Helping your Kids Set New Year’s Resolutions

We all have things we want to improve about ourselves. Top of the list for many of us is to lose weight and exercise more. And we often resolve to start fresh as the New Year rolls round. So how about involving your kids in setting their New Year’s Resolution this year? Do you need some ideas for areas they can explore for setting their resolution?

Here are some tips to get you started:

Cut down on sugar: resolve to eat less sweets and drink less sugary drinks, and introduce more healthy eating habits, such as drinking milk with dinner and eating fruits and vegetables every day.

Get studying: setting better study and homework habits. If you haven’t already, set up a dedicated and quiet space where your kids can study in peace. Make homework a priority and ask your child how you can help them be more involved in setting their academic goals.

Less screen time and more reading: come to an agreement of what is a healthy amount of time to watch TV, go on the computer and use mobile devices. Some families use screen time as a reward for completing chores, homework and other tasks. Most important is to set a daily time limit.

Exercise: daily activity is the aim of the game. Carving out time each day for running around and having fun, be it in organized sports or a visit to the local play park, exercise is important for a healthy body.

More organization: keeping your room tidy, helping out with chores, organize your work, schedule their daily activities, including extracurricular, homework, screen time, chores, etc. Once they get in the habit of planning their own time they’ll understand better how much time they need to dedicate to each task and take more responsibility for completing them.

Get more sleep: getting enough sleep increases energy and boosts concentration for the next day. Encourage reading before bedtime, rather than stimulating activities, such as video games.

We hope this list inspires some good discussions. All that remains to say is a Happy New Year from us at K5 and we wish you a happy and successful 2014.