Family Traditions?

Hi A. -

Each Christmas, I would get each child their own personal ornament to hang on the tree. When they have their own tree, they will have a start to their own ornament collection.

M.

We have tons of holiday traditions but I won't list those...
The ones my kids enjoy the most are the non-holiday ones.

The RED PLATE...(only works if you eat dinner together as a family)if you have done something great, something good happened at school, you have had a special achievement your place setting has a red plate that says "You are special today" around the edge. We keep a list in the plate box about who got it and for what.

COOKIE DAY...(usually when we are feeling blue about something) we spend all day making cookies that we box up and deliver to friends for no good reason. Making the cookies and tying the boxes with ribbon just makes us all feel better.

"HAPPY DAY FOR YOU" inspired by a quote from my youngest child who was just beginning to understand birthdays and celebrations and would query the person "Happy day for you?" We turned it into a tradition of celebrating someone in our family just for the heck of it. It usually starts with a note under their cereal bowl saying that it is their happy day! It is followed by little surprises, their favorite dinner and the red plate (see above). At dinner everyone says what they like about that person.

MINOR CELEBRATIONS...it is huge when the tooth fairy comes! The tooth is put in a special pouch, a silver dollar is left with a new fancy toothbrush, "fairy dust" (glitter) leads them to their surprises.

CULTURAL HERITAGE...we are Irish, we are huge on all events Irish (and a good pint!) including irish dance, instruments and celi dances at the Irish cultural center. St. patrick's Day is bigger than Christmas with parades and parties!

SLEEPOVERS...we are sleepover central and that includes no sleep! We (husband and I) play pranks on the kids, play flashlight hide and seek, toss big blocks of ice in the pool, buy tons of junk food and let the kids have a ball.

MONSOON MADDNESS...we play outside in the warm rain (if there is no lightening), we take our boogie boards or skim boards to the park down the steet (they work great for "surfing" on the rain water covered ground). We don't worry about getting soaked or muddy. We play tackle football in the pouring rain or stand on the side of our flooded street and scream in delight when the cars spray us.

PIONEER NIGHTS...(started once when the electricty was off for several hours). We light a fire and pretend we have no electricty. We make dinner over the fire, play games by candle light and pretend we live in the "olden days".

Hope some of these spark some great fun for your family! I would encourage you to look at your cultural or religious beliefs for things to turn into traditions...or look for the usual and the mundane to make exceptional (my personal favorite)!

My boys are only 1 and 2 so we don't have a lot of traditions yet, but here are the ones we have so far:

On Sunday mornings I make a special breakfast and we all sit at the table together to eat. Then we look at the newspaper, books, or magazines until the kids get antsy. It's just a nice relaxing time to enjoy each other's company and it's something we can count on happening every week.

Even before I had children I started baking holiday cookies and treats every winter to share with friends and family which I give to them in special tins. My 2 yr old is very interested in helping in the kitchen and I'm excited for him to start helping me this year and I hope it'll be a tradition that we'll continue. =)

On Christmas Eve, we give our children a new pair of pajamas and a book(s). I wash the pj's beforehand so they can wear them that night. Once they're a little older I'll make them hot chocolate to drink while we read their new books to them.

My kids fav traditon is Valentines Day breakfast!
My Mom did it for me when I was growing up and me and all my siblings have carried it on with our kids.
I get up before everyone is awake and decorate the table with a fun table cloth, valentines day placemats, plates, napkins, and cups. I put out a few heart dishes with candy in them. On each plate I put a little bag with a few little gifts. It changes each year what is in the bags. A stuffed animal, dollar store toys, Itunes gift cards for my older ones etc. I also put a valentines day card on each plate with thier names on them. I write a special note for each child.
For the breakfast My mom used to make heart shaped pancakes. I bought a heart shaped waffle maker. We have waffles, bacon, sausage, apple sauce in small bowls with a few red hots on top, orange juice and for dessert (yep even for breakfast!) I get the little mini keebler grahm cracker pie crusts. My mom used to put cherry pie filling in ours but my kids don't like it so I fill ours with Jello n bake cheescake with the strawberry topping.
It is my kids all time fav holiday! I have 6 kids and 4 step kids and when my step kids moved away they commented how valentines day was so hard cause they missed our celebration!
I love it because it is my day to show my family how much I love them!

