Children's Health

Should Children Make New Year’s Resolutions?

Spectrum Health Offers Advice to Parents

As 2013 approaches, people around the world are readying their goals for the New Year. From quitting smoking, to losing weight to saving money – the good intentions are in full swing, at least for awhile.

According to research published by the American Psychological Association, 60 percent of people who make resolutions each year break them within six months. So if adults struggle to stick to their goals, are New Year’s resolutions a good idea for children?

Adelle Cadieux, PsyD, a pediatric psychologist at Spectrum Health’s Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, thinks that they can be, with some precautions.

“Setting goals, even at an early age, can be a good thing,” said Cadieux. “There can be many benefits to this kind of planning, whether or not the goal is attained in the long run.”

Some good ideas for appropriate resolutions for children include playing outside more often, reading a book a week, trying new (healthy!) foods or remembering to say please and thank you.

Cadieux advises parents who want to encourage their young children to make New Year’s resolutions to:

  • Consider the child’s developmental stage and age
  • Make the goal specific and attainable – like making the bed every day
  • Make it something they want to achieve as this is supposed to be their goal, not yours.
  • Be specific about the steps needed to achieve the goal with your child so that they know how to be successful
  • Establish a way to track progress, maybe a chart or calendar hung on the refrigerator
  • Make sure to use praise and other reinforcements as your child makes steps along the way to their goal
  • Assist children when barriers occur because this is a great time to help teach problem-solving strategies

Cadieux says that this advice is also appropriate for older children – teens and even some pre-teens – but they should develop their own goal-tracking method and parents should only provide support as requested. This allows for more autonomy in the older child, which is important.

Parents should not punish a child for failing or giving up on their resolutions.

“Punishment greatly decreases the likelihood that they will accomplish their goals,” warned Cadieux.

All in all, making New Year’s resolutions can be a very positive experience for children.

“It’s a great way to start your child thinking about who he wants to be and what she wants to accomplish. Every little victory should be celebrated.”

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of nine hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a state of the art children’s hospital that opened in January 2011, and 140 service sites; the Spectrum Health Medical Group and West Michigan Heart, physician groups totaling more than 700 providers; and Priority Health, a health plan with 600,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with 19,000 employees. The organization provided $204 million in community benefit during its 2012 fiscal year.