Healthy New Year's Resolutions for Kids

In addition to your own New Year's resolutions, this year, how about helping your kids, even your preschoolers and younger school-age kids, come up with some New Year's Resolutions?
With the rise in childhood obesity, continued parental complaints about discipline and behavior problems, and continued teen problems, such as drug and alcohol use, some New Year's Resolutions to be healthy might be a good idea.
Each year, the American Academy of Pediatrics makes it easy by providing these 20 healthy New Year's resolutions for kids, which you might talk to your child about trying, depending on their age:
Resolutions for Preschoolers
Even preschoolers can get in the act of making New Year's resolutions, including:

• I will clean up my toys.
• I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
• I won't tease dogs — even friendly ones. I will avoid being bitten by keeping my fingers and face away from their mouths.

Resolutions for School-Age Kids
School-age kids will likely have an easy time coming up with their own New Year's resolutions, such as:

• I will drink milk and water and limit soda and fruit drinks.
• I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors. I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I'm playing sports.
• I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week!
• I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.
• I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I'll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
• I'll be nice to other kids. I'll be friendly to kids who need friends — like someone who is shy or is new to my school
• I'll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet. Also, I'll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without my parent's permission.

Resolutions for Teens
They may think they are too cool, but teens can make some New Year's resolutions too:

• I will eat at least one fruit and one vegetable every day, and I will limit the amount of soda I drink.
• I will take care of my body through physical activity and nutrition.
• I will choose non-violent television shows and video games, and I will spend only one to two hours each day — at the most — on these activities.
• I will help out in my community — through volunteering, working with community groups or by joining a group that helps people in need.
• I will wipe negative "self-talk" (i.e. "I can't do it" or "I'm so dumb") out of my vocabulary.
• When I feel angry or stressed out, I will take a break and find constructive ways to deal with the stress, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal or discussing my problem with a parent or friend.
• When faced with a difficult decision, I will talk with an adult about my choices.
• I will be careful about whom I choose to date, and always treat the other person with respect and without coercion or violence.
• I will resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol

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