New Years Resolutions to Get Kids Writing: A Tool for Reflection, Growth, and Emotional Development

As the year comes to a close and a new one begins, people all over the world take a moment to reflect on the past year and set new year’s resolutions for the upcoming one, embracing the excitement of new beginnings. Among adults, New Year’s resolutions are a common tradition, a time to evaluate personal growth and make goals for self-improvement. However, this practice of setting resolutions can be just as valuable for children, offering them an opportunity to reflect on their behaviours, attitudes, and habits while developing essential emotional and social skills. Encouraging kids to write New Year’s resolutions not only helps them engage in self-reflection, but also allows them to express their thoughts and feelings through writing, an important developmental activity that fosters emotional intelligence. Here, we will explore the importance of kids writing New Year’s resolutions, how it benefits their emotional and social growth, and the positive impact it can have on their behaviour, attitudes, and overall development.

Why Year’s Resolutions Matter for Kids

New Year’s resolutions are an excellent way to encourage children to develop essential skills such as responsibility, self-discipline, and determination. By setting goals and making resolutions, kids can make positive changes in their lives and develop a sense of purpose and direction. Year’s resolutions can also help children build confidence and self-esteem, as they work towards achieving their goals and celebrate their successes. Moreover, making resolutions can help kids develop a growth mindset and a love of learning, as they strive to improve themselves and acquire new skills. For instance, a child who resolves to read more books can enhance their reading skills and comprehension, while another who aims to be more organised can learn valuable time management skills. These resolutions not only foster personal growth but also instil a lifelong habit of setting and achieving goals.

Preparing Kids for a New Year’s Resolution

Before making a New Year’s resolution, it’s essential to prepare kids for the process. Start by discussing the concept of resolutions and their importance. Encourage children to reflect on the past year and think about what they want to achieve in the year ahead. Help them identify areas where they’d like to improve, such as reading skills, exercise, or spending more time with family and friends. Encourage kids to brainstorm ideas and make a list of potential resolutions. This will help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. For example, you might ask them to think about what they enjoyed most in the past year and what they found challenging. This reflection can guide them in setting meaningful and achievable goals for the new year.

Setting Effective Goals with Kids

When setting goals with kids, it’s crucial to make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Encourage children to set goals that are challenging yet attainable, and provide them with the necessary support and resources to achieve them. Help kids break down large goals into smaller, manageable tasks, and encourage them to track their progress. This will help them develop a sense of motivation and perseverance. Additionally, encourage kids to make their goals positive and focused on what they want to achieve, rather than what they want to avoid. For instance, instead of saying, “I will stop watching TV so much,” they could set a goal like, “I will spend 30 minutes each day reading a book.” This positive framing can make the goal more appealing and easier to stick to.

The Value of Reflection for Kids

One of the most valuable aspects of setting year’s resolutions is the opportunity for reflection. When kids take time to think about their behaviours, attitudes, and choices over the past year, they can develop a greater sense of self-awareness. At a young age, children may not always be able to articulate their emotions or identify the ways their actions impact others. Writing new year’s resolutions encourages them to pause and evaluate their actions, which can be an enlightening process for them. Reflection helps children understand their strengths and areas for growth, leading them to recognise patterns in their behaviour and attitude.

For example, a child might realise that they tend to lose their temper easily or that they struggle with completing homework on time. Through reflection, children can gain clarity about how their actions affect their relationships, productivity, and sense of well-being. This newfound self-awareness is a crucial building block for emotional growth. It teaches children that their behaviours are not fixed; they have the ability to make changes and improve themselves over time.

This process of reflection and goal-setting is important because it gives children the tools to identify areas in their life that they want to improve, whether those are related to habits, behaviour, attitudes, or skills. Having the ability to reflect on their actions helps them understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, allowing them to make more thoughtful and intentional decisions in the future.

Developing Emotional Intelligence Through Writing New Year’s Resolutions

Writing New Year’s resolutions provides children with an opportunity to develop their emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognise and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the ability to understand and relate to the emotions of others. Writing allows children to reflect on their feelings and express them in a constructive way.

When children write resolutions, they are engaging in a year’s resolution activity that forces them to articulate what they want to improve, whether it’s managing frustration, being kinder to others, or learning to deal with disappointment in a healthier way. By framing these resolutions in a positive, growth-oriented light, children can begin to build a language for their emotions and gain a better understanding of how to regulate their feelings.

For instance, if a child’s resolution is to “be more patient with my little sister,” they are learning not only the value of patience, but also how to navigate frustration and other emotions that might arise in the process. Through writing and reflecting on their feelings, children start to develop a deeper understanding of how their emotions affect their actions. This awareness gives them the tools to make more intentional choices about how they express themselves and interact with others.

Writing about resolutions also provides an opportunity for children to set realistic goals. Encouraging children to break down their goals into smaller, achievable steps helps them avoid feeling overwhelmed by the process of change. For example, if a child wants to become better at managing anger, a resolution like “I will count to 10 when I feel angry” is a manageable step toward that goal. Writing these small, achievable steps gives kids a sense of control over their emotions and behaviours, which can boost their self-esteem and confidence.

Encouraging Growth and Positive Attitudes Through Goal Setting

Writing New Year’s resolutions encourages children to adopt a growth mindset—the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed over time through effort, learning, and persistence. Instead of viewing mistakes or challenges as failures, children learn to see them as opportunities for growth. A growth mindset fosters a positive attitude toward learning and improvement, which is crucial for children as they navigate various challenges throughout their lives.

For example, a child who resolves to “try harder at school and not give up when things get tough” is actively choosing to embrace challenges and keep working toward improvement. This mindset promotes resilience and perseverance, which are critical life skills. Children who develop a growth mindset are more likely to approach problems with determination, knowing that they can improve their abilities through effort and persistence.

