It is almost a brand new year! For the kids, that means staying up late, eating lots of junk food, throwing confetti, shooting off fireworks and shouting in the middle of the night, but it can also be so much more. As the new year approaches, parents can teach their kids the importance of what that new year can mean to them as individuals as well as the entire family.
Celebrate!
While having the kids help pick out snacks, fireworks and confetti balls, parents can explain why they are celebrating in the first place. A good way to show the kids what a new year means is to get out the calendar. Parents can show them the different months and how, at the end of the year, they start all over again. Parents can use this to help the kids understand that a new year is about growing, getting older and understanding new things. They can also explain how a new year can mean becoming a better person and making good decisions in the future.
What to Change?
A good family activity is to have everyone say one thing that they liked about themselves during the past year and one thing they would like to change. This can help kids to recognize things they would like to better in themselves. Once everyone says their two things, they can come up with resolutions on how they would like to change the things they did not like and how to further the things that they did like. Once everyone has made their resolution, the rest of the family can say how they would like to help the other members of their family uphold their resolutions. This can create bonding within the family as well as openness. As the kids get older, resolutions will change and the family will grow.
New Beginnings
The most important thing for a child to understand about the new year is that it is a time for new beginnings. So, if a child has had a hard time during the past year for any reason, a parent can encourage their kids to look at the new year as a time to overcome whatever hardship they have gone through. This outlook will help the children greatly as they grow older and hardships become more difficult. Another important thing is that parents recognize the importance of family as they enter a new beginning with their kids.
Turn It Up!
Once all the serious thoughts and resolutions have taken place it is time to turn up the party! Have the kids help make snacks, create a new year's punch to toast at midnight, get out lots of party games, party poppers, fireworks and noise makers. Everyone in the family can dress up in festive clothing and accessories, such as brightly colored hook-and-loop toddler belts, to welcome a brand new year.
The last midnight of 2015 is rapidly approaching, so write down those resolutions, whip up some snack dip, get the kids and CELEBRATE!