With every new year comes an opportunity to reinvent ourselves or start down a new path toward self-improvement. Making resolutions is a big part of many families’ New Year’s traditions, and parents often have a desire for their kids to take part in that tradition when they’re old enough. Following through on resolutions is tough, especially for young children, but with your help, they can achieve their goals. Help Your Kids Achieve More This Year With Simple and Actionable Goals
Will My PI Case Go to Trial? Understanding Mediation
A common question our clients have is whether they will have to go to court to reduce their personal injury case. The truth is, each case is different. In South Carolina, most cases settle before a lawsuit is even filed. Even if you do have to file a lawsuit, you can still try settling your case without going to court through a process called mediation, or any time before trial. Mediation brings all parties involved in a lawsuit together in one location. A neutral party, called a mediator — usually a lawyer familiar with the area of law your case concerns — examines the case and identifies strengths and weaknesses on both sides. His goal is to bring the sides closer together and settle the case in a way that is agreeable to both the defendant and the plaintiff. The process of mediation usually takes about a day, depending on the complexity of your case and how eager both sides are to work together. The best part is you still have the right to a full trial if mediation fails and it is confidential which means anything discussed cannot be used at trial. The beauty of mediation is you still have full control while in mediation. And if your case settles in mediation, you avoid the potentially drawn-out experience of a trial, and you can put it all behind you. Although we provide legal counsel throughout the entire process, the decision to go to court or settle in mediation is ultimately up to you, the client.
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH. You are your children’s role model for almost everything, including following through on New Year’s resolutions. So, ask yourself if you follow through on your own resolutions. When you proclaim that you will read more books or finally get a gym membership, do you actually try to do it? Your kids will assign as much importance to New Year’s resolutions as you do, so by sticking to your own commitments, you can help them stay on track too. KEEP THINGS SIMPLE AND ACHIEVABLE. When your kids are forming their resolutions, their first attempts will probably be very broad. Statements like “I want to be more kind” or “I will try to help more around the house” incorporate good values but don’t include any actionable steps. Help your kids think of tangible ways to act on those goals. For example, if they want to be tidier, a good resolution might be for them to clean their room once a week or take responsibility for one household chore every day. DON’T DO ALL THE WORK FOR THEM. While it’s important for you to help your kids formulate their goals, be sure that you aren’t taking over. If they’re ultimately responsible for their resolutions, they’ll feel more compelled to keep them. Instead, suggest different goal areas they could improve, such as home, school, or sports, and let them elaborate. When it comes to creating habits, nobody is perfect, so even if your kids falter on their goals in the middle of February, don’t worry. The important thing is that you continue to encourage them every step of the way.
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