Making New Year's Resolutions with your children

For many of us, the New Year means it's time to take stock of our lives and fix what we don't like. Whether it's our diet, exercise routine or tendency to procrastinate, there is always room for improvement in the coming year. We not only benefit from New Year's resolutions; our children can also learn a lot about self-discipline and the value of making goals. Here are some tips on how to help your kids benefit from making resolutions.

Make It a Family Activity
The best way to teach your children the importance of New Year's resolutions is by making it part of the family tradition. Sit down and reflect on the past year, discussing your accomplishments and goals, as individuals and as a family. In your resolution conversation you can each talk about what worked last year and what didn't.

Dr. Benjamin Siegel, professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, suggests saying, "Each one of us is going to state a few things that we want to continue to do and things we'd like to change that would make us feel better about ourselves and how our family works."

Each family member gets a turn sharing something they are proud of and something they want to improve. It may help for parents to go first, to give children a model. If your child is old enough to write, he or she should write down their accomplishments and goals, and you can help your younger child by writing theirs down.

Resolutions for the entire family might include taking a monthly hike, playing board games twice a month or committing to more volunteering activities. Try to limit the number so they are more doable and more meaningful. "A list of 100 things is impossible," Siegel says. “It should be based on things that are doable without economic hardship."

You can make a master list to hang in a public spot, like a bulletin board in the kitchen. Dr. Kathleen Clarke-Pearson, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, suggests making a resolution box, in which each family member can drop in his or her resolutions, then pull them out at a later date to review them.

We all know the feeling of meeting a goal, whether it be losing five kgs, quitting smoking or putting in extra hours to earn a promotion. Children also relish that thrill of accomplishment, especially when their parents are acknowledging it. As you go over the family list of resolutions each month or quarter, take time to acknowledge the successes, along with reinforcing the resolutions that need more attention. "Children will benefit by having the parent praise them, which will improve their self-esteem," Siegel says. "This will help them with self-regulatory behaviors that they can integrate into being a healthy adult."

When you sit down to review resolutions, this is not time for punishment, however. It's important to be flexible and understanding, especially if the child is making the effort. "You don't penalize if you don't fulfill a resolution," Clarke-Pearson says. "The resolution is not written in stone. It's a guide."

However your family arrives at resolutions, the best part is that you're doing it together and learning how to manage your role not only in the family but also in the larger world.

Article by : www.pbs.org

Other articles you might be interested in:

How mothers can balance work and family

All natural cold and cough remedies

12 Things no one ever tells you about babies

How to choose a sport for your child

5 Mistakes parents make with teens and tweens