making new year's resolutions with your kids

New Year’s Resolutions are a time-honored tradition that help people start their year off right. Dayton Children’s Pediatric Psychologist, Dr. Maximillian Tokarsky says that New Year’s Resolutions are actually a great way to take care of one’s mental health.

“Poor mental health says ‘I’m not good enough’ but making and achieving goals actively disproves this," shared Dr. Tokarsky. 

You can start the New Year mentally well with your children by following these three simple steps to making the perfect New Year’s Resolutions. Then, put it into practice with our free On Our Sleeves Goals Guide!

step 1:  make it fun  

Set aside undistracted time to come up with your New Year’s resolutions and allow your child to go wild with creativity.

As parents, we know that setting goals and resolutions are an important and positive task for our children. But to a child, setting goals may simply feel like a chore. A child who is not excited to participate is less likely to stick with and achieve their goals. So find ways to have the discussion and make the process fun. 

step 2: make it simple  

Set SMART goals and pick just a few goals (1-3) to focus on. 

Wanting to improve is the easy part, learning how to achieve that personal improvement can be a bit more difficult. Setting goals to become better at something is easier when these goals are SMART. That means the goal is 

specific 

measurable 

attainable 

relevant and  

time-based

Choosing SMART goals will increase the likelihood of success in achieving the goals and also make the journey of improvement more beneficial. Picking a goal that is too hard will lead to a lack of motivation and discouragement. Picking a goal that is too easy will not challenge your child and won’t actually lead to positive mental health.  

“Find that sweet spot in between to make sure that [your child] is set up for success," says Dr. Tokarsky. 

Limiting the number of goals to work on is also important. Anywhere between one and three goals is fine; one is best, and no more than three.  

step 3: make it worth it 

Achieving goals feels even better when there is a reward waiting.

When setting resolutions, don’t forget to agree on a positive reward that matches the work put in to achieve the goal. As your child progresses in their goal setting, consider smaller rewards along the way as motivators. And finally, when the goal is achieved, follow through with the reward! Focus on being the greatest cheerleader for your child and shy away from using negativity as a motivator. Being there for your child to encourage and motivate them through the journey will help you to connect, strengthen their resiliency and have a positive impact on their mental health.   

get started with the free Goals Guide!

Starting the year off with setting goals and looking towards a more positive future is a great way for parents and children to bond and for families to focus on mental health. At the end of the day it is important for parents to not be overly invested in the outcome, but instead, focus on the journey and the positive connections.  

Begin that journey here with the On Our Sleeves Goals Guide.  You can print it out and fill it in with your kids to remind you of your New Year's Resolutions. 

Want to learn more? Join the On Our Sleeves movement!

For more content like this downloadable Goals Guide, join the On Our Sleeves movement. Kids don’t wear their thoughts on their sleeves. Help us break the stigma and gives kids a voice. Join the movement for children’s mental health.

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