| The idea of asking kids for New Year's | | | | - Improve my games skills and, actually, I want to |
| Resolutions seemed a bit 'off' to me as soon as I | | | | be better at listening. |
| began it. First I had to explain what resolutions | | | | These all seem like pretty real and reasonable |
| were and then I had to explain why they were | | | | 'aging' of what the kids are up to but it also |
| necessary. Seems that kids don't think in these | | | | seems moot. As more than one parent pointed |
| same terms. All the same, here are some ideas I | | | | out about my 'poll', it doesn't make sense to ask |
| got back from kids I know, age range 5-12: | | | | kids about questions like this. Kids don't get why |
| - Be nicer to my brother and sister | | | | adults have to make promises to themselves like |
| - Say 'I love you' more often (although I say it a | | | | this and I didn't even explain to them that most |
| lot already) | | | | resolutions don't get fulfilled. Imagine what their |
| - Not pick at my dinner | | | | response to that concept might be! |
| - Get an epic-flying mount in World of Warcraft | | | | What I learned from talking to kids is that they |
| - Get better than my big brother in video games | | | | are resolution machines, not that they use that |
| - Find all 3 pieces of 'nankie' (her blankie that has | | | | exact 'term', but that they have a constant set |
| been worn to 3 parts) | | | | of goals, new ideas and practices. They seem to |
| - Play in my room, see more plays and go see | | | | know what they need to move to the next level, |
| movies. Same as this year. | | | | grow bigger, better or move forward and, |
| - I want to be better at checkers...and actually I | | | | refreshingly, it rarely seems to come from a |
| want to be better at listening. | | | | place of lack or disappointment. Mostly it comes |
| If I could 'age' these answers the way they use | | | | from a constant belief in possibility. And, to make |
| computer imaging to 'age' someone's photo as in | | | | it worse in comparison to adults, kids resolutions |
| a missing posters 'they might look like this now...' | | | | are usually pretty closely tied to the behaviors |
| the answers might 'translate' to these: | | | | needed to achieve their goals. |
| - Be nicer to people in my family | | | | Kids say so and then make it so! Weird, eh? So |
| - Say I love you more often (that's ageless and | | | | that's it: I'll leave the kids alone. Let them live in |
| timeless) | | | | their constant state of newness, growth and |
| - Eat healthier | | | | change and let the adults 'enjoy' the self doubt, |
| - Get a new hot car | | | | worry and sense of lack that makes resolutions |
| - Stop competing with my big brother (a lot of | | | | necessary. As for me - actually I want to be |
| 'poetic license' on this one) | | | | better at listening and say 'I love you' more than I |
| - Complete things I've left undone | | | | do now. |
| - Make more time for things I enjoy | | | | |