Attention spans for children are notoriously small. Christmas? When was that? As adults we are fairly used to making, and breaking, the odd new year’s resolutions. Well, every new year’s resolution. But where we so often fail in discipline, in the sustenance needed for long term resolutions, what does this teach our children? How can we model a positive spin on the tried and kicked to the kerb new years resolution?
For starters we can approach it with fun in mind. What do you love to do the most? Let’s do more of it! What would like to be better at? Let’s do more of it!
And it’s in the doing more of that the humble resolution comes into its own. It can’t do it alone. It needs you to propel it to stardom. And that’s what you can model for your children.
Mummy likes feeling fit. So mummy is going to do more things that keep her feeling that way. What do you like doing? Painting? Riding your bike? Climbing? Then let’s do more of it!
And that’s the key. Don’t make it a chore. That’s why resolutions fail. Make it something fun. Something that is actually adding to the enrichment of life, with the side benefit of physical and mental well-being.
For me, I think my resolution will be to walk more. I seemed to have ground to a halt these last few months and I am really missing the head space and less jiggly skin a good long walk gives you. As for my two year old, her answers will differ on any given day or hour but I’m betting she will say more playing at her beloved park. And why not? It has health benefits, if I don’t forget the hand sanitiser, and it builds her confidence, her physical competence and her sense of self. What else do you need from a new year’s resolution?
They really don’t have to be a thing to hate after a few weeks. They could actually be a thing to love. A thing that has added a quality to your life you might otherwise hadn’t have experienced.
I’m going to begin a tradition of new years resolutions that mean you add something to your life that makes it easier to enjoy, rather than harder to enjoy. Last year was hard enough. This year is going to be better.
Maybe your child found a new hobby, something they really enjoy doing since lockdown, something new they like, creating, baking, reading, bike riding, whatever it is, don’t let life returning to normal post lockdown. Be the reason not to lose that new interest, new passion and instead carve out the time for it. Make it a priority in your child’s week and show your child how important it is to place importance on the things that bring you joy.
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