Ring in the New Year with Your Family!

Maryland Department of Education sent this bulletin at 01/02/2025 09:55 AM EST

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Delivering Support to Families with Young Learners

Tips to Build Healthy Habits in the New Year

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As the new year begins, many people make resolutions: goals that they hope to achieve in the coming year. Whether you want to eat healthier, spend more time with family, or try a new hobby, goals might feel hard to reach without a plan. Here are some tips to help you build the healthy habits you want in 2025:

  • Make a plan: Consider what you would like your habits to look like. Choose something reasonable that you feel confident in doing, such as limiting buying junk food at a vending machine. Then, make sure you have steps in mind that will help you achieve your goal, like having healthier snacks on hand or changing your route to avoid walking past that vending machine.
  • Stay motivated: You can feel more encouraged to stick to healthy habits when you keep your mind on the reasons why you want to build them. Think about the extra energy you will gain when you have a more nutritious or balanced diet, for instance. Certain mobile apps can help you track progress related to your goals. This way, you can see your successes and find support when needed.
  • Keep going: We are human, and we all make mistakes. If you notice you fell behind on your goals, be patient with yourself. Continue with your good habits. Repeated actions will make these behaviors part of your routine over time, even if you misstep now and then.

Is My Kid Behind? Real Talk About Milestones

Many parents look forward to seeing their child meet developmental milestones, like crawling or babbling. But hearing a child should be able to do things by a certain time might make you worry. Learn about how doctors use milestones to keep an eye on a child’s growth in this video from PBS.

Watch the video

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Discover Informal Child Care

Did you know that you can have a trusted friend or family member care for your child and receive funding from the State to help pay for it? Learn how informal child care works and how you can use Child Care Scholarships to cover costs in this blog from the Division of Early Childhood.

Read the blog
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Have Kids Help with Meal Prep

When you include your child in the process of preparing meals, you can help teach them useful life skills and develop healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. Try these steps to have your child help at mealtime:

  • Involve kids in meal planning: As you think about what to cook for the upcoming week, invite your child to help. Planning meals will make them learn about different foods and ingredients. It gets them interested in cooking and empowers them as they learn the importance of a healthy diet.
  • Bring children to the grocery store: Your child can see the variety of foods available when you take them with you as you grocery shop. Infants will get used to interacting in the new environment, and older children can learn to navigate the store to help find items on your shopping list.
  • Let your kids watch you cook: Your child can watch you prepare and cook meals and learn as you talk through the process. Make sure they stay a safe distance away from heat sources and sharp kitchen tools. Children can also help with easy tasks like setting the table.
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