Furthermore, when children are encouraged to write their year’s resolutions, they are prompted to think about what they can do to improve their habits in specific areas of their lives. Whether it’s improving relationships with family members, learning new skills, or developing healthier habits, writing resolutions helps children understand that self-improvement is a continuous process. Instead of setting unrealistic, vague goals, they can create clear, actionable plans to work toward improvement over time.

Improving Self-Discipline and Responsibility

Setting a new year’s resolution also helps children develop important life skills, such as self-discipline and responsibility. When kids set specific goals for themselves, they are taking ownership of their actions and learning how to manage their time, energy, and focus. For example, a child might resolve to “do my homework every day before playing video games.” This is a clear resolution that teaches the child the importance of prioritizing tasks and sticking to a routine.

By writing down their resolutions, children are not only reinforcing their commitment to the goals they set, but they are also developing an internal sense of accountability. Writing resolutions serves as a reminder of their intentions, helping them stay focused and motivated. Additionally, as children work toward their resolutions throughout the year, they experience the satisfaction of seeing their progress, which can reinforce positive behaviours and a sense of accomplishment.

As children work on self-discipline through resolutions, they are also learning the importance of taking responsibility for their actions. Instead of blaming external factors for their difficulties or challenges, children learn to recognise their role in shaping their experiences and outcomes. This sense of responsibility can help them feel empowered and more capable of managing their own lives as they grow older.

Developing Writing and Communication Skills

In addition to the emotional and behavioural benefits, writing a New Year’s resolution provides valuable opportunities for children to develop their writing skills. Writing down their thoughts, feelings, and goals allows children to practice organizing their ideas, using appropriate vocabulary, and expressing themselves clearly, which can also enhance their comprehension skills. This type of reflective writing can be particularly beneficial for younger children who are just beginning to learn how to communicate effectively in writing.

The process of writing resolutions encourages children to think critically about what they want to achieve, how they can break down their goals into smaller, manageable steps, and how they can express their desires in writing. As they reflect on their goals and behaviours, they also have the chance to practice self-editing and revising their writing. These skills are crucial for academic success and help children build confidence in their ability to express themselves clearly.

For older children or those who are already proficient in writing, New Year’s resolutions can serve as a more in-depth writing exercise. They can focus on writing detailed, well-thought-out resolutions that require them to think about their long-term goals and the steps needed to achieve them. This kind of reflective writing can also enhance their ability to write persuasively, as they work on communicating why their goals matter and how they plan to achieve them.

Writing Prompts for Goal-Setting

Writing prompts can be an excellent way to help kids set goals and make resolutions. Here are some prompts to get you started:

• What do I want to achieve in the new year?
• What are my strengths and weaknesses, and how can I use them to achieve my goals?
• What are some things I’d like to improve about myself or my life?
• What are some goals I’ve set in the past, and how can I build on them?
• What are some things I’m looking forward to doing in the new year?

These prompts can help kids develop their critical thinking and writing skills, while also encouraging them to reflect on their goals and aspirations. By writing down their thoughts, children can clarify their intentions and create a clear plan for the year ahead. This exercise not only enhances their writing abilities but also helps them articulate their desires and motivations.

Making Goal-Setting a Family Affair

Making goal-setting a family affair can be a great way to encourage kids to develop a sense of responsibility and accountability. Involve the whole family in the process of setting goals and making resolutions, and encourage everyone to support and encourage each other. Create a bulletin board or a vision board to display your goals and track your progress. This can be a fun and interactive way to make goal-setting a family activity. Additionally, consider setting aside time each week to discuss your goals and progress, and provide support and encouragement to each other. This can help create a sense of teamwork and camaraderie, and encourage kids to develop essential skills such as communication, empathy, and problem-solving. For example, during family meetings, each member can share their achievements and challenges, fostering a supportive environment where everyone feels motivated to pursue their goals.

How to Encourage Children to Write Their New Year’s Resolutions

1. Make It Fun and Creative: Encourage children to write their resolutions in a way that feels enjoyable and personal. They can decorate their resolutions with drawings, colours, or collages. You could even turn the process into a family activity where everyone shares their goals for the year. Consider using a bulletin board to display and track these resolutions, providing a visual reminder and enhancing engagement.
2. Set Realistic and Achievable Goals: Help children choose resolutions that are specific, realistic, and achievable to encourage students to set and achieve their goals. For example, instead of setting a vague goal like “be better at school,” suggest a more specific goal like “read for 15 minutes every day after school.”
3. Break Goals Into Smaller Steps: Encourage children to break down their larger goals into smaller, more manageable steps. This can help them feel more confident and less overwhelmed by the process of change.
4. Celebrate Progress: Throughout the year, celebrate progress and milestones along the way. When children achieve a small step toward their resolution, praise them for their effort and growth. This reinforcement can motivate them to continue working toward their goals.

 

Encouraging children to write New Year’s resolutions is not just about setting goals—it’s about providing them with a valuable opportunity for reflection, growth, and self-expression. By taking the time to think about their behaviours, attitudes, and goals, children can develop emotional intelligence, self-discipline, and a growth mindset. Writing resolutions also provides them with important writing experience, helping them develop their communication skills while fostering a deeper understanding of themselves and their emotions.

As children reflect on the past year and set intentions for the future, they learn that self-improvement is an ongoing process that requires effort, reflection, and perseverance. Whether it’s improving relationships with others, learning new skills, or becoming more patient, the process of writing New Year’s resolutions teaches children valuable life skills that will serve them well in the years to come. By supporting children in this process, we give them the tools they need to grow into thoughtful, responsible, and self-aware individuals.

Looking to write more than your New Year resolutions? Take a look at our creative writing courses here!