A lot of us already know that New Year Resolutions come hand in hand every time a new year comes. But did you know where New Year’s resolutions come from? According to History.com, it is believed that the first New Year's Resolutions were made nearly 4,000 years ago by ancient Babylonians!

And if you think New Year’s Resolutions are only for adults, no, it’s not! Because your kids can make their own too! According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, New Year's Resolutions can actually be an effective motivator for children. Read on and you’ll be surprised by how many benefits your kids can get from making their own New Year’s Resolutions! 

What are New Year’s Resolutions?

Adults may easily understand what New Year Resolutions are; however, for children, it may be confusing. But with a simple explanation, it will be easy to understand! Simply explain that resolutions are goals that you must set and commit to and that the new year is an exciting time to do so because it represents a new beginning.

Now surely, New Year is a time for celebrating with your friends, and loved ones, and also a good time to look back on the memories and achievements you had from the past year. But again, we must not forget that New Year is a great opportunity to teach kids how to set goals too! It is indeed the perfect time to set new goals and make resolutions for the year that has come.

Why is it important to make New Year’s Resolutions for your kids?

According to pediatrician Dr. Steph Lee, setting goals is important for children and resolutions as it can help kids make good decisions, build self-confidence, and improve troubleshooting skills.

"Especially if they have trouble with reaching their New Year's resolutions, then you can help them figure out how to adapt and persevere in order to reach their goals," Dr. Lee explained. “Make sure you try to encourage sticking to your goals/one way is making sure to write them down somewhere so they’re physically visible. Also making sure that they’re actually achievable”, Dr. Lee added.

It can also help teach kids important life skills such as:

1. Self-reflection - Your kids can reflect on the past year and identify areas for improvement. This will allow them to analyze their own thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions objectively. The question "How do I want to improve this year?" can help them in reflecting.
2. Self-advocacy - The practice of making their new year's resolutions also allows them to have their own voice and to be aware of themselves. As they make their own resolutions, they will be able to understand and communicate their own needs to others, particularly their parents. "What should I do to help me reach my goal?" is a good starting question for this.
3. Self-awareness - Self-awareness differs from self-advocacy in that it focuses on being honest with oneself. "Am I getting closer to my goal?" is a self-awareness exercise question. Upon asking the question themselves, they can write down their strengths and weaknesses which will help them achieve their goals.
4. Self-discipline - The ability to control one's impulses. Despite how they feel, they must still take action as they have written down their goals that must be met. For example, they may be feeling idle that day, but because they have set a resolution to be more helpful with the housework this year, they must still get moving in order to achieve their goal. That is a self-discipline practice. This skill can actually help to cope with uncomfortable emotions in a healthy way.
5. Problem-solving - As your kids are still working on achieving their resolutions, there may be times when they might lose track and the question “What can I do to get back on track?” can pop into their mind which is a good question to practice problem-solving skills. This isn’t just about coming up with a solution. This isn't just about finding a solution. It also entails utilizing your child’s creativity, thinking through possibilities, and many more!
6. Self-esteem - Achieving the resolutions will help your kids to feel more confident, feel proud of what they can do, think positively of themselves, and believe in themselves. 

Now that you understand the importance and benefits of making New Year's Resolutions for your kids, let us now proceed on to making their own resolutions.

How to Help Kids Make New Year's Resolutions?

Involve them in the process

According to Jennifer Kolari, a parent and child therapist and author of Connected Parenting, the first step is to listen. "Ask them what they want for themselves. If it's your agenda that's driving the conversation, you're not listening."

The key to getting your kids’ commitment to making their resolutions is by involving them in the process of making so. You can have them sit down and discuss what happened in the previous year and encourage them to think about what they want to achieve or change in the coming year. Ask them what their goals are and how they intend to accomplish them. You can get them started by mentioning a few scenarios and working your way through them.

Keep it simple 

According to Christine Carter, Ph.D., author of Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents, and a teacher for an online class on helping kids develop happiness habits, "We don't want to teach our kids it's about making a huge list of resolutions and not following through." "So help your child narrow them down to a couple of things to focus on," she added. 

Adults, might set large, ambitious resolutions at the start of the year which is not recommended for kids as we do not want them to feel overwhelmed and give up. It is very important to keep resolutions attainable for kids. Help them in setting simple, attainable goals that they can work toward throughout the year.

Make it a family affair

It is important for parents to practice what they preach. "Do you believe in, make, and keep resolutions?" asks Robin Goodman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and art therapist who has written books on children and stress. "You have to walk the walk and talk the talk to be most effective."

Make everyone in the family sit down and make their own resolutions! Everyone can enjoy and benefit from this activity. You can share your own resolutions with your kids, which will encourage them to do the same. When it comes to making new year's resolutions, you can be a role model for them! Remember that you can turn their resolutions into enjoyable activities to help them stay motivated. We don't want them to think of their resolutions as chores that can easily be forgotten or neglected.

Use positive language

According to Meg Cox, author of The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays and Everyday, "Present it optimistically: Every day's a new day, and you have a chance to reinvent yourself. A lot comes from your tone. If you're putting it in a punishing, preachy way, they'll be turned off.’’

