FAMILY TALK
If you could make a New Year ’s
resolution for your child, what
would it be and why?
BY PJ FEINSTEIN
“I would be so happy if they
(daughter, 5 & son, 8) stopped
fighting. My husband and I have
to be constant referees. It can
be exhausting.”
—Gabriela Christie, Vienna, VA
“My New Year’s resolution
would be for my daughter who
is 9. I would love to see her take
a theater class even though she
has stage fright! She’s so dra-
matic and funny and would even
be great at set design with her
love of art. And I think she would
enjoy it so much!”
— Hannah Grieco, Arlington, VA
“I wish my 5-year-old son would
be willing to try sports! He has
decided that he is not good at
sports, so he won’t even do it
for fun.”
—Dorothy Matlis, Potomac, MD
“I wish my 10 year old would
make a resolution to NOT put
every article of clothing that
she may have worn or just tried
on in her hamper. This creates
so much unnecessary laundry,
and, while it’s great she uses her
hamper rather than the floor,
and clean clothes are better than
dirty clothes, she often thinks
she has nothing clean because
everything is in the hamper.

I wish my toddler would
show some interest in using
the potty. We’re waiting until
he’s ready to potty learn, but
between him and our newborn,
we are up to our ears in buying
and changing diapers!”
—Summer Jones, Arlington, VA
My 23
month old’s
New Year’s resolution
is to stop chewing on his
toothbrush and use it for
brushing. He is going to learn
that it’s about cleaning his
teeth and not eating
the toothpaste.”
—Ali Shein,
Arlington, VA
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“I would love for my boys, ages 5
and 7, to willingly change into a
new pair of underwear each day
and understand this is just a part
of life. I would love for them to
not put their clothes inside out
in the hamper so I don’t have to
fix it all before washing. And I
would love for them to appreci-
ate the wonderful life they have
and not whine about the little
things that don’t matter. Like,
why don’t I have a surprise donut
for them today after school?”
—Lauren Forbes, Vienna, VA
“For my 5 year old to get his own
milk in the morning!”
—Jamie Maier, Rockville, MD
“He (son, age 2) washes and
dries his own dishes!”
—Motrya Hanas Calafiura,
Washington, DC