In this episode, I teach a lesson on how to enjoy family traditions and I encourage you to have your family and children listen together. Healthy relationships are built on time spent together. Family traditions create opportunities for us to be with one another
A family tradition is an activity that a family does regularly. Often traditions are so simple that families don’t even consciously recognize them as traditions.
Healthy relationships are built on time spent together. Family traditions create opportunities for us to be with one another. As we join together and participate in a tradition, we share our lives in special ways that are unique to our family. Usually, the more we share our lives, the more we care for one another.
A family is like a chain and family members are like the links in the chain. Experiences shared together strengthen and bind the links together. The stronger the links, the more powerfully family members are bound to one another.
7 ideas for a family tradition.
∙ Each week or month, declare a “Be-Kind-To-(name)-Week.”
∙ On birthdays, go around the table and take turns telling the birthday person one reason why you love or appreciate them. Or share a happy memory you have with the birthday person.
∙ Create a “Memory Wall” in your home. This could consist of important events in the family, from school plays to family trips, represented with pictures, programs and souvenirs.
∙ When the family all gathers together, play games and enjoy treats.
∙ Display children’s artwork for a few days, then place it in a special box, decorated by the child.
∙ If both parents work, make sure children don’t come home to an empty house. Leave a little treat and an envelope for each child containing instructions on what to do during the afternoon.
∙ Send family members love notes in lunch sacks, desks, on mirrors, etc.
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This is Solutions for Families – where parents come with problems and leave with solutions. I’m Paula Fellingham – thank you for joining me!
Hello and welcome! Today’s episode is how to enjoy family traditions.
A family tradition is an activity that a family does regularly. Often traditions are so simple that families don’t even consciously recognize them as traditions. For example, if a family always has special birthday celebrations, that’s a tradition. If they like to eat certain kinds of food on Sundays, that’s a tradition. Any activity repeated over and over becomes a tradition, and families share those happy memories. The personalities of families are expressed through the little things they do that add fun to life.
Healthy relationships are built on time spent together. Family traditions create opportunities for us to be with one another. As we join together and participate in a tradition, we share our lives in special ways that are unique to our family. Usually, the more we share our lives, the more we care for one another.
A family is like a chain and family members are like the links in the chain. Experiences shared together strengthen and bind the links together. The stronger the links, the more powerfully family members are bound to one another. Traditions strengthen family links by giving family members a sense of belonging, something to depend on as they enjoy common activities. Our time together as a family is priceless. The memories we make will last throughout our lifetimes.
Story
One winter a mother took a group of high school students on a night snowshoeing trip to a friend’s cabin. The moon was beautiful and full as it shone on the new-fallen snow. For nearly five miles they puffed and plodded along. The first mile or two still held the excitement and mystery of an adventure. But as time wore on, tired legs could scarcely drag nearly frozen toes from drift to drift up the mountainside. The backpacks were no help either. And every few minutes someone’s snowshoe straps would come loose or break, sending that person flying into a snowbank head first.
No one complained much, though, because they all knew a warm cabin was waiting at the top.
When the group finally reached the cabin and worked the old door open, they gasped as they looked around. Windows were broken, the kitchen table had three legs and a stump, three rusty springs showed through the upholstery on the couch, and the cabin itself seemed very small. Months before, someone had left the chimney flue open and frozen snow was jammed in the fireplace all the way to the roof. One teenager picked away at the solid block with a pocketknife, while another went to the kitchen to start the wood-burning stove. Disaster again! The stovepipe had separated and was also packed with snow. It was frighteningly cold, and the cabin was quickly filling with the choking smoke. Everyone was complaining and feeling sorry for himself.
“Hey!” the mother who led the group shouted, “There’s a new rule. For every complaint you make, you’ve got to say something good as well.” More grumbles. She added, “Well, what have we got to lose? We can at least die with positive attitudes!” Everyone chuckled softly.
“But I’m freezing,” one young man complained. The woman smiled and waited patiently. “Uh,” he choked, “but at least the smoke is warming the place up.”
“Three of the four windows are broken,” a girl grumbled. But then she brightened. “At least they draw out the smoke. Should we break the other one?” That brought a real laugh.
As the woman poked in the fire, billows of smoke seeped from every crack in the old stove. She hoped it would melt some of the ice above. After unloading each armload of wood, one pair of students rushed to open the door and draw a few fresh breaths of cold mountain air. Two others alternately fanned the fire and dashed for the door to breathe, while one boy struggled with the broken stovepipe.
Gradually the smoke began to clear. As the snow in the stovepipe melted, the cabin warmed up, and so did their spirits. Before long the campers had a big pot of hot soup on the stove, and the young people were sitting on their rolled-out sleeping bags, happily sipping hot drinks.
Without exception, the memories of that trip are good ones. No one seems to remember the grumbles or the complaints. And the mother who led the group started a new tradition in her family. Whenever someone has a complaint, he always has to add something positive afterward. She believes this tradition will help her family through any challenge.
Discussion
1. How can this family’s new tradition help them through their challenges?
Our activity for this lesson is to decide on a new tradition for our family. Ten ideas are listed here. We can use one of these, or think of our own.
∙ Each week or month, declare a “Be-Kind-To-(name)-Week.”
Everyone in the family tries to do something nice for the person every day that week, or month.
∙ On birthdays, go around the table and take turns telling the birthday person one reason why you love or appreciate them. Or share a happy memory you have with the birthday person.
∙ Designate a place in your home as the “Solve-It-Yourself-Place.” When problems arise, send the quarreling people to the room to talk. The only rule is that no physical “solving’ is allowed, only verbal.
∙ Assign two of the chairs in your home to be the “I’m sorry” chairs. When there are hurt feelings, those involved must take turns sitting in the chairs until they can say “I’m sorry” from the heart.
∙ Create a “Memory Wall” in your home. This could consist of important events in the family, from school plays to family trips, represented with pictures, programs and souvenirs.
∙ Start the day giving each family member a kiss. Wake children with a kiss. Always kiss good-bye.
∙ When the family all gathers together, play games and enjoy treats.
∙ Display children’s artwork for a few days, then place it in a special box, decorated by the child.
∙ If both parents work, make sure children don’t come home to an empty house. Leave a little treat and an envelope for each child containing instructions on what to do during the afternoon.
∙ Send family members love notes in lunch sacks, desks, on mirrors, etc.
Okay, my friends. Until the next episode, have a beautiful day and make sure you subscribe to my podcast, tell your friends about Solutions for Families, and come see me at paulafellingham.com. As always, I send you my love….