When my kids were little, Scott and I worked hard to make family traditions for our family. It was one of those things that we felt that helped to develop our family identity. This is who we are and what we do as a family. Now that our kids are older, we are really starting to see the benefits of those traditions. Our kids look forward to our time together and have started making them truly theirs. Even our 7th grader still wants to spend time with us and looks forward to our family traditions.
We have some weekly traditions, like family movie night on Friday where we eat pizza and ice cream (and they get to have soda - a very big deal here since it otherwise doesn't happen) and then all snuggle on the couch. We read chapter books out loud before bed together most nights, some from MFW and some of our own choosing.
We decorate for the seasons and holidays. The entire house may change color schemes during one of these season but the kids love it and get excited to help.
Here are some of our favorite traditions -
Thanksgiving - Read or listen to Squanto, everybody builds a Lego turkey (cause it's fun and lego) We help Grammy and Papa decorate their house for Christmas and then decorate ours.
Serve together as a family - We've been on several missions trips but also enjoy serving food at homeless shelters, doing food drives, make shoeboxes every year for Operation Christmas Child and more.
Christmas - So many to list... Lego advent calendars, Prayer paper chains counting down to Christmas, Christmas read alouds, having 2 large Christmas trees and many smaller ones, having a cookie baking party with other home schoolers at our home, the advent wreath and Christmas question jar, new pajama's on Christmas Eve (preferably Disney), reading the Christmas story on Christmas Eve, and so many more.
Birthdays - Special Birthday breakfast and the opening of presents. We make a big deal of birthdays, special plates, special events and big parties.
Easter - We love to do the Resurrection Eggs and color eggs.
I think family identity is really important, it allows us to say things like, " I understand that others get to do this or that but that's not what we Hudson's do." Church is also one of those things that we use as our family identity ( not to mention that it helps us to grow in Christ as well as give us fellowship). " We Hudson's go to church every Sunday and only illness or vacation keeps us away, because that's who we are". I'm finding that the older my kids get the more family identity is becoming imperative. It seems to give them a foundation to stand on as well as something bigger than themselves to be a part of. Not to mention that they are fun and that is worth it in itself.
Categories: parenting
