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New Year's Resolutions for Families
Letter-to-the-Editor / Op-Ed
January, 2007
Dear Editor:
Once again this January, millions of Americans will tackle the annual ritual of making New Year's resolutions. Some of the perennial favorite resolutions are to eat better, exercise more, lose weight and quit smoking. Some people will succeed, some will stumble and others, come March, will join the ranks of those vowing to try again next year. The Greenwich Family YMCA has discovered the secret to New Year's resolution success: not going it alone!
This year, we encourage families to put a new twist on the old custom and make resolutions this year as a family. The Greenwich Family YMCA has worked for 90 years to build strong families, and everyday, we see first hand the power of a supportive community in achieving goals.
Families are under increasing stress and struggle to balance work, family and health and to find supportive communities. Children struggle to develop the positive values, self-esteem and healthy habits for a healthy, productive adulthood. Studies confirm again and again the vital role that interaction and connectedness play in the long-term health and well-being of individual family members.
The Greenwich Family YMCA offers the following tips for family New Year's resolutions:
- Track progress in a fun, interactive and visual way. Write those resolutions down and display them prominently where every family member will see them regularly. Be creative; make colorful resolution posters or collages and charts for mapping progress.
- Celebrate with positive, healthy rewards. Honor each small success with a positive, fun and healthy reward that meets the needs of the entire family. For example, a family activity like an afternoon of ice skating is fun and good exercise. Schedule regular check-ins, such as a monthly family meeting and celebrate your achievements, both big and small.
- Prepare for setbacks. Setbacks aren't failure; they are times to call in the troops for reinforcement. A bout with the flu might get the whole family off track for a week or two, so schedule a family meeting to get restarted as a team.
- Work together to overcome barriers. If a family member is having trouble meeting a goal, brainstorm together to develop a new strategy. For example, if mom is having trouble finding time to exercise, the kids can do the dishes a few nights a week so she can take a 30-minute walk.
We encourage all families to make family connectedness the foundation for their 2007 New Year's resolutions.
Our best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!
John Eikrem, President and CEO, Greenwich Family YMCA
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