Speech-Friendly New Year’s Resolutions for Parents and SLPs.

Hello 2025!  This is the time to congratulate yourself on how far you’ve come in the last year. Whether you are a parent of a toddler who is just learning to talk, a parent of a child who is newly diagnosed with a speech sound disorder, your child has been receiving services for years, OR you are a speech-language pathologist there is much to reflect on. Looking towards the new year, now is the time to shift gears and envision what you hope to accomplish in 2025 with New Year’s Resolutions. Now before you write down that you want to “wake up earlier” and “doom scroll social media less” (both admirable and relatable goals) consider adding speech-friendly New Year’s Resolutions to the list. These resolutions should be specific (what does “practice speech more” even mean?!), meaningful, and attainable. I’ve thought of some to get you started:

Resolutions for Parents

1. “We will practice speech sounds every night for 10 minutes before bed” This builds structure and consistency for your child.

2. “I will create a positive reinforcement (reward chart/sticker chart/etc) system for my child’s speech/language practice”  You can boost motivation and confidence surrounding goals.

   
   

3. “I will communicate regularly with my child’s SLP to stay updated on their goals and progress.” Whether this is an email, phone call or drop in to the session, this ensures collaboration between therapy sessions and home practice. It keeps you and the SLP on the same page.

   
   

4. “I will model clear and slow speech to support my child’s learning.” This sets an example for your child and is essential for language development 

   
   

5. “I will educate myself about my child’s speech disorder to better support them.” This allows you to greater help your child, advocate for them, understand them and empowers your to be a proactive partner in therapy.

   
   

6. “I will learn language development strategies and begin practicing them with my child daily” Need a place to start? Check out the 4 or 12 week course where you will learn these strategies and more.

   
   

7. “I will find emotional support and community by seeking out other parents who understand the unique challenges that come with a speech or language disorder” Seek out other parents who get it. Share resources, stories and experience community instead of feeling isolated with your child's speech/language this year.

   
   

Resolutions for SLPs

1. “I will incorporate more play-based activities into therapy sessions.” Children often learn best by playing. This makes sessions enjoyable and effective.

   
   

2. “I will set achievable, measurable goals for each child I work with.” How can you hit an obcure target? This ensures clear benchmarks for progress.

   
   

3. “I will send weekly updates to parents to keep them informed on their child’s progress.” Help strengthens the parent-therapist partnership and encourage home practice. Download our free weekly speech update under resources as an easy way to accomplish this goal.

4. “I will explore new apps, tools, or resources to enhance therapy sessions.” Keep therapy innovative and fresh. You could begin by asking your colleagues about what new tools they are using.

5. “I will celebrate each child’s progress, no matter how small.” This keeps therapy positive and focused on growth for both you and the child.

6. “I will advocate for myself and my clients with a supervisor when needed” I know, I know easier said than done especially when it comes to advocating for yourself. Decide that this year you will present supervisors or others you work with information about best practice when needed (i.e. you need a lunch break.)

7. “I will pick CEU courses that are directly related to children I work with” Be intentional about your continued education this year. Think about what strategies you can learn to help those on your caseload.

   
   

Resolutions for Children

If your child is old enough to understand New Year’s Resolutions, consider including them in making their own speech/language goals this year. Help your child make goals specific to their needs. Here are a few ideas to think about:

1. “I will practice my speech sounds for 10 minutes every day.”

2. “I will try to use my new sounds during conversations at school.”

3. “I will read every day” 

Conclusion

As you begin the new year don't forget to add Speech-friendly New year's resolutions to your list. Intentional goal setting for 2025 is the first step to seeing progress by 2026. At Language Blossom's we are wishing you a healthy and happy new year. We are excited about all of the development to come this year and look forward to helping you and your child each step of the way.