When writing resolutions, it is necessary to use positive language because we do not want them to be discouraged by using negative, sermonic words. Instead, focus on the positive aspects of achieving their goals and the benefits they will receive. For example, “I will help more around the house by cleaning up my toys and putting them where they belong’’, rather than ‘’I will not be lazy anymore.’’

Celebrate progress and accomplishments 

The theory known as "the Progress Principle," developed by Professors Amabile and Steven J. Kramer at Harvard Business School, proposes that the concept of small wins adding up to bigger ones boosts a person's positive emotions, motivates them to move forward, and gives them the sense of accomplishment that they are making progress in meaningful work.

It is essential that they keep track of their accomplishments and progress as they set their goals. You can tell them the improvements that you have noticed like "You got better in reading now than a month ago" or "You have started eating more vegetables now than before". It is important to acknowledge and celebrate the progress that your kids make toward their goals. Why? Because this can help them stay motivated and driven to continue working on their resolutions.

It is also important to note that if your kids are not doing well with their resolutions, it is okay to scale back, change the goals, and explain the importance of trying their best. Let them know also that not being able to practice their resolution for a day or two is not considered a failure. There’s no harm in trying again and moving on. Remember that you are there to support their progress and not to impose perfection on them. You can meet with them once a month to discuss each other's progress. Remember to refrain from nagging.

What does a good resolution look like?

• Specific: They can follow the format: ‘’Goal - How am I going to achieve it?’’. We don’t want a goal that is too vague or general. Instead, be more specific and it has to be within their capabilities so they don’t get discouraged. For example, instead of “I’m going to read more’’, it should be ‘’I’m going to read more….by reading a short story before I go to bed.’’ 

• Measurable: Your kid should be able to track their progress; keep a list visible to them in the house. A sticker board is an excellent idea. For example, if their goal is to eat one fruit every morning and evening, they can place a sticker on the days they have achieved that goal, which is also a great motivator.
• Attainable: In order to achieve their goals, they must be realistic. The goal can be ambitious, but it must be achievable for your child so that they do not feel overwhelmed and give up easily.
• Results-oriented: The resolutions your kid should still have an end goal. Such as what will they get after achieving the goal. For example: ‘’Reading a short story before bedtime will help me get A’s in my reading class’’.
• Time-bound: Although resolutions last a year, your kid should have a specific end date for each goal. They can also have mini-goals that can be accomplished in a shorter period of time. These can be considered mini-achievements, which can be extremely motivating. Tip: You can also give them mini-rewards to encourage them to continue achieving their other goals.
• Relevance: This is no longer part of the SMART guidelines, but you should keep in mind that while you are helping your child in making resolutions, it is important that the goals you've set together are something they want to achieve as well.

How to help your kid stick with it?

• Work towards the same goal together. Some kids find that working together to achieve a goal is more enjoyable. You can ask your kid if they want to work toward the same goal as you. For example, ‘’I also want to reduce my screen time this year. How about we play some board games every other day?’’ 

• Avoid nagging. Aside from the progress monitoring day you have set up with them, you can also have small reminders for your kid–- but never nag. For example, ‘’I know you want to donate a toy for this month. Have you already done so?’’ or ‘’We’re going somewhere this weekend. Do you want to stop by a charity so we can drop your toy donation?’’.

• Remind them of the benefits of achieving their resolution. This can help them in remaining motivated and focused. Give them rewards every time they achieve something. Kids love rewards! You can also give them some motivation by sharing your own experience in achieving your own goal. For example, ‘’I can feel that I got healthier these last few months because I ran for about an hour every day.’’

• Make it full of learning. In case your kid was unable to achieve their goal, discuss what went wrong, how things got off track, and what strategies your child can try the next time.

Still lost on how to make New Year’s Resolutions for Kids? Read on for some ideas for your kids’ new year’s resolutions. 

New Year's Resolutions Ideas for Kids

 

• Academic Resolution: ‘’Improve my basic Math and English skills by playing scrabble every other day’’, and ‘’Improve my grade in art class by practicing how to draw after doing my homework’’ are some of the academic things they can improve. Kids can have fun while achieving these kinds of resolutions.
• Athletic Resolution: ‘’I’ll be more active by riding a bicycle around the village every weekend’’, and ‘’I’m going to join a sports team at the school’’ are examples of goals that will help your kid to become more active. 
• Family Bonding Resolution: ‘’Have more family time by playing board gamestogether every Sunday night.’’ or ‘’Eat breakfast with the family every Sunday morning’’ are both good resolutions to have more family time. 
• Health Resolution: ‘’Lessen my screen time by reading a book 30 minutes before bed instead of watching TV’’ and ‘’I’m going to drink a glass of milk every day instead of soft drinks or juice’’ are examples of healthy resolutions.  
• Social Skills Resolution: ‘’I’ll make more friends by inviting some of my schoolmates every month’’, or ‘’I will greet all the school staff I meet every week’’ are good goals to practice their social skills. Kids can play with educational toys so that they can have fun and learn at the same
• Talent and Skill Resolution: ‘’I will develop my creativity skill by doing some arts and crafts activities every weekend’’ and ‘’I will go to paint class with Mom every Sunday'’ are resolutions that can motivate your kids to develop their skills.

That's all there is to it! Hopefully, these suggestions will assist you in guiding and helping your kid in making their own New Year's Resolutions. Again, don't forget to turn their resolutions into enjoyable activities! Have a wonderful new year!