Creating Family Traditions

I love looking back and remembering special traditions my family shared. Many of the traditions I remember involve shopping and my mother! As we each think back on special childhood memories many of us remember a special event or a tradition that seemed to bond our family together. Traditions can evoke special feelings and memories that are connected to those things like the smell of the house on pasta Sundays or Grandma’s special nut bread on Easter. 

Traditions are a great way to bring a family and generations together. Children especially find comfort in knowing something they enjoy will happen again. Many traditions are centered around the holidays. Take the time this holiday season to start some special traditions in your family. Here are some fun ideas I found…

·         Celebrate New Year's Eve with the family. If your kids are too young to stay up until midnight, turn the clocks back and celebrate before their bedtime. Just before the hour, make some family resolutions. 

·         Create a “Yes” jar. As a parent you may feel like you spend so much time saying “NO” to your kids. Use the jar to capture all of the “NO’s” that you can safely and practically put off until another day. Pick one day a month when your child can pick three “NO’s” and turn them into “YES’s”.

·         Postcards from Dad. It is hard for a child when a parent has to travel. Start a tradition where you send home a postcard or two every time you leave for a trip. It’s hard to see dad go but your children will look forward to getting a postcard from Dad.

You can find more ideas at Café Traditions.

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