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Thursday, January 1

New Year's Interview

While we don't have many strict traditions for Christmas, our New Year's Eve is very predictable. I look forward to the day when we can actually watch movies that we all want to watch. Right now the kids get to pick it and I had to endure the Rubber Dubbers two years in a row... this year it was Clone Wars.

One ritual we have is the New Year's Eve Interview. I don't know where I found this idea or where the questions came from, but I ask the kids the same questions every year and record their responses. Then I store them in some unknown place and lose them. But as soon as I find them all I can put them together and see how the kids' responses have changed (or not!) over the years.

Here are the questions I ask them every year:
1. I am lucky because...
2. If I could have three wishes they would be...
3. I'm a little afraid of...
4. I would describe myself as...
5. My favorite time this year was...
6. If I could change one thing it would be...
7. My favorite things are...
8. This year I hope I...

There's still time today to start this tradition with your own kids. I think it's one of those things that I'll be really glad I did as the years go by (provided I do a better job of keeping their answers in a more memorable spot).

Here's a few tips:
  • Interview the kids separately. One will assuredly just repeat his brother's answers if they are in the same room.
  • Write down everything they say. Don't edit or correct them.
  • Young kids have a hard time coming up with adjectives for themselves. Give them a few suggestions.
  • Favorite things can be as big of a list as they want. Include toys, activities, people and places.
  • Store the answers in the same spot/journal/photo box every year. ;-)

2 comments:

  1. What a great idea - thanks for sharing!! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great idea! I think I'll start this tradition as well! Have you got a video camera? It could be fun to record the interview TV style, so you have a record of changes in voice, posture, facial expressions etc over the years as well :-)

    ReplyDelete

For two years I have had comments turned off as a discipline to write for myself. I'm seeing the other side. I just ask that you comment with grace.