This Mom Is All About Joining The Fight In 2017

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.

Name: Kate Laubernds

Age: 32

City and state: Portland, Oregon

Occupation: Marketing Coordinator for Powell's Books

I'm American Indian and White and I've resolved that I need to be a better and more engaged person in my Native community. The ongoing fight at Standing Rock was a major tipping point for my decision. I'm planning on attending more Indigenous community events and classes next year to keep culture alive within my family, but also to show my solidarity with fellow Native brothers and sisters.

How old are your kids?: 2

What resolution do you think you're supposed to make? Why do you feel this way?: To me, New Year's resolutions always seem very self fulfilling tasks like losing weight, being more active, changing my diet. I had done these things in the past and they didn't stick. I wasn't fully committed to them and they were not rewarding in the same way as giving myself wholly to something or someone else.

What's your actual resolution this year, and why?: The secondary meaning of resolution is "the action of solving a problem, dispute or contentious matter." I'm American Indian and White and I've resolved that I need to be a better and more engaged person in my Native community. The ongoing fight at Standing Rock was a major tipping point for my decision. I'm planning on attending more Indigenous community events and classes next year to keep culture alive within my family, but also to show my solidarity with fellow Native brothers and sisters.

What's the one resolution you won't make again?: Detox dieting

What's one thing in your life you want to change but don't feel like you can?: Being a strong activist and community partner to other POC and marginalized communities is important to me, however, I honestly don't have the time to devote to all the organizations I want to support. Between being a full-time working parent, self-care, and my obligations to contributing to the Indigenous community I don't know how I can help at the level I want to, but I will certainly try where I can. I hate letting people down.

What's one thing you did or didn't do last year that you forgive yourself for?: I did not keep in good contact with my family as I should have.

Do you tell your kids your resolution? Why or why not?: Not yet, I think my daughter is too young to understand. However, I hope that my actions lead by example and she sees how to be a kind, just and supportive person.

What specifically do you want for your kids this year?: I'm looking forward to exposing more of my culture to my daughter this year and moving forward. Over the summer we traveled to the Blackfeet reservation in Montana to visit my father's family (whom I had not visited in a very long time). I look forward to making this part of our traditions — like I had growing up.