Who has time to implement tradition these days? Not many of us. When you are rushing from one soccer practice to the next basketball game while planning a birthday party, you hardly have time to think. Never mind when one of your children become ill and you are sidelined for a week and spend the next three weeks trying to catch up. But some family traditions are worth the time and trouble. Why? Because they give kids certainty and routine in an unpredictable world. They schedule a time for us to reconnect when our busy lives take us in different directions. They help us establish a family identity, which in turn gives children a group to belong to and a sense of who they are. And they help you share your values with your kids which will help them establish their own values. So which traditions will work for your family? Here are a few to get your creative juices flowing.
Daily
- Walk your kids to and/or home from school.
- Discuss your day.
- Work on homework together.
- Practice sports, instruments or other skills together.
- Make dinner together.
- Eat dinner together.
- Pack lunch together
- Read together each night.
Weekly
- Go out to brunch or make Sunday morning breakfast together.
- Go to church together.
- Have a family movie or game night every Friday or Saturday.
- Celebrate the end of the week with pizza every Friday.
- Have an elaborate family dinner every Sunday.
- Kick off the beginning of the week with a special dinner each Monday.
- Schedule a family bike ride each week.
- Make Saturday family chore day. When you work together it will get done faster and you can all do something fun afterwards.
Monthly
- Host a potluck for family and friends. Or take turn hosting with other families. You can do themes like Italian, Mexican, Thai, etc. Let the host family choose the theme.
- Have an art auction. Most parents collect their fair share of art pieces from among their kids each month. Invite family members over to bid on items they would like to scrapbook or hang on their walls. Do bids in increments of 5-10 cents. This helps you manage your treasured collection without tossing anything. And it gives your kids a sense of pride that everyone is vying for their creations.
- Have a Daddy day where Dad and the kids go out and do something fun together. This is an especially great idea for stay-at-home moms. It give dads and kids some time to develop their own bond while giving mom a well deserved day off.
- Go out to eat once a month as a family. You can take turns picking the restaurant.
- Have a date night. Rotate each month where two people get to go out for a special night. Mom and Dad can go out together for dancing. Mom and son can go bowling. Dad and daughter can go to the movies. Dad and son can go to a ball game. Mom and daughter can have a spa day. Kids can go to a fun center together. This allows everyone to develop one on one ties and gives each person a special day to look forward to.
- Take a day trip. Whether you like going to the same place or want to keep trying something new, make a point of going somewhere as a family one Saturday or Sunday a month. Try museums, zoos, plays, festivals, fairs, the beach, hiking or theme parks.
Annual
- Kick off the start of each season. Race boats in the spring, barbecue in the summer, pick apples in the fall and go sledding in the winter.
- Go on an a family camping trip.
- Take a road trip.
- Go to the pumpkin patch.
- Cut down a Christmas tree together.
- Celebrate daylight savings time. When we spring forward, give everyone a free pass from normal chores. When we fall back, do an extra fun activity for an hour.
- Celebrate all aspects of your life together. Acknowledging the first day of school, your pet’s birthday, the anniversary of owning your house, new jobs, promotions, big school achievements, etc are all ways to help your kids enjoy and appreciate the little things in life.
