Family traditions bring people closer together and create a sense of belonging. They can range from yearly holidays to everyday routines and even small acts of kindness like volunteering.
Whether they are profound or silly, all traditions serve the same purpose of connecting people to one another and creating lasting memories. Here are some ideas to get your family started.
1. The Family Dinner
Family dinner has a long history in American homes, but it’s not as common as it once was. The reasons for this are complex, but they include changes in parental priorities and the rise of shared meal options like subscription delivery services, restaurant dining, or takeout meals from a local food truck.
When families do gather for meals together, they can create traditions to make their time more meaningful. For example, a popular family dinner tradition involves asking each member of the family to share the best and worst part of their day. This enables family members to connect with each other and learn more about their peers. It can also help build empathy and a sense of community. It can also serve as a way to pass down culinary traditions. Family members can learn new recipes and techniques from one another, or cook from old family cookbooks.
2. The Family Game Night
Family game night is a time for parents to relax and let kids be kids. Kids love it because they get to use their creative skills without any pressure.
Whether they’re battling it out in a tournament-style game or just playing for fun, it’s an opportunity to bond with each other. And when the games are over, you can always make it a little more festive by serving mini snack trays.
Try board games like Monopoly, Uno, Cards Against Humanity and Scrabble. Or, for a more strategic challenge, introduce your family to chess. It’s an excellent brain teaser that spikes intelligence and teaches strategy. You can also add a fun twist to the traditional hide and seek game by making an obstacle course out of pillows and blankets. For a competitive touch, give prizes to the winners.
3. The Family Movie Night
Family traditions can bring people together and help them feel closer to one another. They may reflect a family’s values and beliefs or represent a particular part of the culture in which they live. These can include religious, cultural, and everyday rituals. Even blended, extended, and chosen families can have their own unique family traditions that reflect the spirit of their group.
For example, some families have a “Family Vinyl Dance Party” on Friday nights where they gather in the living room and listen to music that gets them dancing together. Similarly, some families have a special Saturday or Sunday morning breakfast tradition (such as pancakes or cinnamon rolls).
Keep in mind that for family traditions to work, they must be practiced on a regular basis. A good rule of thumb is to plan them on a monthly or quarterly basis.
4. The Family Walk
A regular family tradition that happens on a consistent day creates a sense of stability and gives families something to look forward to. This is especially important given today’s jam-packed schedules.
Family traditions that honor special events like a high school graduation or the passing of a loved one can provide a sense of continuity and grounding in an often-unpredictable world. Similarly, rituals like volunteering together as a family communicate a deeper message of selflessness that can help kids feel closer to their roots.
Remember that the size and scope of a family tradition doesn’t matter as much as the connections it creates for families. It’s also fine for traditions to evolve over time as a family grows and changes.
5. The Family Bedtime Routine
Family bedtime routines are important to children because they help them to feel safe and secure as they prepare for sleep. They can include a bath, pajamas, stories, cuddle time and singing lullabies. Some families even include music or video games to promote relaxation.
Studies, starting with Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, have highlighted the importance of repetitive, predictable proximal activities for child development. Families that engage in family bedtime rituals experience a wide range of positive outcomes, including improved quality of life and academic performance.
To establish a family bedtime routine, it is important to be consistent and to set aside enough time for the ritual. It’s also important to be flexible; if an activity doesn’t work for your family, try something else the next time. This helps your children to learn about the process of establishing and following a routine.
6. The Family Breakfast
A family breakfast is the perfect way to bring everyone together for a special morning meal. This simple tradition can be enjoyed year after year and helps to build a sense of community in the home.
It’s important to remember that family traditions are meant to be flexible, and they should evolve over time to meet the needs of the family. Ultimately, the most successful traditions are those that bring a sense of meaning and connection to the family.
Whether you’re hiding your kids’ teeth from the tooth fairy or enjoying pizza on Tuesdays, there are many great ways to establish new family traditions. The best part is that it’s never too late to start building a stronger connection as a family. And the memories you create will last a lifetime.
7. The Family Cookout
A family cookout gives everyone a chance to bond over food and fun activities. This tradition is particularly meaningful for families with kids.
Whether it’s playing games or competing in foot races, cooking out can be a great way to spend time together as a family. It also encourages teamwork and camaraderie.
Family traditions offer a sense of stability and comfort in an increasingly chaotic world. They help children feel connected to their family and their history. Some traditions may even connect them to their heritage, culture, or religion. Creating family customs helps kids develop strong connections for life, no matter where their path leads them in the future. Family rituals are a powerful tool for building love and bonding as a family. These customs create beautiful memories that last a lifetime.
8. The Family Sleepover
Whether kids are excited to go to a friend’s house for a sleepover or terrified, the experience is important for their development. They learn independence and develop cognitive mental flexibility by experiencing things like different family sleep schedules and bedtime rituals that may be very different from their own.
If your kids are ready for a sleepover but you’re not comfortable with the idea, work up to it with things like staying at grandma’s house or going camping with another family. Also, if your children are miserable at their friend’s house and want to come home early, let them.
This teaches them that they can make their own choices and that it’s okay to go back home when they’re not having fun. It’s also a good way to teach them to respect others’ boundaries. This is a valuable life skill they will need as adults.
9. The Family Christmas Party
There are a lot of fun, quirky holiday traditions you can try with your family. Whether they involve baking, decorating, or writing letters to Santa, these special holiday rituals make the season more jolly for everyone.
Cook a Special Dish
Consider sharing your favorite family Christmas recipes with the kids this year and make them a part of your Christmas tradition. This will help preserve family history, and it can be a great bonding activity as you work together to create a new holiday favorite.
Focus on Genealogy
10. The Family Birthday Party
Traditions connect us to the people we love. They also give us a sense of stability and purpose. Whether they’re passed down from religion or a nation’s culture, or invented by the family itself, family traditions are what distinguishes one family from another.
Many of the family traditions in this article are simple, but that doesn’t make them any less meaningful. For example, having your kids choose what they want for dinner on their birthday is a simple but meaningful way to show them that you value their opinion.
The best way to find a family tradition that works for you is to brainstorm together and be open to compromise. Once you’ve found a few that work, make sure to commit to them. This helps keep the tradition alive and makes it feel more authentic.