5 Things We Want For Kids in 2023
New Year, new you! Adults love to set goals and reinvent themselves every time the new year rolls around. But what about kids? While our younger generations don’t need to ‘reinvent’ themselves (they’re still in the process of inventing!), there are fun ways to include them in the excitement of the new year resolution ritual.
As parents we have a lot of hopes and dreams for our kids. While what their futures hold is ultimately up to them and the decisions they make, there are certainly ways we can positively influence them along the way! Here are some ideas for things that can help kids level up in health, happiness and future-readiness this year.
More learning things outside of their comfort zone
Kids are always learning and growing in some way, but taking the time to learn something completely different offers challenges that can change perspectives and help them discover new interests and passions. For example, many students struggle with math concepts in early education, and unfortunately that can lead to developing an aversion to this important skill early in life. Learning coding concepts has been proven to help improve the understanding and execution of mathematical concepts and also grows critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills at the same time. Help them explore a new skill and watch them thrive!
Less FOMO
As technology brings more convenience, communication, and connection into the palms of our hands, the world can seem to move at a frantic pace. This leads to over-packed schedules, over-promised time commitments, and exhaustion and disappointment for both kids and parents. This year, we want to get off of the hectic bus, please!
When we’re so concerned with what is happening everywhere else, we often miss the incredible things happening right in front of us. Help your kids to choose only the activities that they really love, and let them know that they can try something different next year if they decide it isn’t for them. Prioritize down time and family time and let your kids know how important it is to you to spend time with them. Also, parents, let’s admit that we sometimes push activities and interests that we like best on our kids instead of listening to what they want. This year let’s resolve to be better listeners and to help our kids pursue what makes them happiest.
More experiences
While that newest ‘it toy’ is totally the coolest, nothing beats an incredible experience when it comes to making lasting memories. Consider a day trip to a museum, or planning a weekend exploring a National Park. Google some local hikes or family-friendly walks, and talk to your kids about the animals, insects, and plants that they see. Pull up Google Earth, pick a country to explore, then cook a meal together that uses that country’s traditional flavors. There are so many more ways to experience our world outside of screens (and expensive travel plans!). This year we’d love to see students collecting more memories and experiences.
Less STRESS
Just like adults, kids need to prioritize and protect their mental health. Stress is a condition that truly can damage us both physically and mentally. And while it’s not realistic to think our kids can be completely stress free in 2023 (although that has a nice ring to it!), there are definitely things we can do to lessen the effects of stress on our kids throughout the year:
-Taking the time to talk to our kids about things that are causing them anxiety or worry
-Helping them learn how to create and maintain healthy boundaries
-Limiting time online, especially on social media platforms
More Future-Readiness
The better our kids are prepared for the future, the more confident and ready they’ll feel stepping into it. By making sure our kids have the skills and mindset necessary to be successful, they’ll have the tools they need to thrive in any environment, career, or industry they choose. Coding may be the language of the future, but it’s really the creative problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills that learning to code successfully teaches that will be the game changer for the next generation. All kids should have the confidence in their own skills and talents to know that whatever the future may hold, they’ve got this.
At Coco Coders, we give kids the tech education they don’t get in school and help them to strengthen the skills they’ll need to thrive in the future. With our creatively themed live, online coding classes, we’ve got something for every child. Our incredible teachers will take students through coding concepts like loops, variables, and logic functions to create their very own custom coded computer games and creations!
As a parent, there’s nothing better than sitting back and listening to the excitement in your child’s voice as they proudly show you a project they’ve created on their own, and we definitely want more of that in 2023. Sign your child up here, and get their first 4 weeks of classes for only $30!