Family Traditions: 5 Ways to Start a New Tradition

by Jill Greenlaw on September 5th, 2012 | No Comments »

Family Traditions are those simple things that we look forward to year after year that binds us together and keeps us coming back together. What does family tradition mean to you? Do you have any? Are they really as important as people say they are? Research shows that families that have traditions live their life with more purpose and meaning. I don't know about you, but my family has some pretty fun traditions. We love the memories we have created over the years. We have also adopted a few new ones along the way.

5 Ways to Start New Family Traditions

Let's break this down a little and find out some ways that you can start some new traditions or spice up the ones you have.

1. Traditions can focus around holidays.

Easter is one of those holidays where it is always fun to give our children Easter baskets and hide eggs. Likewise, Thanksgiving is always a holiday that is full of tradition. We also have a traditional meal and take turns going around the table and sharing what we are each thankful for. Decide what holidays mean the most to you and figure out a way that you can make them special.

2. They can help bring in a new season.

How about starting the summer with a kickoff BBQ. This can be a tradition where you welcome the warmer temperatures. If you don't BBQ all year around, you could serve hamburgers, hot dogs, or any of your favorite grilled items. Summer salads are a perfect side to your grilled dinner. Have some fun games ready for the kids, like a balloon toss or a flag football game. Another idea is to take your kids to a summer concert every year. Listening to music while laying on the grass. This is a tradition we have done for years and our kids love it.

3. Celebrate the lives of your family members.

We love celebrating birthdays at our house. We have a special plaque that we hang for a whole week when it is someone's birthday. I also like to find fun pictures of the special person and hang them around the house. We always make a cake that represents what that person is involved in or likes. We also take that child out to lunch or dinner on their birthday.

4. Family Traditions don't have to be complicated.

Have a family party and make it be potluck. Why not start a tradition of having potluck parties to make it easier on yourself? It is not fun to be the only one that cooks the family dinner. We started doing this years ago for all of our family parties. It makes having a party a lot less work. We all bring our own main to grill and then a side to share. This is one tradition that will be around for a long time.

5. Celebrate the start of something new.

Back to school is a time when kids might need new supplies or clothes. I love the tradition of taking each child on a special outing to make sure they have what they need. We budget and plan these outings so they don't break the bank. It is fun to check out all the new gidgets and gadgets on the market and find what is going to work for each child. When we are done shopping, we have a fashion show at our house. Everyone tries on their new clothes and models them for the rest of the family. It is soooo fun.

There are no rights or wrongs to family traditions. The important thing is to start them. Traditions create a sense of belonging, unity, and fun. They are a great way to connect as a family and as friends.

What are some of your family's traditions? Why are they important to you?

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Jill Greenlaw has a banking background. She gave that up 17 years ago when she got married and started having kids. She loved being a stay-at-home mom while raising her four beautiful children. A few years ago, Jill went back to work in sales. She is now working for the Mom It Forward team as their Community Manager. She loves her job. Her interests include camping, motorcycling, boating, photography, reading, cooking, and traveling. Put her in flip flops anywhere warm and she is happy.