We’ve once again reached that time of year when people take a look at their lives and try to figure out whether they are meeting their own personal goals and if not what they are going to change and how. New Year’s resolutions are nothing new. The tradition began in the 18th century BC, when the Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year. Millions of people carry on with the tradition today and many have great results saying goodbye to old habits and embracing new more positive approaches to living. We’ve put together some New Year’s resolutions for the whole family so everyone can be involved.
New year’s resolutions for kids
As a parent, you are continually helping your children achieve goals in every aspect of their lives. Encouraging them in making New Year’s resolutions is a good way to reinforce some of the behaviours you have already been trying to instil and to further develop some excellent character traits. So how do you approach resolutions without everyone wanting to give up after the first couple of days?
Pick age-appropriate goals
It’s important to choose goals that are suitable for the age of the child. Toddlers can be encouraged to pick up toys and put them away after playing, while tweens can be persuaded to wear a bike helmet every time they go on a bike.
Be realistic
If the goal is not realistic, the child will not be successful. Make sure that the goal is actually possible given the child’s current age, development and other circumstances. If it is currently too daunting, maybe reduce it to more manageable tasks. Alternatively, instead of picking one specific goal, you could aim for a selection of positive new life experiences throughout the year, such as trying a different vegetable or type of food, reading a particular book, or trying a new sport or other activity, etc.
Encourage tenacity
Using a reward chart can work well in getting young children to stick to a resolution they have set. Younger kids respond well to small, frequent rewards, but it can also help in encouraging older children to remain on track. For older age groups try setting longer-term targets with a larger reward at the end.
Lead by example
If your children see you trying to stick to your resolution, they are more likely to persevere too. If your own goals are along similar lines, such as trying to exercise more frequently, then try to do things in parallel. Why not go for a jog while your son or daughter is at football training?
New year’s resolutions for pets
Making resolutions on behalf of your pets is also good practice. It can help them to lead longer, more fulfilling lives and can further increase the bonds between dog and owner. Again, typical resolutions like increasing exercise levels (see our post Winter activities with your dog: why getting active will change your life) and reducing caloric intake are worthwhile goals to set. If you already give your dog plenty of exercise, have plenty of interaction with other dogs, and don’t have any dietary concerns etc, there may be other areas of your pet’s life that could be improved in the coming year. Have you considered whether your dog sits in a sensible location in your vehicle during car rides? If the answer to that is no, then maybe installing a vehicle-specific guard to keep him securely positioned on a journey would be a good, positive change in your dog’s life.
New year’s resolutions for you
Unless you choose a resolution for yourself that is realistic, you aren’t going to persist for very long, if at all. Pick one aspect of your life that you really want to improve. Look at achieving your goal in workable, attainable segments. An example could be if you want to lose some weight. Break it down into a target of a small amount of weight per week. This can be achieved by doing specific activities, such as walking every morning, within that time frame. Reward systems aren’t just for kids, give yourself little treats along the way for goals achieved. Equally, don’t lose heart if you don’t quite meet your target. You may need to tweak what you are doing, but keep at it.
Do you have any tips or hints for sticking to New Year’s resolutions? We’d love to hear them. As for my resolutions? Enriching my vocabulary with a new word a week is one of my personal goals. Blog readers, you have been forewarned!
