New Year – New Beginnings

Happy New Year!

I hope this issue of Lane Lines finds you and your family starting the new year happy and healthy! For many adults, the turning of the calendar to January marks a new start, and the time to make new resolutions and new commitments for the new year. Even though it is already mid-January and some of those resolutions may have already fallen to the wayside, it isn’t too late for another “new start” for you and your children. In fact, for children, you can hit the “re-set” button at almost any time, because most children are far more flexible and resilient than most adults. January is a great time to set new routines and establish new responsibilities for our children. It’s the perfect excuse to add a household chore to their routine, or an extra responsibility: younger children might start to lay out their clothes for school the night before, while others may have to make their beds, clean their rooms, etc.

In school, we look at January as a turning point, too, where expectations start to shift. While it holds true for students in all grades, in September, first graders, for example, still resemble kindergarteners. By January, they are coming into their first grade selves. It’s a time when they really begin to look, feel, and behave like “first graders”, and our expectations for them academically, behaviorally and socially shift. This is true for students in all grades: for many students, January signals the time that they become comfortable in their new grade level, their new roles, and can take on greater independence and responsibility.

Think about how you can foster greater independence in your children, and set a date and time for your “new year” to begin. Who knows – it might even be an opportunity for you to hit the re-set button on those other resolutions that have begun to fade, whether it be to eat healthier, or spend more time with family. Another new start can be good for the entire family. Happy new year!