A New Year's resolution for kids? Yes, even for preschoolers, as is suggested by, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). They have made it easy by providing 20 New Year's tips, resolutions or goals for youngsters and teens.

You may want to set a goal with your child or help them to create one. This can be done by asking them three questions: What do you like about your life? What problem would you like to see go away? What new things would you like to see happen?

Here are 20 Healthy New Year's Resolutions for Kids from the AAP.

Preschoolers

• I will clean up my toys.
• I will brush my teeth twice a day and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
• I won't tease dogs, even friendly ones. I will avoid being bitten by keeping my fingers and face away from their mouths.

Kids

• I will drink milk and water and limit soda and fruit drinks.
• I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors. I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I'm playing sports.
• I will try to find a sport or an activity that I like and do it at least 3 times a week!
• I will always wear my helmet when bicycling.
• I will wear my seat belt every time I get in the car. I'll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
• I'll be nice to other kids. I'll be friendly to kids who need friends, like someone new at school or who is shy.
• I'll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, telephone number or school to someone on the internet.

Teens

• I will eat at least on fruit and one vegetable every day and I will limit the amount of soda I drink.
• I will take care of my body through physical activity and nutrition.
• I will choose non-violent television shows and video games and I will spend only one to two hours each - at most on these activities.
• I will help out in my community by volunteering or joining a community group.
• I will wipe negative "self-talk" (i.e. "I can't do it" or "I'm so dumb) out of my vocabulary.
• When I feel angry or stressed out, I will take a break and find constructive ways to deal with my stress.
• When faced with a difficult decision, I will talk with an adult about my choices.
• I will be careful about whom I chose to date and always treat the other person with respect.
• I will resist peer pressure to try cigarettes, alcohol or drugs.

Explain to your kids what a resolution is and why almost 100 million people in America make these important promises. A "resolution" is the process of resolving something, a firm decision to do something or an answer to a problem. Not everyone is successful with their resolutions, but many people are able to make significant life changes that positively affect their health and lifestyles.

Three keys to keeping your resolution:

• Have a strong initial commitment to make a change.
• Keep track of your progress. Write down it down in a journal or track it on a big chart. The more monitoring you do, the better you will do.
• Reward yourself.

If you are really interested in making a positive difference in your children's health, begin the New Year with a resolution. You can improve your children's health and the health of everyone in your family.

On the "Cookin' with Cutty" television show, we have addressed and focused on 12 out of the 20 resolutions. Our resolution at "Cookin' with Cutty" is to focus on the remaining 8 resolutions. Stay tuned...

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