Family traditions play a vital role in bringing children and parents closer, strengthening bonds, and creating lasting memories. Growing up, I used to believe we didn’t have any traditions because I thought they had to be significant and formal. However, looking back, I’ve come to realize that there were plenty of wonderful traditions in my childhood, proving that traditions don’t have to be extravagant.
Traditions help families cherish time together and maintain connections across generations. They shape the memories our children will carry from their childhood. Sometimes, with so many options available, it’s easy to feel like we haven’t done enough for our kids. But traditions don’t have to be costly or complicated, and you don’t need to adopt every suggestion you come across many available lists with ideas.
Let’s brainstorm and pick a few traditions for our family. Who knows which ones will stick?
Here are ten ideas to consider:
- Decorating the Christmas tree together, unwrapping ornaments slowly, and deciding where each one looks best while chatting about anything and everything under the sun.
- Making homemade ornaments for the tree.
- Drawing cards for grandma and grandpa, affixing a stamp, and taking a walk together to mail them in a real mailbox.
- Having a picnic on a blanket, whether in the park or at home on the floor.
- Enjoying Sunday pancakes or waffles as a family, without any tablets, phones, computers, or TV distractions.
- Hosting a treasure hunt:
- Collecting nature’s gifts like cones, acorns, and stones.
- Searching for surprises through notes, with each clue leading to the next.
- Baking cookies or trying a new recipe for a dish together.
- Having a candlelit dinner.
- Creating a “Jar of Joys” where each time something joyful happens or you’re grateful for something, you write a note and drop it into the jar. Younger kids can dictate their entries. Open it on New Year’s and focus on celebrating the tiniest and most unexpected joys. Here is an example of how you can decorate your Joyful Jar.
- Fill out a questionnaire every year, noting the most memorable event, book, and movie of the year.
What were your childhood traditions? What traditions does your adult family have now? Feel free to share your own cherished traditions or memories!
Wishing you all the best in this challenging yet rewarding journey of parenting!
Warmly,
Teacher Kira
