There's just something about a New Year's Eve that makes us want to completely change and improve, right? Chances are if your child has been paying attention to the adults around them, they too may want to make similar changes. It gets a bit tricky with young kids though, so it's important to recognize that anything they wish to change or aspire to in the new year, should provide some sort of instant benefit.
To ensure we're not setting them up for failure and damaging their self-esteem, we need to help kids approach New Year's resolutions with the proper mindset. Here are some ways to make attainable New Year's resolutions with your kids this year.
Why New Year's resolutions fail
Attainable New Year's resolution ideas for kids
Remember that resolutions should help improve your current situation. Remind your children of the why's around keeping resolutions, and be sure they understand the point of the goal. It's not about coming up with a list of random accomplishments to check off of a list. The following New Year's resolutions are perfect for kids. They teach personal responsibility while also helping to improve the day-to-day lives of everyone in the family.
Some easy New Year's resolutions for kids
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Resolutions around eating healthfully are popular. Ensure your child that making an effort to eat right will make them feel better, physically, now, and potentially keep them from getting run down and sick later.
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Making a resolution to keep a clean work space or keep their bedroom clean may seem boring to your child. Remind them, though, that keeping an uncluttered room could potentially improve their mood and focus. It could help them better concentrate on online classes.
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Resolving to make a better effort to get along with siblings is a great resolution for children of any age. Doing so creates a sense of peace and tranquility in the home. This relaxed atmosphere lends itself to more opportunities to create fun, family memories. Having parents who aren't on edge all the time is actually pretty cool. In that regard, everyone wins.
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Along those same lines, Bryanne Salazar suggests implementing a family resolution of sorts; a family constitution. "Starting with your family's mission statement, the document also details rules and consequences for breaking them. Not only can making and abiding by this document help unify your family, it can also be a good way to incorporate everyone's voice and ideas," she previously wrote on Mom.com.
Make sure your child realizes that New Year's resolutions are often simply about just making good choices. The snowball effect of positive outcomes as a result of those choices is just the icing on the cake.
Finally, when setting out to make New Year's resolutions with your kids, let them know that off-days are normal. New Year's Eve isn't the be-all and end-all. Be sure your child understands that they can get a do-over, anytime of the year, no matter what the calendar says.
