This time of year often comes with big questions, fresh starts, and lots of talk about goals and resolutions so I felt like a good question to explore together this week could be:

❓ Why do people make New Year’s resolutions?

It turns out this idea isn’t new at all. People have been making “fresh start promises” for more than 4,000 years (way back to the ancient Babylonians!): promising to do better, live differently, or honour what matters most.

Let’s explore it together, the Knowmads way…

🛠️ M – MAKE: Create a “Fresh Start Jar”

Instead of a resolution list that gets lost by February, try something kinder and more fun with your young Knowmads.

Invite them to write simple, tiny intentions on small pieces of paper. Not big goals, but rather small things they want more of this year, things that make life feel a little better.

Some ideas to include: “Take a walk together”, “Try a new food”, “Learn one interesting fact”, “Have a screen-free hour”, “Call grandma”, “Make someone smile”.

Pop them all in a jar, and every so often, pull one out and do it. It’s playful, pressure-free, and a gentle way to welcome good habits.

💬 A – ASK: Where Did Resolutions Come From?

Here are some curiosity-sparking questions you can explore together:

• Why do humans like “fresh starts”, and what makes a new year feel different?

• What did the ancient Babylonians promise at the start of the year?

• How do different cultures mark the new year? (Chinese New Year, Nowruz, Rosh Hashanah, Hogmanay…)

• Why are some resolutions easy to keep and others really hard?

This is a great chance to dip into history, psychology, culture, and even a bit of science, and all starting from one simple question.

Little side fact: did you know most people keep resolutions for about six weeks… and then they slide? (You’re not alone! 😉)

🧭 Explore Further:

🎥 Watch: “Why do we make New Year’s resolutions?” by Bitesize Education

📚 Read: “You Are Awesome” by Matthew Syed

💛 P – PAUSE: A Kinder Way to Begin Again

Here’s something I’ve been reminding myself:

A resolution is really just a hope

…a quiet wish for the year ahead.

But sometimes we turn it into pressure, big goals, strict rules, “new year, new me” nonsense.

And honestly? Most of us don’t need a “new me” anyway

We just need a gentler, supported, slightly-more-rested version of the one we already are.

So this week, instead of resolutions, try asking:

✨ What would make my days feel lighter?

✨ What do I want more of?

✨ What tiny habit would bring me joy, not stress?

Remember, change doesn’t come from willpower, but from small, kind steps in the right direction.

Give yourself permission to begin slowly…

Big hugs,

Anna x