Lower School Division News: Jan. 9, 2025

By Dr. Debra Sass, Lower School Division Head

Dear parents and families,

The start of a new year is a great time to help children focus on forming good habits by teaching them how to make their own resolutions. This exercise gives parents the opportunity to model their own experiences and teaches children how to focus on personal growth. It can be meaningful, as well as fun, to practice these important life skills together.

A New Year’s resolution is really a goal, something we want to achieve and/or instill in ourselves. Jennifer Katzenstein, Ph.D., from the Center for Behavioral Health at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, provides some effective tips to help parents make resolutions with their children.

It's a great idea to think about New Year’s resolutions in a few ways:

• Behaviors you want to become habits
• New opportunities for teamwork as a family
• A fun opportunity to see what your child wants to do in the new year

One key to making sure these are achievable resolutions is making sure that everyone is committed to the challenge. The child should be excited about the endeavor and have some level of independence in choosing the resolution(s). It’s also important to keep resolutions positive, focusing on things we should be doing, not things to avoid.

Just like goals, we should make resolutions that are SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. If your child sets resolutions that are likely to be unachievable, they may miss out on the positive feeling of success and ultimately struggle to reach their goal. This can lead to future avoidance of similar resolutions and goal setting.

Checking in and recognizing what the barriers are to achieving our resolutions is also critical. Families should openly discuss what is hindering success. Children need to learn that there are times when we must focus on forgiving ourselves for faltering or giving up completely. Recovering smoothly in moments like this teaches children problem-solving strategies. The experience gives all of us the opportunity to revise our thinking and find new ways to experience success - which may include adjusting our resolutions a bit. 

Having everyone write out their resolution and post it in a place that is seen every day is another great idea. Some families even record how many days in a row each family member can stay true to their resolution. When they miss a day, they must start again. Whoever has the longest streak each month wins!

But, the most important thing, is sitting down and discussing the activity as a family. A new year is a new start and full of opportunity and possibility.

Suggestions for kid-friendly New Year’s resolutions:

• Perform one random act of kindness per day
• Thank someone every day for something new
• Choose a group or charity to support (on a timeline that is feasible for the family)
• Learn a new vocabulary word every day
• Start a family activity together (game night, craft, etc.)
• Reframe a negative thought every day
• Spend less time on electronics, video games, social media, etc.

Make every moment count,

Dr. Debra Sass