Many of us take this time of year to reflect on the past 365 days, both highlighting the good things that occurred and contemplating ways to avoid the not so good things that happened. Typically, this all culminates in your New Year’s resolutions. While items like “Go on a diet” and “Get more exercise” usually top most individual’s lists, how about considering including your kids in your resolutions, or even having them write their own?

Resolutions for Young Kids: Brush teeth twice a day Drink water every day Be nice to other kids Get one hour of play each day

 It can be very helpful for kids to start learning the concepts of change and improvement. It can also help your family as a whole to make changes if you are all working towards the same goal. For example, it can be hard to stick to your New Year’s resolution to only drink water when the house is full of sugary drinks and sodas for the kids, but if the whole family is aiming to drink only water you can get rid of those sugary drinks altogether.

A new year can lend itself to all sorts of new opportunities for you and your kids. New friends, new activities, and less screen time can all have positive impacts on you and your child’s or children’s lives.  It may be even more important for your kids to make changes for a healthier lifestyle while they are still young, as studies show that healthy children tend to carry those traits into adulthood. Changing their lives now could actually create lasting healthy futures.

Resolutions for Older Kids: Drink water every day Limit soda to once a week Spend only one to two hours a day in front of a screen Be active at least three times a week

One great example is bone density. Typically, bone density growth stops around the age of 21.  So, the amount of calcium your child consumes now can help build that bone density to its full potential so they will be less likely to worry about low bone density later in life.

So what are some resolutions your kids can make? They certainly don’t have to be drastic. Make sure they are obtainable so your child or children aren’t set up for failure. If your child is old enough, let them write their own resolutions with just a little help or direction from you. If your child is younger, simply talk through what their resolutions will be and why they are important. Make sure it’s something they can see the value in as well.

Resolutions for You: Be active with your kids Try to cut down on stress and anxiety Prepare healthy meals

Finally, with resolutions come rewards! We lose weight so that we can fit into that new pair of jeans, right? That same concept can work with your kids. Just make sure that the reward is always appropriate! For example, some things should just be expected (like brushing their teeth) and therefore shouldn’t receive a huge reward. However, other things like actively playing for 60 minutes three times a week is a great achievement that can be appropriately rewarded.

Other articles we like on kids' resolutions:

• http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2011/12/new_year_resolution/
• http://blog.gummylump.com/
• http://www.rewardcharts4kids.com/new-years-resolutions-for-kids/

Want another resource to help your kids evaluate 2013 and plan for an even better 2014? Check out the worksheet on the next page!