Helping Your Kids Set Happy Healthy New Year's Resolutions

Ahhhh January the 1st. That magical day when adults vow that from now on, they’ll rise at 5am, quit alcohol and sugar and become a brand-new, much improved person by the end of the month.

What we don’t do, is look at our children (whose body composition is now 99% chocolate, lazing around in their Christmas PJ’s with an Xbox controller or Nintendo Switch glued to their hand) and think ‘Now is the time to introduce the concept of goal-setting!’

But the fact is, we may be missing a trick. New Year’s resolutions can be great for kids. However if not executed correctly they can also become a source of eye-rolls, back chat and emotional meltdowns over a too empty reward sticker chart.

The trick is to keep resolutions light, positive and most of all… fun.

Here are some top tips to help your kids set resolutions that support their happiness and health, without sucking all the joy out of January.

●      Lower the stakes (nope, even lower)

Your child, I’m sure you’d agree, does not need to reinvent themselves. They’re perfect just as they are right?

When setting resolutions, skip anything that sounds like self-improvement. Think ‘what would you like to try more of this year?’ rather than ‘what do you need to work on this year?’

Make their resolutions an adventure, rather than a KPI review!

●      Let them choose their own goals (no matter how random)

Kids, like us adults, are so much more likely to stick with goals they’ve picked themselves.

If your 7 year old decides 2026 is the year they want to stroke more cats/learn how to whistle/eat toast every morning… embrace it! It’s a good opportunity for you to show you support them unconditionally. Resist suggesting resolutions for them that you think would be appropriate. Let them have lots of autonomy.

●      Remember that health isn’t just about vegetables and exercise

Of course moving our bodies and nourishing them with good food, matters greatly. But your kids’ wellbeing is bigger than broccoli.

Encourage resolutions that support emotional, mental and social health. Think along the lines of ‘Talk about my feelings more’, or ‘Take a time-out from screens to play with my friends in person’.

Be wary of any resolutions which could pile on pressure academically. ‘Get straight A’s in all my tests’ is not one which will make for a happier child!

●      Set small specific goals

We all love to feel successful don’t we? And our kids are no different. Set them up for success by helping them implement small manageable goals.

Avoid anything vague like ‘be healthier’ or ‘be kinder’.

It’ll be much more achievable for them to succeed with a goal like ‘Eat fruit every day at snack time’ or ‘Say one kind thing to a friend every day.’

●      Be a role model

As annoying as it is to admit, kids are watching everything we do. This includes how we talk to ourselves when we ‘fail’ at something. So be kind to yourself and don’t let them witness you drowning in guilt.

This is why when we’re helping our kids to set a resolution, it’s important that we share our own with them. Remember the last tip about setting specific goals. You can tell them you’re going to do a workout three times a week. You can’t tell them you’re going to become an enlightened spiritual being in touch with the auras of those around her. Too vague, not tangible.

When you’ve shared your goal, let them see you struggle a bit! Show them that tomorrow is a new day and we can always try again. It doesn’t have to go smoothly every time but you can set the example that it’s all about progress, not perfection.

●      Teach them it’s fine to change their mind

As adults an important skill is being able to flex, pivot and adjust your goals. Teach your kids that skill while they’re young!

If their goal suddenly isn’t what they had hoped it would be, help them tweak, adjust and move on without recriminations or regret. Praise their efforts rather than their achievements. I noticed you’re trying so hard’ is a lovely encouraging phrase for a child to hear.

Talk about the bad days too. Tell them how you fell off the wagon and had a wine on Wednesday when you’d pledged to stay off alcohol during the week. Tell them you’ll just try not to have one on Saturday now, but it’s no biggie that you’ve had a slip-up and therefore moved the goalposts a bit.

To sum up, as always it’s important to remember that you know your child best. If you have a child who likes a challenge, setting New Year’s resolutions could be just the thing to send them into January with a smile on their face and a spring in their step. Just make sure they’re do-able and handled gently, with a sense of humour. For both our kids and us, our resolutions should offer up a world of possibilities, rather than piling on a world of pressure.

And if your child’s biggest achievement in 2026 is stroking more cats or learning to whistle, I think that’s more than laudable. I’m 44 and I still can’t produce a single note.