New Year's Resolutions are Trash. We Made Some Anyway.

·44 min·4 clips

Zach hints at an ancient Chinese practice for his resolution while Elizabeth and Lucy promise very different approaches.

The episode begins with hosts Elizabeth Newcamp, Lucy Lopez, and Zach Rosen reuniting after the holidays to discuss New Year's resolutions. They first share triumphs and fails from the break. Elizabeth recounts how her 13-year-old son Henry calmly alerted her to a neighbor's house fire, helping rescue pets while remaining composed. Lucy describes a test she and her husband gave their 15-year-old daughter Amelia, requiring her to text at 10 PM during a party; Amelia succeeded only because her younger sister Avery secretly warned her, revealing sibling collaboration. Zach shares how his family discovered free art workshops at the Detroit Institute of Arts, attending four times during winter break and making projects like picture frames, which inspired more home crafting. The hosts then reveal their resolutions. Zach, recovering from a bike accident, plans to start Tai Chi, inspired by Lou Reed's story and finding a local class. Lucy focuses on family adventures and experiences, emphasizing pickleball, kayaking, and nightly 'fart walks' with her daughters and husband; she also aims to spend 10 unstructured minutes daily with each child. Elizabeth creates punch cards and bingo sheets with her kids to set achievable goals, like practicing guitar or going on morning walks, with small rewards. The episode includes a listener voicemail recommending giving siblings accessories to each other's big gifts to encourage shared play. Throughout, the hosts discuss resources like library museum passes and vision boarding workshops, and promote Slate Plus for bonus content.

As heard by us

A New Year chat that finds its best rhythm in local, usable family advice.

Karen Feeding spends this outing on New Year's resolutions before settling into practical family advice that can make a city feel a little easier to navigate.

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Why you'd press play

For the parent who made a resolution and already wants to renegotiate it.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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