News

A new year is upon us, and it is time for fresh starts and resolutions! As you try to keep the promises you have made to eat better, quit smoking, or learn a new skill, consider including your children in this ritual. Creating New Year’s resolutions is a great way for Quincy elementary students to learn about setting and achieving goals.

Discover how private schools in Quincy help elementary students to strive for excellence.

Benefits of resolutions

New Year’s resolutions are often a source of stress for adults, so why would we wish them on our children? The reality is that with the right amount of parental guidance, New Year’s resolutions present an opportunity for children to learn some valuable skills and lessons:

Identify areas they need to improve in
Create a list of skills they want to learn
Make a child-sized bucket list of places they would like to see or visit
Brainstorm actionable things they can do to solve problems
Track success at meeting their goals
Encourage family time to work together on goals
Increased confidence from a job well done!
 

Reasonable resolutions for kids

Just like with adults, students in private schools in Quincy see the most success with realistic resolutions. Setting goals that are too lofty may result in disappointment and discouragement. Though your children should make their resolutions, you can guide them towards attainable and positive goals such as:

Performing one act of kindness per day or week
Learning a new word every day
Keeping their room clean
Less screen time
Establishing a family night once a week
Use less plastic
Conserve water by taking shorter showers or turning faucets off when brushing teeth
Volunteer in the community as individuals or as a family
 

Set your kids up for resolution success

Adults often fall short of their expectations about New Year’s resolutions for a variety of reasons. Parents can spare their children this kind of frustration by anticipating potential obstacles and creating solutions built-in:

Post resolutions someplace visible for a daily reminder of goals. Let your child draw pictures of their goals or write them in paint or colorful marker
Help your child to frame their resolutions in a way that sounds fun rather than like a chore
Focus on progress, not perfection: If your child slips back to old habits, remind them of their successes
Gently remind your child about their resolutions and check in with them without nagging
Make sure each resolution is actionable, and let your child brainstorm ideas on how to achieve each goal. For example, instead of resolving to simply eat healthier, your child can try to replace soft drinks with water at dinnertime or eat only fruits and vegetables for snacks at school
Find a fun way to track progress, like making a chart with stars and allowing for little treats when reaching smaller goals
Creating some resolutions to attain as a family and some to accomplish individually
 

 Remember, the most important thing is to have fun! Don’t be afraid to change goals if the current resolutions are putting too much pressure on your child. Ring in the New Year full of hope!

Learn more about private schools in Quincy for your elementary school student.