Pediatritian's new year's resolution for kids

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 01 Jan 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Here are the American Academy of Pediatrics' suggested New Year's resolutions for children.

Preschoolers

• I will clean up my toys.

• I will brush my teeth twice daily, wash my hands after using the bathroom and before eating, and clean up my messes right away.

• I won't tease dogs and will keep my fingers and face away from dogs' mouths.

School-age children

• I will drink lots of milk, and limit soda (fizzy drinks) and fruit drinks.

• I will spend a couple of minutes every morning and afternoon applying sunscreen before going outdoors, even in winter. I will try to stay in the shade 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 jumping rope, dancing or bike-riding) that I like and do it at least three times weekly.

• I will always wear protective gear, especially a helmet, when cycling, riding scooters or roller-blading.

• I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car and use a booster seat until I can correctly use a lap-shoulder seat belt.

• I will be nice to other kids.

• I will never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number in an Internet chat room or bulletin board and will never send someone I chat with on the computer a picture of myself without my parents' permission.

• If I see an unsupervised gun or another child with a gun, I will not touch the gun and will get help from a parent or trusted adult.

Teens

• I will eat at least one fruit and one vegetable daily, and will limit drinking soda (fizzy drinks).

• I will take care of my body through sports, fitness and nutrition.

• I will choose nonviolent television shows and video games and will only spend one to two hours daily at the most on these activities.

• I will check to see if I can give away any of my unwanted clothes and shoes to the needy.

• I will quit negative ``self-talk'' (i.e., ``I can't do it'' or ``I'm so dumb'').

• Whenever I'm feeling angry or stressed out, I will take a break and look for constructive ways to feel better, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal or talking out my problem with a parent or friend.

• I will be smart about whom I choose to date.

• I will resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol. (In UK Soda = Fizzy water one adds to a whisky and soda. It does not mean drinks like Coke. In USA Soda = Fizzy drinks like Coke, Fanta, etc. When Americans say 'Candy' the Brits say 'Sweets'.)

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