The start of a new year is a perfect time to talk to your child about setting goals and forming healthy habits. Implementing positive changes can be helpful at any age. Spend time as a family to write down resolutions that resonate with your child and talk about how your family can work together to reach the set goals. Here are some healthy New Year’s resolution ideas for kids of all ages.
Preschoolers
It might be hard for little ones ages 3-5 to understand setting goals and sticking to them every day. Instead, smaller, task-oriented goals work well for children in this age group. A reward system like stickers or small treats might also help your preschooler understand what they are working towards. We also like using the MyPlate website
Here are some healthy resolutions that preschoolers can set and work on:
- Trying all of the foods on their plate, even the veggies! As long as they are getting enough to eat, kids don’t necessarily need to eat everything on their plate, but this resolution will encourage them to give new foods a try. Maybe they’ll find a new favorite food!
- Helping to clear their plate and cup from the table when dinner is over.
- Washing hands regularly, especially after going to the bathroom or before eating.
- Brushing their teeth in the morning and before bedtime, with their parent’s help if needed.
- Helping to clean up by putting their toys away where they are supposed to go.
- Being nice to other children.
- Communicating with parents about their feelings.
School-Aged Kids
For kids in kindergarten through middle school, coming up with their own resolutions can be fun and can help them stay motivated.
Here are a few healthy resolutions that school-aged kids can try:
- Buckling their seat belt whenever they get into a vehicle, or asking for help if they can’t reach.
- Practicing safety by always wearing a helmet on a bicycle, scooter, or rollerblades.
- Drinking milk or water every day and keeping fruity or sugary drinks to a minimum.
- Getting outside to play a few times a week. Find an activity or sport that they enjoy and encourage them to be active at least 3 times a week.
- Follow the rules on screen time when watching TV and playing video games.
- Be nice to other kids and ask them to join you in an activity if they seem lonely.
- Never talk to strangers without a parent present and never share personal information with anyone online.
- Picking out a book and setting aside time to read.
- Communicating with parents if they are feeling overwhelmed, upset, or stressed.
Teenagers
Kids ages 13 and up are old enough to decide on their own resolutions, but they might need a little help setting realistic goals and sticking to them. This is a great chance to have a candid conversation with your teens about what they want to achieve and how they want to grow.
Here is some inspiration for your teenager’s healthy resolutions:
- Taking care of their body by practicing a sport or physical activity that they enjoy and eating fruits and vegetables that are good for them.
- Completing chores and helping out around the house before screen time.
- Sticking to house rules on electronics and limiting cell phone, television and video game screen time to 1-2 hours a day.
- Starting a savings account and setting a goal for putting a certain amount away each month.
- Reading at least one book a month.
- Going to bed early and getting 8-10 hours of sleep each night.
- Volunteering and helping in the community. Find an organization or nonprofit that could use extra help and commit a certain number of hours to volunteering there each month.
- Treating peers with kindness and respect.
- Talking to parents when something doesn’t feel right or if they are worried about something.
Make An Appointment
Work together as a family to come up with realistic goals to start this year off right. The start of the new year also means that it might be time to make your child’s next appointment. Give our office a call at (919) 896-7066 to talk to a team member about making an appointment.
At HealthPark Pediatrics, the health and safety of our staff and patients is our top concern. We are taking steps to ensure that you and your child will be safe while visiting our office. This includes using a separate entrance for sick visits, limiting the number of staff and physicians, observing social distancing guidelines, and offering telemedicine visits.
