Help your kids start the new year with a new set of goals!

Every January millions of Americans use the new year as an occasion (or an excuse) to start fresh and make positive changes. Making goals and committing to them enriches your life and those around you. Setting goals as a family can teach valuable lessons to your child, like teamwork, planning, and time management. Plus there’s the added bonus of holding each other accountable.

It's never too early (or late) to start demonstrating to your children how to make commitments and how to set goals. Lead by example.

Goal Setting

Identifying a specific goal is essential. Instead of "I will help around the house" make the goal “I will set the table 5 times a week”.

Stick to goals that are reachable AND quantifiable. For example, if your daughter needs to improve as an athlete, she could set a target of practicing X number of times per week. Instead of focusing on winning or losing, she'll base her accomplishment on getting experience.

Keep the number of goals to a minimum. A long list might be overwhelming and discouraging when the goals aren’t being met.

Set the Right Kind of Healthy Goals:

The most common New Year Resolution for adults is probably the vow to shed those extra pounds, specifically the ones we gained over the holidays. These types of goals set a bad example and can be detrimental to how kids develop confidence and how they feel about their bodies. Instead of focusing on “losing weight”, try focusing on developing healthy habits, like eating all the veggies at dinner or getting 1 hour of exercise a day. Here’s some more goal examples:

Preschoolers

I will clean up my toys every night at 5pm.

I will brush my teeth 2 times each day.

I will wash my hands after I use the restroom and before eating.

Kids (ages 5-12)

I will drink milk and water instead of soda. (Set the number of sodas per day/week that’s right for your family)

I will apply sunscreen before I go play outside.

I will do one act of kindness each day.

I will compliment 1 classmate every day.

I will wear my seatbelt every time I ride in the car.

Youths

I will not use my phone and drive.

I will limit video games to X hours a week.

I will wipe negative "self talk" (for instance "I can't do it" or "I'm so stupid") out of my language.

You get the idea!

Potential Obstacles

Chat with your child about impediments he/she may run into when trying to achieve their goals. Make a "plan for attack" for dealing with the mishaps. Explain that progress isn't generally straight and may have challenging obstacles. Teach your child to welcome any challenges.

Accountability

Make a chart to track progress for the whole family. Put it in a place everyone can see and check in on a regular basis. When a goal is reached make it a celebration. When someone is struggling with their goal, talk about it with the entire family and try to come up with ideas to help move progress. This will make it feel like a team effort.

Set Rewards

Separate the resolution into little goals and rewards. If the goal is to save $100 for a new bicycle, set the little goal at every $25 mark. Rewards can be a one of a kind "spa day" with mom at home, or desert after dinner, or control of the TV for a day.

Remember to keep it simple and short. Don’t forget to follow up on a regular basis! And have fun with it! Above all, we want to instill good habits and create a positive association to goal setting.

Happy New Year!

New Year Resolutions for kids!