After having kids, New Year’s Eve takes on a whole new meaning. This year, try something new and different that will allow you to enjoy the evening with your kids. Use these Stress Free New Year’s Eve Tips for an enjoyable evening your kids will always remember!

1. Have your kids think of a New Year’s Reflection, rather than a resolution. Talk to your kids and see if they can come up with one or two accomplishments or goals they’ve reached during the past year. If your five year old just learned how to read, celebrate it! Focus on the positives from the past instead of pressuring kids to make changes to their lives.
2. Celebrate with age-appropriate activities. If you have young kids, consider turning the clock back by about two or three hours. This way, you can have a New Year’s celebration around 9:00pm with your kids, put them to bed, and then continue the celebration with other adults through the Midnight Hour.
3. Make a commitment to continually add balance and good health each day in the New Year. Think about introducing your family to calming music and stress management techniques to use in the New Year. This will sprinkle your days with relaxation and keep your household calm and pleasant. Show your family that it is ok to schedule downtime and unwind to take care of each other. This sets the tone for your home and the tone for your kids’ behavior!
4. Instead of popping champagne, celebrate by blowing bubbles with the whole family. A fun idea for New Year’s is to get a bunch of bubble blowing bottles and gather outside and blow away all your stress and resentment and have some fun with your kids! Tell your kids to imagine filling new bubbles with new hopes and goals for the New Year!

One of the most important ways to keep kids healthy is to keep them stress-free. New Year’s can be a perfect celebration to embrace relaxation and happiness with the whole family.

 

Stress Free Kids founder Lori Lite has created a line of books and CDs designed to help children, teens, and adults decrease stress, anxiety, and anger. Ms. Lite’s books, CDs, and lesson plans are considered a resource for parents, psychologists, therapists, child life specialists, teachers, and yoga instructors. Lori is a certified children’s meditation facilitator and Sears’ Manage My Life parenting expert. For more information visit  Stress Free Kids and for daily advice follow Lori on Twitter and Facebook.