Creating Family Traditions

Do you ever feel as though your family is so busy and running a million miles per hour? Or maybe you’re not feeling overwhelmingly busy but you’re feeling a little disconnected as a family. Something that you can incorporate into your family life is a tradition! It can be as simple, creative, or intense as you wish. Setting aside a specific time to do your family tradition will make it more likely that you will follow through with spending time together. This can also help build meaningful relationships within your family. 

 Weekly or Monthly

• Game Night: Does your family enjoy playing games together? Set up a weekly or monthly evening where you spend time playing your favorite games together. Many games, made for children, also incorporate some sort of skill that is helpful for your child to develop. Some of those skills include: problem solving, adding, subtracting, memory skills, and much more. 
• Movie Night: Pick a dedicated night to snuggle up with the family for a movie night. Pick snacks out together, grab some comfy blankets, and put on some cozy clothes! While you may not be talking during the movie, you're still showing your child that they are worth spending quality time together.
• Walks: Pick a time and place to take a walk together. Perhaps you live near trails or in a city. Either way, take the time to walk around and help your child learn to orient themselves. Walks together can also lead to great times for open conversations with your children. 
• Reading: Long or short, reading or even listening together is so beneficial for your child. Make it a family tradition, in addition to your child’s daily reading, choose a book you can read together. If your child isn’t reading yet, have them sit with you while you read the book together. After finishing the book, celebrate together by making themed food or if it is a book that has been made into a movie watch it together. 

Seasonal 

• Summer: Plan an annual neighborhood or family BBQ every summer. Each member of the family can pick a side to have at the BBQ. Bring fun outdoor games you can play together. 
• Fall: Go to a pumpkin patch together, let each member pick a pumpkin, then each person can paint or carve their own pumpkin. Share your finished products with friends and family members. Perhaps even have friends and family members vote for their favorite!
• Winter: Have a baking day with your family! Have each person pick their favorite seasonal treat and spend the day baking each recipe. Share your yummy treats with neighbors and friends.
• Spring: Go to a local flower festival, or greenhouse, and look at all of the beautiful flowers together. Have everyone pick their favorite flower. 

 Special Traditions

• Holidays: Many of us grew up with traditions celebrating holidays throughout the year. As you become a parent it’s fun to carry-on some of those traditions, but also come up with new ones that you and your partner create for your little family!
• Birthdays: Create fun traditions that you do for every member of your family on their birthday! This could be a special plate to use that day, a meal of their choice, treasure hunts for gifts, or letting the birthday person choose the day’s activities. 
• Volunteer: Pick a cause, as a family, and volunteer as often as you can. This might be at an animal shelter, food bank, or other needs you see around your community. 

Family traditions can be created around the family you choose! Maybe it is your immediate household, perhaps it includes more extended family, or maybe you’ve forged your own family. Whatever the case, create family traditions that work for your family so you can make memories together and enjoy time together.