Guiding Your Kids to Realistic New Year’s Resolutions
The practice of making New Year’s Resolutions goes back to ancient times. Most cultures have followed the practice of encouraging people to get a fresh start as the calendar changes to the New Year.
Each year, we adults resolve to eat healthier, to work harder to get the big promotion at work, to go to the gym, etc. But it’s also important to help our kids see the importance of setting goals for the year, and following through on them.
Here are some ideas to help your kids develop good resolution habits:
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Most importantly, be a role model. Teach your children to make and stick with resolutions by showing them how to break down their goals to make them attainable and realistic. Since children tend to think more concretely, help them reframe a resolution like “getting all as” into something more specific, like “Read an extra 15 minutes each day.”
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Guide, but don’t dictate, your children’s resolutions.
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Keep it positive and fun. Parents and children can enjoy common resolutions, such as exercising together, eating more meals together, or planning an event or trip together.
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Meet regularly to discuss progress and to encourage each other.
Looking for some suggested topics? Here are three:
Health-related
Health-related goals or resolutions can be difficult for your children to establish and stick with, in part because they might not see immediate results or benefits. Parental role-modeling can be very helpful here. Here are some sample health-related resolutions:
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Make a commitment to cut down on soda, energy drinks and sports drinks which are high in sugar and low in anything else that is of value to you. Drink more ice water instead.
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Eat breakfast every day. Research shows us that, in order to be both physically and emotionally fit, we have to start our day with a healthy breakfast. Foods rich in protein and complex carbohydrates, such as a bagel with cream cheese or a hard-boiled egg or yogurt will provide your child with the energy he or she needs to last all morning.
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Get up and move! Sure, X-Box is fun, and of course kids love watching their favorite shows on Netflix. But to give up just 30 to 60 minutes of electronics a day to get up and move around, to exercise, would go a long way toward improving cardiovascular health, keeping extra pounds off, and lowering their risk of other health problems down the road. Play with them!
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Your child can learn how to cook a healthy meal and prepare it for your family at least once every couple of weeks.
Social
With encouragement, children can make and follow through with resolutions to improve their social environment and peer relationships, usually with very positive results. Here are some examples:
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Join a team sport.
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Join a club or organization.
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Try holding your head up in the hallway, make eye contact, say hello to people whether you know them or not.
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Smile.
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Express your opinions appropriately. You are smart – don’t hide your ideas. Don’t just agree with everyone.
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Resist bullying. If you see bullying, get an adult to make it stop.
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When driving, please don’t text. Your life, the lives of everyone on the road are at risk. It can wait.
Mental Health
Remind your child or adolescent that you will be there to talk, to listen, and that you care. Here are some New Year’s resolution ideas to share with them:
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Take care of yourself. Don’t pull away from your parents or friends. Keep communicating with your trusted adults even when it doesn’t seem to be helping.
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Even when things seem hopeless, tomorrow is a new day. Sometimes all you have to do is wait.
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Sometimes things happen to us and we feel overwhelmed, but remember, you always have the right to choose how you react. Be strong, be confident, and turn to your friends and family for support.
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Rejoice in the little things. Laugh with your friends. Be silly. Enjoy being young. Be healthy. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Maximize happiness.
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Journal, listen to music, write and play music, become involved with theater, play sports. Be as creative and active as you can be.
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Commit yourself to avoiding negativity in your life – negative music, negative influences, negative people who put you down. Surround yourself with people who see your strengths and help you feel positive and who encourage you to push yourself to achieve more.
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Sleep. High school students need more than 9 hours of sleep each night for optimum functioning but they rarely get this much rest. Put this to the test. Try an earlier bedtime for a couple of weeks and note the positive effect on your mood and concentration.
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Relax. Practice relaxation skills, meditation and/or yoga.
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Finally, ask for help if things get to be overwhelming.
For additional reading:
The American Academy of Pediatrics
https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/pages/healthy-new-year-resolutions-for-kids.aspx
“8 Ways to Help Kids Make New Year's Resolutions.” Wendy Schuman. Parents Magazine.
http://www.parents.com/holiday/new-years/resolution/8-ways-to-help-kids-make-new-years-resolutions/
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