2011 ----What Are Your Resolutions for the New Year?

The beginning of a new year is a good time to think about changing, after all, no one is perfect! That's why people make resolutions (promises) in January. In 2009 The American Academy of Pediatrics listed 21 Healthy New Year’s Resolutions for Kids:

Preschoolers

  • I will clean up my toys.
  • I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
  • I won’t tease dogs – even friendly ones. I will avoid being bitten by keeping my fingers and face away from their mouths.

Kids, 5- to 12-years-old

  • I will drink milk and water, and limit soda and fruit drinks.
  • I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors. I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I’m playing sports.
  • I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week!
  • I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.
  • I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I’ll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
  • I’ll be nice to other kids. I’ll be friendly to kids who need friends – like someone who is shy, or is new to my school.
  • I’ll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet. Also, I’ll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without my parent’s permission.

Kids, 13-years-old and up

  • I will eat at least one fruit and one vegetable every day, and I will limit the amount of soda I drink.
  • I will take care of my body through physical activity and nutrition.
  • I will choose non-violent television shows and video games, and I will spend only one to two hours each day – at the most – on these activities.
  • I will help out in my community – through volunteering, working with community groups or by joining a group that helps people in need.
  • I will wipe negative “self talk” (i.e. “I can’t do it” or “I’m so dumb”) out of my vocabulary.
  • When I feel angry or stressed out, I will take a break and find constructive ways to deal with the stress, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal or discussing my problem with a parent or friend.
  • When faced with a difficult decision, I will talk with an adult about my choices.
  • When I notice my friends are struggling or engaging in risky behaviors, I will talk with a trusted adult and attempt to find a way that I can help them.
  • I will be careful about whom I choose to date, and always treat the other person with respect and without coercion or violence.
  • I will resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol.
  • I agree not to use a cell phone or text message while driving and to always use a seat belt.

MCLS Picture Books

Squirrel's New Year's Resolution by Pat Miller
Squirrel cannot think of a New Year's resolution until she realizes that by helping her friends, she has made one after all.

The Peace Bell by Margi Preus
Yoko's grandmother tells about how the bell in their town that would ring on New Year's Eve is given up during the war for scrap metal, finds its way back to their village, and becomes known as the Peace Bell.

Happy New Year, Corduroy by Don Freedman
3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Celebrate with Corduroy! Corduroy and his friends are ringing in the New Year with a party. They drink hot cocoa, play games, and countdown to midnight together. This brightly colored shaped board book is perfect for the youngest fans of Corduroy, one of the most adored characters in children’s books for forty years.

Happy New Year, Pooh! by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
It's December 31, and Pooh prepares to turn the page on his calendar. Imagine his surprise when he turns the page and finds no more months! Pooh and Piglet and Tigger are saddened at the thought of there being no more months in the Hundred-Acre Wood, and begin to write a poem about it. But, Christopher Robin has some very good news for his friends, very good news indeed!

Un-Happy New Year, Emma! by James Stevenson
Emma struggles in her New Year's resolution to be nicer to the other witches Dolores and Lavinia, as they persist in being dreadful to her, until their relationship climaxes in a dreadful revenge on New Year's Day.

MCLS Juvenile Fiction

Happy New Year, Mallory! by Laurie Friedman
When a bad stomachache sends Mallory to the hospital during a winter reunion with neighbor Mary Ann and their summer camp bunkmates, she is sad that her friends seem to be having great fun without her.

Happy New Year, Julie by Megan McDonald
The first Christmas since Julie's parents' divorce is difficult for the whole family, but Julie finds comfort sharing the Chinese New Year traditions of her best friend, Ivy Ling, and thinking about new beginnings.

Healthy and Happy New Year! Miss Sue

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