New Year's Resolutions for Kids

Do you remember your last New Year’s Resolution?

Chances are... you don’t. New year’s resolutions are often made with the best of intentions, then rapidly forgotten about as the reality of the year sweeps in and the post-holiday rush begins. So making those big changes to your life usually gets put off, and before you know it, it’s February! 

Of course, new year’s resolutions aren’t just for adults. Kids make them too, often with the same level of success. But the potential of these resolutions can result in real positive change in their lives. So, how can you help your child make a new year’s resolution that they’ll stick with in 2020?
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Don’t Make It For Them

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could convince your kids that their resolution should be something like “To clean my room every day,” and have them stick with it?

Unfortunately, if their resolution has nothing to do with their wants and desires, it’s not going to work. While you might think, “Improve my grades” is a good resolution for your kids, chances are that they won’t agree.

If your child’s resolution has any chance of working, it needs to be something that they want, not you. For example, if they love their Toronto dance classes, an excellent resolution might be “Practice an extra hour every week”. That’s a measurable goal with a specific task attached to it. Achievable and actionable. 

Don’t Be Too Ambitious

New year’s resolutions are often much too ambitious to be realistic. “Lose 50 lbs by March” isn’t going to happen without some massive life changes. But “Remove processed sugar from my diet” will help you reach a similar goal with an actionable strategy. 

It’s the same with your kids. Going back to the Toronto dance class example, if their resolution is “Be able to do the splits by March,” it might be very difficult for them to achieve that goal. Instead of setting a hard deadline for being able to do the splits, maybe they could ask their dance teacher about some exercises that will help them get closer to doing the splits over time. 

Get Them To Try New Things

Resolutions are often fantastic ways to expand your horizons. Maybe you could try a new genre of book that you would otherwise rarely read. Or try a new type of cuisine.

Similarly, your child’s new year’s resolution could be to try a new style of dance in a Toronto dance class. If they’ve only ever taken ballet, maybe giving a tap class a try might be an interesting and fun change of pace. If they love jazz, they could get a lot out of a hip hop class. 

It might be a good idea to have a conversation with your child’s dance teacher to see what they think might be a good fit for them. At Pegasus, we offer a variety of Toronto dance classes on the Danforth, Leslieville, and the Beaches. Wherever your location, we likely have a dance class that will both challenge your child and give them something new to try this upcoming year!

Be Flexible With a Resolution

Remember, a new year’s resolution isn’t a promise set in stone. It should be flexible, able to change with your circumstances. There’s nothing wrong with making a change to a resolution a few months into the year—in fact, flexibility can actually help you keep it!

This also applies to your child’s resolutions. If your child tries a new Toronto dance class and discovers it isn’t for them, that isn’t a failure—they’ve learned something about themselves!

If a certain style of dance isn’t for them, they could try another. Or instead of taking two different types of Toronto dance classes every week, they could double down with two classes in just one style. Yes, that means two drives to the Danforth, Leslieville, or the Beaches for you, but their resolution might help them reach new heights when it comes to their dancing ability! 

It’s important to remember not to beat yourself up if you can’t keep your new year’s resolutions. We’re only human, and life can get in the way. It’s the same with your kids—if their resolutions fall by the wayside, it isn’t the end of the world. But if they make their new year’s resolutions about something that they already enjoy—like Toronto dance classes—their chances of success are going to skyrocket! 

If you have kids who would be interested in trying Toronto dance classes in the new year, we invite you to contact us today. We have dance classes all across the city, including the Danforth, Leslieville, and the Beaches. We’d love to help your children explore their talents and passion this year!
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