New Year's Resource Bundle

Happy New Year! A new year brings time to reflect on the year past and new beginnings ahead. As many do, when a new year approaches I take time to reflect on the year past and set goals for myself as a way to recharge and refocus. I have typically done this on my own but I feel it is an important activity to model for my children as well. Reflection and goal setting are how we learn and grow. So this year, we are making it a family activity. Better yet, we have created a New Year’s Bundle to help with it all! You will be able to add the different years on the printable and start a new NYE tradition for yourself and your family! You can find the bundle on Etsy here.

The New Year’s Bundle includes:

Reflection of the Year Past (two formats)
Time Capsule (two formats)
New Year’s Resolution Planning Page
New Year’s Resolution Page

You can easily use the pages for yourself or extend as a family activity. We plan to use the printables on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. They can be used all at once or spread out over a longer period of time. Take cues from your family and the attention span to keep it genuine and enjoyable. We have included some tips for introducing and using New Year’s Resolutions with kids below.

Draw on previous experiences,

Many kids already have an understanding of what goals are. They are often assigned goals in school or hear adults talk about them. For example, they may have been presented with goals for learning sight words and math facts. Adults around them may talk about business or personal goals. Draw on their previous experiences to help them understand personal goals that are self determined.

Have discussions leading up to New Year’s,

If you are planning to use the resources and determine resolutions on New Year’s, use the days prior to share this with your family. Share your vision, answer questions, and begin brainstorming together. If this is something brand new to your family it may not happen in one sitting. If everyone goes into it with a shared understanding and time to personally reflect, it will provide for a more meaningful activity with thought behind the final product.

Use additional resources,

Some examples of resources could be other family members, online resources or books. Many kids would love to hear resolutions from others they are close to, such as grandparents or friends. There are picture books and non-fiction resources for all ages that will help kids understand resolutions. The book Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by Pat Miller is a cute picture book that follows animal characters as they learn about resolutions. A video read-aloud of this book can be found here.

Keep it fun,

You want this to be a positive experience rather than a source of frustration. Taking the time to frontload the activity may help the actual goal setting go smoothly. At the same time, don’t feel pressured to have it completed that day either. If your family is showing signs that they are done for the time being there is no rule that you can’t come back to it later. I find that taking time to share and listen as a family makes activities more meaningful as well. Around here, jokes and laughter help ease nerves and get the discussions rolling again.

Revisit resolutions together throughout the year,

It is often noted that gyms fill up in January and clear out in February. We all go into New Year’s resolutions with high hopes. I’m sure many of us can relate to not following through as well. Be each others’ cheerleaders. Point out when you see someone trying to reach their goals. Encourage each other along the way. Also, share your experience of starting over when you haven’t reached a goal. Be creative in how you revisit your goals. You can tape them to a mirror or a journal. Share progress as a family over dinner throughout the year.

We hope you find this bundle helpful. We would love to see and hear how you incorporate them into your New Year’s traditions! Share in the comments below or tag us on Instagram @playbeyondthelines.