The New Year has arrived and while we set goals and intentions for ourselves, I think it’s important to teach our children the same. My boys are at the ages now of eight and six where they can learn the importance of responsibility. While I don’t think kids need to set resolutions, there are four things we can begin to teach them about life and how things work!
Number of Books Read for The Year:
Caleb Green took social media by storm in December 2017, when his parents streamed him reading 100 books in a day. Reading is so fundamental and with the influx of technological devices, kids are not reading as much as they used to. How about setting a goal with your kids to read a certain number of books per month, and then eventually for the year. It’s up to you to reward the accomplishment, but I’m sure they will be gratified by just achieving the goal. To not make it feel like an assignment, choose books with topics and characters they have an interest in.
Setting Goals in School:
I don’t know about you but the 2018 second grade isn’t the second grade of my time. The kids seem to be under a lot more pressure academically and socially than we were as kids, or is it me? Maybe there can be a goal we set for the rest of the school year; being the classroom helper, or sitting on the buddy bench at recess to help other kids feel included. Acts of kindness are especially important now with all the elementary aged suicides happening due to bullying.
Money Management:
It’s never too early to teach the value of saving and money management skills. With the start of the new year, it’s the perfect time to get the kids to learn how to save their allowance for the next holiday cycle or for their birthday etc. If they are getting a set allowance for the week, a goal can be set on how much they would like to save for the month. Going a step further, put a jar aside for yourself to show Mommy is saving too. It’s definitely something that can be done as a family.
Chores:
Chores are probably the least favorite of the responsibilities on this list, but it has to be done. Kids should learn the importance of helping around the house and what it takes to keep a home in order. Having two boys, you can imagine how the play area can get in my house. I will start implementing a chore chart for the week, to assist in keeping them and the house organized. Making their beds in the morn, loading the dishwasher after dinner, setting the table, putting away laundry, etc. etc.
I hope these suggestions inspire you to help your children grow and mature this year in more ways than one. What intentions do you all set as a family?
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