Life

Elisabeth Jill (EJ) Dickson pregnant taking a mirror selfie in sunglasses, a grey top and light grey...
Courtesy of Ej Dickson

For This Mom, Resolutions Aren't A One-Time Thing

by Kylie McConville

January is a month filled with resolutions. On the first day of the month, as each of us wave goodbye to the previous year, we make way for all the things we plan to do once we have a fresh slate. We ask ourselves, What will I do better this year? How will I do better? What do I want to change about myself? About my behaviors? How can I improve? Resolutions made by women by and large get a bad rap. At face value, it's so easy to assume they'll all be the same: I'm going to lose weight!; I'm going to wake up earlier!; I'll travel! but if you take a look deeper, you'll notice just how raw and real resolutions made by women — especially moms — are. They're complex, multi-layered, and they're also incredibly honest.

Mothers aren't just making resolutions for themselves. They're constantly factoring in how the things they do and say and believe will shape and influence their children. Though moms are faced with these types of decisions day in and day out, the new year provides an opportunity to look at the year as a whole and to consider all the things they plan to change and improve on. For 2017, Romper spoke to 31 different moms all over the country in an effort to highlight just how diverse, bold, and exciting their resolutions are.

Courtesy of Ej Dickson

Name: Elisabeth Jill (EJ) Dickson

Age: 27

City and state: Brooklyn, New York

Occupation: Editor

How old are your kids? Minus 8 months old? IDK how you measure fetal age

What resolution do you think you're supposed to make? Why do you feel this way?: I think to be as loving and supportive and patient a wife and mom as I can be, because patience is not my strong suit.

What's your actual resolution this year, and why?: Honestly, I'll probably just try to lose the baby weight because I'm shallow AF that way.

I'd like my son to grow up with the knowledge that growing and changing and becoming a better person is a year-round process.

What's the one resolution you won't make again?: I'm not one for New Year's resolutions because statistically speaking, you're unlikely to keep them, but I think one year I resolved not to drink alcohol for a year which was LOL (also after nine months sober because of my pregnancy I deserve a beer every now and then).

What's one thing in your life you want to change but don't feel like you can?: I'd like to be a more patient person. I'd also like to go out and see my friends and family more but I've been giving myself a pass the past few months. I think most behavior gets a pass during your third trimester, TBH.

What's one thing you did or didn't do last year that you forgive yourself for?: Give myself time to relax and slow down and not put too much pressure on myself, work-wise. That's something I'm not great at doing.

Do you tell your kids your resolution? Why or why not?: I don't think I will — I think it'll put more pressure on me to keep them and I don't want to set a precedent that resolutions are just a one-time thing — I'd like my son to grow up with the knowledge that growing and changing and becoming a better person is a year-round process.

What specifically do you want for your kids this year?: I just want him to come into this world healthy and happy and to know that he is loved and cared for. THat's pretty much all I want. From there, my mentality is like, he's a baby he doesn't know what the hell is going on. As long as he has a baseline level of health, comfort, happiness, IDGAF.