Making New Year’s Resolution With Your Child

A new year is just around the corner, and there is something about the New Year’s Eve that makes us want to turn our life around and make new resolutions. Apart from setting personal goals, it is also important to set some family resolutions. Involving the entire family can provide accountability and strength and may help us develop deeper relationships with our loved ones. Moreover, setting goals is an important part of any child’s development, because it teaches them responsibility as they learn how to make commitments. To help you out, we are sharing some New Year’s resolutions that your family can set and achieve in 2022: 

• Limit your screen time as a family. Set a goal of spending at least one day per month (if not per week) without your electronics, instead enjoying the outdoors, playing board games, etc.

• Be more Kind. Set a goal as a family to do one random act of kindness per day: help someone in need, plant a tree, write thank you cards, etc. 

• Volunteer as a family. Choose a group or charity to support every month or on a timeline that is feasible for the family.

• Read books together. Make a conscious effort to read to, with, and around your children this year. If your children are no longer interested in bedtime stories, You can start by reading one chapter of adventure books (such as Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings) per night. 

• Learn a new word every day. Having a diverse vocabulary is essential for children to be able to express themselves clearly and articulately in both oral and written communications. 

• Learn a new language as a family and only speak that language at home one day per week, one meal time per week, etc. According to multiple studies, learning a second language will help in developing critical skills from an early age such as problem-solving, logical thinking, and listening as well as promoting memory, concentration, and multitasking. Also, children who are fluent in another language have an increased creativity and mental flexibility.

• Start a family activity together (game night, craft, etc.). 

• Use less plastic, be more eco-friendly. 

As a parent, you must ensure that your kids understand resolutions are only about making positive choices in life. Moreover, each resolution should be S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and anchored within a Time Frame.) By making resolutions that are unlikely to be met, children will not experience the positive reward of success and, as a result, they will either fail to meet the goal or avoid it entirely. This can lead to avoiding similar resolutions/goal-setting in the future.

Set Rewards

Your kids need encouragement, however, giving them daily rewards will defeat the very purpose of rewards. Thus, it is best to opt for weekly or even monthly rewards. For instance, you could let your kid pick up the next destination for your summer vacations or let them choose a spot for your weekend outing. Setting up rewards will spark a sense of accomplishment in children, and they will be motivated to stay focused on their resolutions. 

In addition to this, it is suggested to host resolution review sessions. To do so, you can all sit down once or twice a month to see how everyone is following their resolutions. This will ensure that everyone in the family stays on track. On the other hand, if your munchkin hasn’t been able to follow the resolution, you must be understanding and flexible while trying to understand the reason why they are falling behind. 

Consider It A Family Activity 

New Year’s Eve always has a celebratory ambiance in which parents are often busy with their own friends. However, if you want to indulge your kids in the resolution-making activity, make sure to spend a good portion of the night with them. Enjoy the party, but don’t forget to make positive and meaningful resolutions. After all, you are your children’s biggest role models.