New Year’s Resolutions for You and Your Family

Happy New Year! We hope your 2023 is off to a great start. You may already have your new year’s resolutions written out, but if you don’t, we have a few suggestions to help you start the year off great. Check out the ideas below if you’re looking for a few goals to add to your resolution list.

Healthy Eating:

Even the healthiest eater can indulge in too many holiday goodies. It’s ok; we’ve all been there. With the new year upon us, eating healthy is one of the most popular resolutions. If you are setting this goal for yourself, consider including your child, or your entire household, in your healthy eating journey. Not only will the benefit of healthier eating positively impact your entire family, but you will also find it simpler to maintain your resolution without the increased temptation of having unhealthy foods in your home. In addition, maintaining a healthy diet will improve both your and your child’s physical health and cognitive development.

Fitness and Exercise:

Fitness and healthy eating tend to accompany one another when it comes to new year’s resolutions. A healthier diet is complemented by incorporating exercise into your daily routine. If you are adding fitness to your resolution list this year, consider including your kids in your daily exercise routine. The CDC recommends that children between ages 3 and 5 maintain a healthy level of physical activity while playing. Children ages 6 to 17 should include 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity in their daily routine. All physical activity counts toward the daily 60-minute goal, but your child may be more likely to continue with the activity if it is one that they enjoy. Finding a sport they enjoy or taking them for a bike ride are fun and easy ways to incorporate exercise into their daily routine. There are numerous benefits that fitness and exercise will have on you and your children, such as an improvement in memory and attention, increased happiness, and healthy blood sugar levels.

Personal Development:

Setting high expectations and goals for ourselves as we enter the new year can be easy. But as our burst of energy and motivation to achieve these goals fades, we are left feeling defeated. So instead of setting multiple challenging goals, focus on one or two areas in your life and your child’s life that you would like to enrich. Perhaps you would like to spend more time reading together. You can achieve this goal by setting aside 30 minutes each night before bed to read with your child.

Another great enrichment area would be setting aside time to cook together. Plan one to two nights every month where you and your child plan a meal, shop, and prepare the meal together. You will be teaching your child structure and discipline with an activity that yields an immediate reward. Furthermore, you will be cultivating a skill they will utilize for life. This is a great goal to set, as it will help you achieve your healthy eating resolution as well.

The Children’s Wellness Center team is excited to be a part of your resolution journey, and we are here to help you set and achieve new year’s goals with you and your kids. If you need any assistance with starting the year on a healthy note, schedule an appointment with your pediatrician or pediatric nurse practitioner. For more health tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook.