Helping Children Make New Year’s Resolutions
“The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all…”
It is that time of year again! Time for holiday celebrations as we close out 2021 and enter the 2022 new year. Every year we hear about New year’s resolutions and the different goals others set for the upcoming year. What is not often discussed is the importance of sharing and setting New Year resolutions with children.
How to Support Your Child in Goal Setting
When it comes to resolutions, it is so important to support your child in goal setting as a role model. Oftentimes children want to set goals for the upcoming year but feel overwhelmed or unable to get started in the process. One solution is to sit down with your child and discuss your goals for the upcoming New Year. Talk about your goals and then prompt your child to talk about what they want to achieve this upcoming year. After the goals are set, strive to reach your goals and talk about this with your child. This will help them to also push themselves to reach their goals and teaches self-discipline. Children learn a lot from their environment and are watching parents and teachers constantly.
It is also important that children understand the importance of goal setting. It is easy to get caught up in the hype and to set a goal because ‘everyone else is”; but, take it a step further and talk to your child about the importance of setting these goals.
What New Year’s Resolutions Teach Children
Resolutions teach children perseverance and determination. By having this conversation, you are setting your child up for success in the long run. At some point, obstacles will come in their path and they may hit a roadblock with their goals; but the key to these resolutions is to never give up. That is teaching your child skills that will help create a more confident and independent adult in the future.
To build on these skills further, ensure that the new year resolutions made are meaningful. Goals will look different for children who are in elementary school, middle school, and high school. The key is to find a goal that is age-appropriate and has meaning to your child.
2022 New Year Goal Setting Ideas for Families
Need some ideas to get started? Here are 10 ideas for goals that you can make with your child!
- Complete one random act of kindness each day.
- Learn a new vocabulary word each day.
- Spend one hour less on electronics each day.
- Read 10 pages of a book before bed.
- Go for a 20-minute walk each night.
- Participate in a family game or activity night once a month.
- Draw for 30 minutes each day.
- Learn one new skill that interests you.
- Taste one new food each week.
- Choose one day a week to go completely screen-free.
New year resolutions are so important for children. These goals teach them valuable lessons and skills that go way beyond the classroom and help them throughout their life. Starting the process of picking goals and sticking to them can be intimidating but with support and guidance, they will be successful!
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