Ways parents can help children set New Year resolutions

Ways parents can help children set New Year resolutions (Photo: iStock)

While New Year resolutions are viewed as an adult practice, child psychology shows that children can benefit from setting them early on if it is done in a supportive way.  

Goal-setting can start as early as when a child can talk and understand instructions. However, psychologist and counsellor Linah Ochieng' says that the nature of those goals must match the child’s cognitive development. Those below the age of three, she explains, grasp the world in concrete terms. At this stage, resolutions should be simple, practical, and not more than three that they can carry out.