Mobile phones, tablets and computers can be great, but it is important to let your children know that they are not the be all and end all. Device-free time zones are great for introducing family time into a daily routine, allowing your kids time to talk about their day, get involved in a conversation or play outdoors.

For children of a younger age, electronic devices can become a magnet and it’s important to let them have this time but restrict it to a sensible level. Breakfast, dinner time or an hour in the evening are all great times to introduce ‘phone-free’ times, especially before the wind down before bed.

With the excitement of the festivities and the new year soon to be over, the appearance of 2019 gives you the perfect opportunity to not only set yourself some resolutions but to get your kids in on the act too. Set them goals, plans and let them create a path for their future. We tend to be far too ambitious and set our sites exceptionally high, so we have come up with a list of our favourite resolutions for kids that won’t cost you time or money.

Christine Carter PhD spoke to Parents.com and said “They’re old enough to think about what a New Year’s resolution is and to make their own – yet parents can still help guide them”

Eat More Fruit and Vegetables

We are all made aware of the fact that we need to eat more fruit and vegetables, 5 a day in fact. But it’s often hard to persuade them that eating the horrid ‘green stuff’ is a good idea.

There are plenty of ways you can cram vital vitamins and nutrients into their daily routine without them even knowing. Blend up a tasty smoothie in the morning, add a banana to their morning cereal, pack a sweet fruity snack into their lunch box and always serve vegetables at dinner, making sure they actually eat them! It’s all about getting creative with kids, cut snacks into funny shapes and make dinner time into fun games, they’ll soon warm to the thought of eating more helpings.

Joining a Club or Society

Creating an active and healthy lifestyle for your children is important from a young age. Introducing them to out of school activities and clubs is a great way of letting them have fun whilst also keeping them active. Introducing your children to swimming, football or netball clubs among other fun sports is perfect for keeping the fun/active balance.

If time is against you there are plenty of ways your kids can stay active without having to join costly and time-consuming clubs. Walking them to school, taking weekend walks, letting them play in the park and always taking the stairs are great ways of keeping their activity levels high.

We asked Vicki from HonestMum what her favourite kids New Year’s resolutions are: “My top new year's resolution for my kids is self-care. Mental well-being is crucial, and children are under pressure just as adults are. My job is to protect my kids but also encourage them to be resilient and strong, so the emphasis here will be on lots of continued exercise including yoga as well as eating well and having as much fun as possible. That's what childhood is all about!”

Creating Device Free Zones

Mobile phones, tablets and computers can be great, but it is important to let your children know that they are not the be all and end all. Device-free time zones are great for introducing family time into a daily routine, allowing your kids time to talk about their day, get involved in a conversation or play outdoors.

For children of a younger age, electronic devices can become a magnet and it’s important to let them have this time but restrict it to a sensible level. Breakfast, dinner time or an hour in the evening are all great times to introduce ‘phone-free’ times, especially before the wind down before bed.

Family Time

Within any family dynamic, spending time together is crucial to a happy home. Always eat meals together, make time to ask your kids and other members of your family about their day and what they got up to. Inclusion is crucial and will allow your kids to develop their social skills as well as understanding things from a mature aspect.

Making time to partake in activities with family and friends can create a great bond. Drawing, painting, playing board games an getting creative with textures, sights and sounds all enables growth and development.

House Tasks

Setting family tasks to do around the house is another great way of introducing chores into the family environment without having to use the dreaded word. Simple things like packing their own lunches, setting the table, helping with the washing up and dressing themselves are all small, but achievable goals that can easily be met. If the younger members of the family see parents getting involved, they’re going to be inclined to join in too, kids love to pretend they’re adults and doing adult tasks. These skills may seem small, but they’ll soon be learnt and add to your children’s list of life skills too.

Academic Achievements

Their school achievements are a great platform for making resolutions over and offering rewards for any they complete. This is also a brilliant way of getting them excited about doing well at school.

Ask their teachers what realistic achievements you can set them – a certain amount of gold stars, a good grade or even making a new friend are all great targets for them to look towards. Offering them a treat or a reward makes the whole process that bit more exciting and will incline them to do well. Children talk, and this sort of activity is great for them to share with their peers, things like this catch on quickly among younger children.

Academic achievements can also be met in the comfort of the home. Why not set them a reading challenge? Reading is essential to their development and is an easy activity that you can contribute to at home. Sit them down for half an hour and let them read you a chapter of their favourite book or tell you their best story, their imagination can run free!

New Year’s resolutions can be easily met, but when it comes to younger children, they often need that extra bit of encouragement. Their achievements are as much about you or another figure in their life pushing them to do well as it is about them achieving the set goals. Motivation, willingness to get involved and passion for what they’re doing are great attributes to have when allowing your little ones to learn.

They may not be keen, to begin with, but persistence and persuasion are great virtues and they will soon warm to the idea of resolutions, some will even want to set their own in future.

Hiring household staff can also be a great way of introducing routine into their lives, allowing them to also get involved in the resolutions. Find out more about our nanny services today.

Perfect new year’s resolutions for kids