New Year’s Eve is here once more and, with it, the promise of a new beginning to 2023 and the setting of fresh resolutions. Many children also like take part in new year’s resolutions but what are good goals for children to set and how can you support them? Read on for some recommendations for the year ahead.
Setting realistic goals
Children can sometimes be overambitious, which although an admirable quality, can lead to an unrealistic setting of goals and subsequent disappointment should they not manage to stick to them. Rather than ‘being good every day’, their goal could be to ‘try their best’, or to ‘apologise if they break a rule’. For older children, the aim of ‘revising every day’ could be to ‘plan revision in advance, so I have time for breaks.’ Helping them to set realistic goals can make a huge difference as well as providing important life skills for goal-setting more generally.
Helping them to make their resolution a reality
Children may need support to turn their new year’s resolution into a reality. Some goals will require more adult input than others. For example, if they wish to take up a new hobby, it may need you to help with its organisation. Others however, may require less tangible support than that. Helping them to overcome a fear for example, may simply involve you talking with them about resilience or reading stories about bravery.
New year’s resolution ideas for children
- To ask to be shown how to do something, rather than something being done for them. For example, they could be shown how to change a tyre on their bike, rather than having someone do it for them.
- To always try their best.
- To tackle a fear. For example, having a session at a climbing wall if they’re scared of heights.
- To take up a new hobby – could be anything from dancing to coding!
- To help with a chore around the house (clearly gets parental approval!). Depending on their age, it could be cooking for the family once a week or tidying up their toys at the end of the day.