Helping Children with Healthy Resolutions

Here are some ideas to help children create some healthy new year resolutions:

1.  Help children identify a habit or routine that they would like to change.  Only pick one habit or action to focus on that they would like to change.  Perhaps it is to reduce the number of times they participate in a bad habit.  For example, instead of watching television for 2 hours straight without moving, reduce the amount of time to one hour of television.

2.  Encourage children to define a new, healthy goal to achieve during the new year.  Offer some suggestions such as: participating in 30 extra minutes of physical activity per day, eating an additional serving of vegetables per day, exercise during commercials, etc.

3.  Try a new leisure activity that will increase their physical activity time weekly.  Try to think of an activity they can complete on their own without adult.  Use the local library or school library as a resource to teach themselves a new skill.  Rent a video or watch You Tube to learn a new skill such as yoga, tai chi or Zumba.  If available at your school, suggest joining intramurals to test out a new sport.

4.  Create a collaborative poster of healthy resolution ideas.  Print and add to the poster at YourTherapySource.com pictured above.  Children can add their own resolutions or write their names next to ones that are already on the paper.  Save it and see how everyone does when next year rolls around.