With the new year just around the corner, you may be thinking about how you’re going to make next year your best yet. But New Year’s resolutions aren’t just for adults. Helping your child set goals for the New Year can encourage them to work toward gaining new skills and expanding their horizons.
Most people’s way of starting off the year right is by creating a resolution. You may choose the tried-and-true resolution of going to the gym. Maybe you want to read more books, take more walks, or learn to cook.
No matter what you choose, your resolution is to make the new year more successful. Why not try to push your child to grow and have a more successful year as well?
Here are some kid-friendly New Year’s resolution ideas and tips to help them achieve their goals.
Creating a Goal
To get your child in on the “New Year – New Me” practice of creating a resolution, you’ll need to explain what a resolution is. In a fantastic article on parents.com, they explain the importance of keeping it positive.
You shouldn’t explain resolutions to your child like there is something wrong with how they currently go through life. Instead, you should tell them about the fun of learning new things and the importance of holding themselves accountable.
Dr. Kristen Eastman, PsyD, a pediatric clinical psychologist at Cleveland Children’s Hospital explains that a resolution should be discussed as “I’m going to do this…” instead of “I’m going to STOP doing this…” With that in mind, let’s look at some great New Years’ resolutions your child can make for the best year yet.
Weekly Chores
Despite the stereotype that children don’t like to complete tasks around the house, kids do like to feel helpful. In fact, creating a routine helps kids establish security, build on bonding, and improve behavior.
Creating a weekly chore chart at the start of the new year or adding a new chore to their existing chart is a great way to encourage responsibility. You can even choose to add the incentive of allowance for weekly chores. This will help teach your child about how to save money.
Teaching your child to be fiscally responsible is a challenge in and of itself. Your best chance of helping them learn the value of a dollar is by giving them an attainable item to save up for such as a TV or game system.
Getting Active
Fitness is incredibly important for people of all ages, especially children. Instill healthy habits at an early age by encouraging your child to stay active. A great physical activity for children is swimming. It’s more engaging and exciting than other fitness options.
Swimming also ensures that your child will have the skills to stay safe around the water. Adding 30 minutes of swimming once a week to your child’s schedule will make them a safer swimmer. At Njswim, we have a multitude of levels to fit your child’s skill level and help them learn at their own pace.
Family Time
A great way to encourage children to stick to their resolutions is to make them a group effort. As a family, resolve to have a game night once a week or a family breakfast every weekend. This type of encouragement does more for your children than you may know.
Here are 3 ways family time benefits your child:
• They develop more self-esteem. When children spend more time with their parents, they feel more self-worth. This comes from the feeling of being valued and loved.
• Family time strengthens your family bond. By removing everything distracting in your life to spend time with your children, they feel they can share more with you including personal problems and hobbies.
• Creating lifelong memories. It’s no surprise that spending time with your kid creates happy memories for both of you. These memories also develop a more loving environment at home.
School
There may be nothing more important for your child to focus all their attention on than school. School opens the door for all future possibilities including college and jobs. That’s why a great resolution is to instill better studying habits.
That doesn’t mean the resolution should be to spend hours each day studying. Instead, studies show that creating a more strategic approach to studying is best for your grades. That means you may want to make the resolution, “I am going to try one unique study method every time I have a quiz or test.”
• Create flashcards with illustrations.
• Study in groups.
• Find a computer game that is relevant.
• Create your own game.
• Link everything you are studying to the real world.
• Utilize acronyms.
There is an endless amount of study methods you can use. Meaning you can do more than practice the same equation repeatedly. If your child can find their own way of studying, it’ll make school easier in the future. So, make this resolution count by helping your child create new and fun study methods.
Social Skills
Your child may not be worried about it now, but creating a resolution based on making more friends is great for their confidence. The best way to go about a resolution like this is to encourage thoughts like “I will invite at least 2 people over a month from school, scouts, swim team, etc..”.
Stay away from resolutions like, “I will be popular”. This makes the goal attainable which is important when you’re creating your resolution.
How to Succeed at Resolutions
Coming up with resolutions is the easy part. The hard part, for children and adults alike, is keeping them.
Here are a few ways you can encourage your child to keep their New Year’s resolutions:
• Make sure your goals are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and time-bound.
• Join in on the resolution process. Show your child that you’re committed to your goals to set a positive example for them.
• Again, BE POSITIVE. No child wants to hear how badly they’re doing or be told to stop doing something they love. Keep it positive and the rest will follow.
If you want a resolution that incorporates a life-saving skill, builds self-confidence, and encourages better social skills – contact us. Our safe and fun swimming lessons will help your child achieve multiple goals and have a good time doing it.
