help out in my community – through volunteering, working with community groups or by joining a group that helps people in need.
• I will wipe negative “self talk” (i.e. “I can’t do it” or “I’m so dumb”) out of my vocabulary,
• When I feel angry or stressed out, I will take a break and find constructive ways to deal with the stress, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal or discussing my problem with a parent or friend.
• When faced with a difficult decision, I will talk with an adult about my choices.
• When I notice my friends are struggling or engaging in risky behaviors, I will talk with a trusted adult and attempt to find a way that I can help them.
• I will be careful about whom I choose to date, and always treat the other person with respect and without coercion or violence. 
• I will resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol.
• I agree not to use a cell phone or text message while driving and to always use a seat belt.

 
Help them FOLLOW THROUGH!
Once the goal is set, make some visual reminders to help them stay focussed. Make signs or sticky-notes to place in the areas of the home where they need to be reminded.
Make a calendar (or use one of the free ones stores often provide) with progress check dates. On these dates, have a discussion about the resolutions to see how everyone is doing.
 
Remember to make this a FUN learning experience. This can be a valuable way to model and teach your kids about self-evaluation & goal setting.
 
Have fun being a mom!
~Tam