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New Years Resolutions are wonderful way to teach our kids how important it is to<br />
continue to set goals no matter how old or young you are. It also lets them know<br />
that you don't ask them to do anything that your not willing to do.<br />
2Keep It Positive<br />
There's a celebratory feeling to setting<br />
goals on New Year's that doesn't exist at<br />
other times of the year. It's about<br />
happiness and tradition! Present it<br />
optimistically: A lot comes from your<br />
tone. If you're putting it in a punishing,<br />
preachy way, they'll be turned off.<br />
Start by going over the positive things<br />
your kids accomplished last year. Instead<br />
of pointing out shortcomings, be the<br />
historian of their previous successes.<br />
Now that you have set the stage ask them<br />
“ "What are some of the great things you<br />
want to do this year?” Build from there.<br />
. 4<br />
Be Specific<br />
The important thing is not to end up with<br />
too many resolutions. We don't want to<br />
teach our kids it's about making a huge<br />
list of resolutions and not following<br />
through, nor do we want them to feel<br />
overwhelmed. So help your child narrow<br />
them down to a couple of things to focus<br />
on. Be specific, and manageable. Vague<br />
but good-sounding resolutions don't<br />
make for change. Encourage goals that<br />
are within their reach, so they don't get<br />
discouraged. Some realistic resolutions<br />
for kids might be "I'm going to keep my<br />
room neater," "I'm going to be a better<br />
friend," "I'm going to read once a<br />
week," or "I'm going to study my spelling<br />
words more." Even these are broad<br />
resolutions that need to be broken down<br />
into do-able, step-by-step pieces. Let<br />
your child make the goals and the steps<br />
to achievement.<br />
way, help figure out another way to get<br />
there. This teaches our youth to not only<br />
set goals but to never give up and figure<br />
out other alternatives to the desired<br />
results.<br />
6Support Each Other<br />
Most importantly do it together and<br />
support each other. Resolutions aren't<br />
easy for anyone. It's a process that many<br />
of us as adults give up on each year..<br />
Just remeber the tradition your creating,<br />
the lessons your teaching and learning<br />
together with your children will always<br />
make it a success.<br />
3Don't Dictate<br />
The first step is to listen, ask them what<br />
they want for themselves. Be open to<br />
what's important to them. It's a great way<br />
to have a meaningful conversation with<br />
your kids and see what they're thinking.If<br />
it's your agenda that's driving the<br />
conversation, you're not listening. Most<br />
kids may need a little guidance. Come up<br />
with three or four broad categories --<br />
such as personal goals, friendship goals,<br />
helping goals, and school goals -- and let<br />
them fill in the specifics. Help your child<br />
clarify goals, and make sure they're ageappropriate<br />
but kids should come up<br />
with resolutions themselves. This is how<br />
they take ownership of their goals and<br />
learn to plan.<br />
5Follow Up & Adjust<br />
Check in periodically but don't worry<br />
about lapses. No big change is ever<br />
accomplished perfectly. If your child isn't<br />
making progress on a resolution, first<br />
affirm how hard it is: Explain some of<br />
your own stumbling blocks for your<br />
resolution. Talk about a solution where<br />
you can assist or challenge each other.<br />
Help them get excited about it again. Of<br />
course, if the plan isn't working, you can<br />
always adjust it. The beauty of letting<br />
kids choose their own goal is that they<br />
want it for themselves. If they lose their
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