| Family traditions help provide to each family member | | | | 6. 'Annual Days': Be creative and establish certain |
| a home, environment, and relationships of purpose in | | | | days each year to do the same thing. Examples: go |
| a world of confusion, disorganization, and decreasing | | | | bowling, fishing, camping, shopping, skiing, hiking, etc. |
| morals and values. Traditions provide families the | | | | Attend a baseball game, a performance, go for a |
| desired foundation of comfort, familiarity, and | | | | drive, visit someone, call someone, do a service |
| consistency, which certainly helps ensure that family | | | | project, etc. Perhaps just have an annual 'Family Day,' |
| disunity, dysfunction, and eventual separation does | | | | or 'Kids Day,' or 'Sports Day,' or 'Amusement Park |
| not occur. And yet, the most effective family | | | | Day,' etc. Choose one or many - or think of your |
| traditions are not those that only occur annually on | | | | own - but do this same activity every year on a |
| certain holidays - they are made evident in daily and | | | | certain day! |
| weekly habits and actions that are simple, yet | | | | 7. 'Special Plate': Designate a plate that will only be |
| significant. | | | | used for 'special' occasions (simply buy or make your |
| No, these traditions are not about large meals, big | | | | own). Pull it out for: good report cards, awards at |
| events, fancy decorations, or annual celebrations - | | | | school, winning a game, a good performance, |
| these are the very traditions that help define who | | | | graduation, promotions, pay raises, birthday's, |
| we are, determine our personal and family happiness, | | | | anniversary's, etc. |
| and even the eventual outcome of our children. As | | | | 8. 'Growth Wall': Use a wall in the house as the |
| you will see below, there are 15 family traditions listed | | | | 'growth chart.' As children grow, mark their growing |
| (the remaining 15 are contained in part 2 of the | | | | heights as the years pass. |
| Family Traditions article series), and there certainly | | | | 9. Annual Family Vacation: Just put it in the calendar |
| could be hundreds more listed. These 30 listed, | | | | that every year the family will go on a family |
| however, are traditions that make a difference | | | | vacation together! It of course can be at different |
| because they require effort, creativity, consistency, | | | | times, and to different places - but do it every year. |
| and most importantly - the ability to make time for | | | | 10. Monthly Reach Out to Family Day: Set aside a |
| the most important relationships in life - our family! | | | | few minutes once a month to simply stay in touch |
| 1. Daddy-Daughter / Daddy-Son Dates Once a Month: | | | | with family. Pick up the phone and make calls, send |
| Spend individual time with each child, at least once a | | | | some emails, write a few letters - do something. Call |
| month (this applies to Mommy-Daughter or | | | | parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, niece/nephew, |
| Mommy-Son dates as well). Go out to eat together, | | | | friends, etc. |
| go for a drive, do something the child wants to do - | | | | 11.Daily Chores: Make it a tradition (although the kids |
| but spend time with each other, talk, create | | | | may not see this as that 'fun' of a tradition) - to |
| memories, and have fun! | | | | have each child have a daily chore. It could be: make |
| 2. Dad's Saturday Breakfast: Let mom take the | | | | bed, clean room, vacuum, straighten bathroom, set |
| morning off - Dad and the kids make Mom breakfast | | | | table, etc. Establish a tradition of work and helping |
| on Saturday's! | | | | the family. |
| 3. Two Family Night's Each Month: Establish every | | | | 12. Weekly Family Planning: Get together as a family |
| other Friday (or Sunday, Wednesday, etc. - | | | | each week and go over schedule, calendar, things |
| whenever) as 'Family Day.' No business, sports, TV, | | | | coming up, etc. More importantly, talk about and |
| friends, etc. that night. Just family! Pull out the games | | | | discuss any issues needing to be addressed, use it |
| and play games together as a family. Watch a movie | | | | has time to teach, communicate and stay connected, |
| together. Go out to eat. Just have fun and be | | | | and just be together. |
| together! Most importantly, be consistent in doing it | | | | 13. 'Learn to Cook': Perhaps each Sunday, have each |
| every month! | | | | child take a turn helping cook the Sunday dinner. Use |
| 4. 'Friends Night': Be involved in your kid's lives, create | | | | this time not only to help the child learn how to cook |
| an 'open home' environment, and help your children | | | | - but just have one on one time with just you and |
| feel comfortable inviting friends over into your home. | | | | your child. |
| Once a month, have a 'friends night' where your kids | | | | 14. Annual Ancestry and Family History Day: Perhaps |
| can invite over any friends - and just allow them to | | | | on Memorial day, go and visit the graves of loved |
| have fun, play games, and just enjoy being together! | | | | ones who have passed on. Go and visit living |
| 5. 'Saturday Work Hour': Each Saturday morning, set | | | | grandparents. Visit, talk to, learn from, and record |
| aside one hour where the whole family helps with | | | | history of these people. |
| work around the house. From cleaning rooms and the | | | | 15. 'Stay Up Late Friday Nights': Each Friday night - |
| house, to vacuuming, to mowing the lawn and yard | | | | the kids get to stay up (and then sleep in on Sat. |
| work - just establish the tradition that for one hour | | | | morning). Just stay up as a family and play games |
| every Saturday - it is 'family work time.' | | | | together, tell stories, watch a movie, etc. |