Is it too late to make a New Year’s resolution? No, it’s not!
While it’s typical for New Year’s resolutions to take effect on January 1st, we’re still at the start (ish) of the year and it’s not too late to make positive resolutions with your child to help them to make the most of this year.
There are a lot of benefits to a new year’s resolution, but you need to take steps to make sure that they’re sustainable. Resolutions can really help students to learn more about long-term planning and achieving them can be a real confidence booster!
However, there are some things to watch out for – they can indeed be hard to stick to and, if not done properly or realistically, they can add a lot of pressure; it needs to be done with care.
What are some helpful new years resolution ideas?
Boost grades
Pretty much every parent and child wants this but the ‘how’ can be quite tricky. However, by making firm commitment to doing this, your child is taking it seriously and is more likely to seek out and accept help, taking the initiative if needed. To help out, you can think about hiring a private tutor to help assess the situation and assist with exam prep or general academic support.
Read more books!
Or ‘Never stop learning’, as they say. Encourage this as a new years resolution and watch your child’s English skills flourish; just by reading more, their vocabulary and knowledge will increase. Organically, their ability to form sentences that are more articulate and well thought out will emerge with much less effort. Try to help them to select a variety of books to read and make going to the library fun, maybe stop for a hot chocolate on the way back so it’s a really fun experience!
Managing time better
This is a whole skill set in of itself. If your child is spending lots of time on social media or activities that aren’t always quantifiable or producing healthy outcomes, this might be a great one to pick. You can start by just recording a week to seek to see how their time is being allocated. You may both be surprised! Then help them to devise a plan to manage their time in a more wholesome and organised manner. There are apps you can use or even go ‘old school’ with diaries, wall charts and fridge planners!
Organisational improvement
This skill spans across so much of education and far beyond into a career. So, starting to work on this now is very helpful. You can set mini goals within this, like being more organised with homework or creating revision plans. Even just decluttering the desk is a good goal; it can be a challenge for many!
All in all, as long as resolutions are achievable, they can be a great way to help teach children and teenagers about discipline, motivation and key life skills. Upon achieving a resolution, they will also have the sense of achievement and flourishing which is a natural confidence booster. This will help to create a cycle of positivity, which often induces greater achievement.
Our private tutors can assist with setting goals and helping students work towards them. If you would like help with this, reach out today and we will be delighted to connect with you. Every child and teen is different, so their learning journey should be different too!