Happy New Year!
You know it’s going to be quite a year when you wake up on January 1st to your 8-year-old whispering in your ear: “Mommy, what’s your New Year’s revolution?”
I wish I could’ve come up with some incredible intention that would result in earth-shattering changes, but alas, I doubt vowing to lose 15 pounds is going to do much to bring about world peace or alleviate the financial crisis.
Still, the start of the New Year is an excellent time to discuss the meaning of resolutions with your children.
It’s even better when they initiate the conversation.
I’m fortunate in that respect.
Once we cleared up the revolution/resolution confusion, my daughter and I had a fruitful discussion about the value of making goals and the importance of achieving them.
Weight loss is a popular New Year’s resolutions for adults; however, if you want the idea of instituting positive changes to resonate with children, it’s best to find age appropriate promises kids can truly benefit from.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) devised a helpful guide regarding New Year’s resolutions and kids that I consulted while my daughter threw out some of her own ideas. Some of the ideas I found most helpful were:
For Preschoolers:
- Clean up toys and put them back where they belong.
- Wash hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
- No teasing other children.
For Elementary-Age Children:
- Find a fun sport or an activity that you can commit to doing at least three times a week.
- Remember to wear a helmet when bicycling.
- Be nice to other kids and extra friendly to new kids at school.
- Never give out personal information such as name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet. Also, never send a picture of myself on the computer without parent’s permission.
For Tweens and Teens:
- Watch non-violent television shows and movies.
- Volunteer in community.
- 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.
- Resist temptation to try tobacco, drugs or alcohol.
What’s your New Year’s resolution?