Using the New Year as a tool for wellness and growth for the whole family.
While many think that New Year Resolutions are just for adults who need to fix bad habits, they can also be used as tools for learning, growing and achieving goals for everyone in the family. I asked my sister-in-law what her resolution was, and after telling me hers (to get outside and more active on a daily basis with her kids), she launched into each of my nieces and my nephews goals for 2016 as well. After telling me, I realized for the first time how useful a good resolution could be to teach kids about long-term goals and focus. The deal my sister-in-law set up with her kids is an accountability and rewards system. If each kid works on their resolution each week, she will, in turn, hold up her resolution and take them on a new outdoor adventure at least once a week, trying their hardest never to go to the same place twice (unless they want to). This way, they all work on their resolutions, and they all benefit from them.
Here are some ideas for New Years Resolutions for kids of all ages:
- Age four and under: For my youngest niece she has two goals for 2016, the first is to remember to wash her hands more often after using the bathroom, playing outside, etc. The second is that she is going to work on sharing her toys with her siblings and friends.
- Age five to twelve: For my next oldest niece and my nephew, their goals are to drink more water on a daily basis and to start doing a daily activity or sport such as swimming or learning a new language.
- Teenagers: While my sister-in-law doesn’t have any teenagers yet, together we talked about possible ideas for a teenager New Year resolution and came up with practicing a healthy diet, finding ways to manage stress (sports, art, friends, proper sleep, etc.) and volunteering.
Check back next week to find out about four at-home treatments for chronic neck pain!
