20 HEALTHY

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

FOR KIDS

The following New Year tips are from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Please feel free to use them in any print or broadcast story, with appropriate attribution of source.

Preschoolers
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.

Kids, 5- to 12-years-old
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.

Kids, 13-years-old and up
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.
When I notice my friends are struggling or engaging in risky behaviors, I will talk with a trusted adult and attempt to find a way that I can help them.

American Academy of Pediatrics, 12/07

Top 10 New Year's Resolutions

1. Spend more time with Family, Friends and God.
2. Getting Fit and Healthy
3. Loose weight
4. Quit Smoking
5. Enjoy Life More
6. Quit Drinking
7. Get out of Debt
8. Learn Something New
9. Help Others
10. Get Organized

Tips for Making Good New Year's Resolutions

MyGoals.com can help you set goals all types.


Introduction
It’s a stark irony of the Western calendar that the odometer turns over smack dab in the middle of winter—the one time of the year when most people can’t rouse themselves to clean their bathrooms, much less make an ambitious, life-changing, behavioral U-turn. If you’re the type who likes to ring in the New Year with an engraved list of resolutions, read on for hints about how best to keep them.

Steps:

1. Step One
Aim low. It goes without saying that most New Year’s resolutions are easier announced (or written) than done—but if you set the bar too high, you’re doomed from the start. Instead of a sweeping declaration like “I will lose 30 pounds by April and finally fit into that dress,” target a goal that’s more attainable, like losing 10 or 15 pounds.

2. Step Two
Don’t overload yourself. It’s difficult enough for the average person to follow through on one ambitious New Year’s resolution; why on earth would you saddle yourself with three or four? Choose the most pressing issue at hand—losing weight, finding a girlfriend, improving your relationship with your parents—and concentrate on that. Trying to do everything simultaneously practically guarantees failure across the board.

3. Step Three
Tell everyone you know. One school of thought says that New Year’s resolutions are best kept to oneself, but look at it this way: the more people to whom you announce your resolution (say, to get out of your dead-end job by spring), the more people there’ll be to prod you along if you fall behind. There’s no shame in seeking help if you can’t accomplish your resolution on your own.

4. Step Four
Reward yourself. Following through on a New Year’s resolution is rarely easy, so a little Pavlovian conditioning goes a long way. If you’ve resolved to shop less, stroke yourself for not buying those shoes by springing for a steaming hot cappucino at the mall. If you’ve resolved to be nicer to people, buy yourself a nice jacket after enduring that tedious cocktail party without delivering any insults.

5. Step Five
Wait until spring. Sometimes the best way to accomplish a New Year’s resolution is to make it at a time of year of your choosing, rather than the one dictated by the calendar. May 1 is a good alternate date, since the change of season will neatly coincide with the change you’re hoping to accomplish in yourself.

Tips & Warnings
Don't sweat the setbacks; persistence is the key.
Register with an e-mail reminder service to keep you committed (see Related Sites), or set yourself a reminder on eHow.com.