Is it OK for kids to stay up on New Year's Eve? All your parenting questions answered.

Whether you’ve got a babysitter booked or you’re planning to ring in 2024 with sparkling apple juice and confetti with the kids, parents need a New Year's Eve game plan. Is encouraging them to make resolutions too much pressure? Is it a really bad idea to let your kids stay up 'til midnight just this once? Will the noise wake them up anyway? And is there a fun, family-friendly way to celebrate that’s more entertaining than a televised ball drop and safer than sparklers? Here's what experts say.

Are resolutions good for kids?

Not everyone makes New Year's resolutions — and that’s perfectly OK — but if it’s an annual tradition for you, you might wonder if it’s a tradition you can share with your kids without making them think that a) they're not good enough as they are, or b) they suddenly need to make a bunch of changes. But goals and resolutions can be a good thing for kids in terms of motivation and feeling a sense of accomplishment, so long as they’re not framed negatively. Speaking to Yahoo Life last year, Sean Tams, a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, noted that resolutions “framed around something that is seen as a deficit — such as not being fit enough, or not being smart enough — may contribute to feelings of anxiety or worthlessness.”

Instead of fixating on things you find lacking (“You need to stop biting your nails” or “No more candy after school,” for example), work with your children to brainstorm some challenges they're excited about taking on, even if it's jump-roping for a minute straight. Tams advises setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-limited) goals rather than vague determinations like “get healthier” or “be better at sports.” This might mean pledging to practice soccer for 20 minutes every day or a similarly focused, manageable goal.

Families might also consider setting fun resolutions as a group, like playing two board games a week, planning a road trip or going on a phone-free family walk every weekend. What are things you want to do more often?

Again, it's fine to skip the resolutions altogether. Clinical psychologist Lara Goodrich points out that kids may be mentally tapped out during their winter break given the holiday commotion and change in routine, and therefore may not be ready to commit to a goal at this time. “We don’t want a child at the center of a glorified plan that is likely going to fall flat,” she previously told Yahoo Life.

One last thing: Because resolutions can often get bogged down in diet talk, be careful about how you talk to your kids about your own goals for 2024. Keep things positive, and avoid negative phrasing like “lose weight.”

Can the kids stay up?

Maybe you want the kids to take part in the fun, or perhaps you sense that it’s pointless to put them to bed when they’re inevitably going to be awakened by Andy Cohen bellowing “Happy New Year!” anyway. According to Christine Stevens, a Washington, D.C.-based sleep consultant and owner of Sleep Solutions by Christine, taking a break from the bedtime routine for a special occasion isn’t a big deal.

“It’s one night a year,” she told Yahoo Life in 2021, “and it’s a fun thing to do when you know they’re ready for it.” That said, there’s no blanket rule for when a kid is ready. While Stevens said kids age 7 and up are generally better able to handle a late night, parents should factor in how well their kid sleeps normally and how they act when they’re thrown off their routine. A nap ahead of the New Year’s Eve festivities might also offset any crankiness later on, and the next day should be a restful one. Stevens also advised letting kids sleep in and nap if they need to on New Year’s Day rather than rushing them around all day.

For babies and other little kids who are too young to usher in midnight, Stevens suggested using a white-noise machine to block out any party noises (whether that's your own cheering or the fireworks and horn-honking that might go down in your neighborhood). Just be sure to follow guidelines for safe use, including placing it several feet from where the child is sleeping and keeping the volume low).

Can I trick the kids into celebrating early?

Why not? If you don’t want the kids to stay up but still want them to feel included, consider celebrating hours early. Netflix, YouTube and other streamers offer early kid-friendly countdowns for parents to play anytime they like: after lunch, before bath, right when the babysitter arrives ...

Is it safe to use sparklers?

At the risk of sounding like a party pooper ... no. While it may be the norm in some families for revelers young and old to cheer in the new year with a flaming stick, experts have previously told Yahoo Life that sparklers should be kept away from kids.

“Would you give your child anything with fire on it to play with normally? No!” said Dr. Danelle Fisher, chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. “They can backfire on you, can spit out little sparks that can light things on fire, kids can touch them and get a burn. ... They’re really unsafe, especially for little kids.” Her suggestion is to use glow sticks instead, as “they’re much safer.”

If a parent is confident that their older child can responsibly hold a sparkler, adults must supervise and give guidance on safe use. “You should tell them to keep their arm extended and to stay 6 feet away from anybody else’s space. If they have long hair, pull it back,” said Sage Myers, an emergency department physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “They should also have closed-toed shoes on.”