New Year’s What? What Children Think of our New Year’s Resolutions
Every year, adults make a list. Not a shopping list, or an errands list, but a list that is supposed to change our lives and make us better people: we make our list of New Year’s Resolutions. Our kids hear us talk about them, and maybe even see us embark on the challenge, but what do they really think of some of the top resolutions made by adults? Marmalade’s Crystal Nay asked four local kids – Ethan, 11, Anya, 8, Sierra, 9, and Ashlyn, 5 – what they thought, and here are their responses.
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CRYSTAL: What do you do for work?
Ashlyn: Go to school. Sierra: I don’t go to school. Anya: Do homework.
Ethan: That’s a very good question. I’m a theatrical assistant director, except I don’t get paid. And I’m an amateur rat hunter.
Do you know what a New Year’s Resolution is?
Ashlyn: No. No idea.
Sierra: Sort of. It’s something that you want to do during the new year. Kind of like on your permanent To-Do list for the new year.
Anya: Something you want to do in the new year.
Ethan:Of course, basically, when someone resolves to do something or not do something over the new year.
Do you know what “resolve” means?
Ethan: Resolve means… can I borrow a dictionary?
Resolution: Lose Weight
Ashlyn: (confused) To lose weight?
Sierra: I think it’s good… for some people. Because some of them might need to, but other people might be twigs.
Anya: Well, everyone wants to be in shape.
Ethan: I think they should do it, and 99.99999999% of people who say that this is their resolution never actually do it. They don’t actually do it because most people don’t like to change the way they live their lives.
Resolution: Stop Drinking Coffee
Sierra: I think it’s good. Because that way they can have more of a variety of what they drink in the morning. Like water, orange juice, tea, apple juice. And other things that don’t make people’s breath smell weird. Plus, doesn’t coffee make people hyper?
Ethan: This one never actually happens, either. It never works. Personally, I don’t care for coffee. It smells nice, but it doesn’t taste very nice. I think they want to stop drinking coffee because people get caffeine crashes, or they can’t sleep. It’s just not good.
Anya: Drink tea not coffee, because coffee is caffeinated and tea often isn’t. Plus, coffee stunts your growth. I don’t like coffee. I hate coffee.
Resolution: Travel More
Sierra: People should travel more, so they can meet new people and try new things.
Ashlyn: I don’t know. Sounds like fun. I want to go to Hawaii. Can that be my resolution?
Ethan: If you have a lot of money, this is a good resolution. It goes along with my coffee thing, most people who like coffee will go to places like Spain or Arabia, all those far flung places because they love coffee. But, people who like watersports won’t go to the Rockies because they won’t try things they don’t like. People don’t like change. I’ve learned that through history, and through firsthand experience.
Anya: This is an awesome resolution. Because it’s fun, you get to visit different places and you make new friends, but you have to leave them in two days. I enjoy traveling because you can sit on planes and watch movies.
Resolution: Quit Smoking
Sierra: I think it’s a thousand times healthier for the earth and for them! Cigarettes are filled with gross and disgusting things in them.
Anya: (straight-faced) Do it. Smoking is bad for your lungs. This is a good resolution.
Ethan: This one is another hard one, except it’s gotten a bit easier because there are so many products and medications to help people stop smoking. But, it just takes a really long time no matter how you do it. I think this is a good resolution because lung disease and other bad things happen to people who smoke. It’s a good resolution for people who will actually do it. If not, they should pick another resolution.
[To Crystal:] Is this your actual line of work, or is this a side job.
C: This is my line of work.
Ethan: Okay, cool. Now that we got that out of the way, what’s the next question?
Resolution: Get a Better Job
Sierra: They might make more money and be happier with it?
Ashlyn: Do it! My mommy did, but she keeps saying she should have waited until her bonus. What’s a bonus?
Sierra: Yeah, what is a bonus?
Ethan: Well, at this particular time, there aren’t a lot of jobs available. So, I would say stick with what you have, and don’t quit your job until you have a new job already. Because no one wants to be out of work and out of money, waiting for the perfect job opportunity.
Anya: That’s a good resolution as long as your job isn’t in a nuthouse, and they make more money than the last job. To be happy with your job and make more money for your family.
Resolution: Managing Stress
[Silence.]
Ethan: That’s another tough one. The best way to do that is to try to find a less- stressful job, and get out of your stressful situations, and that will definitely help you.
Anya: Good luck!
C: Do you know what stress is?
Ashlyn: No.
Sierra: I know what stress is! It’s something that makes your hair fall out!
Anya: Stress is when you’re under pressure.
Ethan: It’s kind of when someone gets anxious and freaked out about something that’s going on around them, and it’s confusing them and making it hard for them to concentrate and hard to be around. They get wigged out if a job doesn’t get done, or is done late, or too early. You kind of know the feeling, right?
C: Yes.
Resolution: Volunteer More
Sierra: It’s very, good, nice, helpful. I think that’s a good resolution to have.
Anya: This is a good resolution, and good luck. It’s good because you get to help other people more, which is good.
Ethan: That’s basically what my job is. It’s doing something for someone without actually getting paid. Regular people wanting to volunteer helps homeless people. Most people thinking volunteering is helping those in need. It’s that and a whole bunch of other things. It’s a good resolution if you’re willing to do physical and mental labor without actually getting paid for it.
Resolution: More Time with Family
Sierra: I think that’s good. You can keep in touch, see what’s going on. But, my cousins are really annoying most of the time. I think it’s a good resolution, but it really depends on if you like your family or not.
Ashlyn: I have no clue…
Ethan: This is a good one for people who work a lot. Work is both good and bad. If you work too little, you’ll be poor. If you work too much, you might be wealthy, but you won’t have the emotional happiness. If you work just the right amount, you will have family time and still be able to provide for your family.
Anya: This is awesome, I think you should spend more time with your family so that your family is happy.
What are some of your own resolutions?
Ethan: Geez. That’s a good question. I haven’t set them yet, but I have some beginnings of resolutions.
Anya: My resolution is to not have my brother hit me every five minutes. That’s it. M
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Have resolutions of your own? Click here for success strategies. Does your child have a New Year’s Resolution? Share it with us: facebook.com/marmaladeoc.
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About the Author: Crystal Nay
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