Well for my family Saturday night was family night. We would play games first, then order a pizza with each week someone picking the pizza that they wanted and we would rotate so everyone had a chance to pick and then watch a movie or two which we also rotated on picking out.
As for the Christmas, our big thing is decorating the tree. We pull out all of the ornaments and then the grandparents come over and then we put on Christmas music and we all decorate the tree. Then we go over to the In Laws/Grandparents and help them decorate.
Then my daughter and I would make cookies together to give out to people on Christmas Eve.
Hopefully we can still keep upi the traditions now that my daughter is married and expecting in December.
Hope this helps.

We made up some traditions as the children grew.
As a mom , I never remembered having a "special" day, we had 8 kids in our family growing up.
so on the day of your birthday in my home, everyone in the household is included, we have to take the breakfast request [ of the birthday person] the night before , and they get to have breakfast cooked by the rest of the family on the morning of their birthday, the "special person" stays in bed while it is delivered and we all sing and they make a wish and blow out the candle, plus they ALWAYS get a party of THEIR choice with their friends. And the get their birthday gift from the family then too.
we do this same tradition for Mother and Fathers Day as well.without the birthday candle.

We always ask at the dinner table Let's do HIGH/LOW and go around the table. What was the high[best thing that happened] and the low[ worst in your day ] and its nice when sometimes they have alot of highs and no lows, and its a great time for all the family to give solutions to the lows for the person with the lows and it makes them feel better with the support of their family. Parents too, its a good way to see what everyone did for the day. hope this helps.

One of our family traditions is called, "Family Night". We all write down something we want to do for family night on a little piece of paper. Some ideas are: play a boardgame; watch a movie; go out for a walk; play princess dressup (my daughter's idea); etc. Fold the pieces of paper and put into a special box (you can have the kids cover a shoe box or buy a special box). I got my box and idea from "Once Upon a Family" which is a company that makes special products for families to connect. Anyway, each weekend one child gets to draw one piece of paper out of the box and the family has to do that activity. You can set your own rules for "Family Night". Our rules are that it shouldn't cost a lot of money and noone can say negative things about any idea that is drawn from the box. The kids really look forward to family night! We also have Music night at least one per month. We happen to have guitars and a keyboard to play. but the kids have a set we bought with a drum and several others that they play.

A., we have strange traditions…

1. Christmas our kids get their stocking during the Feast of St. Nicholas. Now we are not the most religious people, but are Catholic. If I remember correctly he is the St. of children.

2. Christmas Eve- we celebrate Christmas Eve with the family. We give family gifts, god children gifts and etc. that day so that Christmas day can be devoted to each family staying home in their PJ’s enjoying each other.

3. Christmas Cake (this one is a little strange) – Not my doing but my mother in-law… she has a Birthday cake for Jesus. She has the kids sing happy birthday to Jesus just because she does not want the kids to forget why Christmas is celebrated.

4. Birthdays – we do a thing when they cut the cake, the B-day boy/girl cuts the cake and the person with the next B-day removes the knife.

5. Winter Sundays- We call it simmering Sunday! In the morning we get up and put a bunch of stuff in a huge soup pot and let it simmer all day. The kids help pick and help chop veggies (I know that sound scary, but they just push the button on the food processor!)

If I think of anything else I will add it. Congratulations on the twins!!!

My husband and I have exchanged Christmas ornaments every year from our first Christmas as a dating couple in 1999. The ornament has to have some significance to the past year. We have carried the tradition down to our kids. They're not old enough to appreciate it yet, but it is so much fun decorating our tree every year, because we get to talk about memories (and I get to quiz my husband.. "why did I get you this one?") We're hanging memories on our tree, not just ornaments. It is a tradition that I hold very near and dear to my heart.

Along those same lines, a friend of mine had a good idea. She got a special ornament that you can put slips of paper in. Then at Christmas time you write down goals for the next year. When you decorate the tree the following year, you can see how well you did on your goals.

There's a couple ideas. Hope you get some great family traditions going!

There is a book called "Every day a Holiday" by Silvana Clark that I've used to come up with some untraditional traditions.
For example, national popcorn day, world poetry day, and teddy bear picnic day.
On Nov. 1st I put up a poster size turkey with no feathers, each day my children put up a colored construcion paper feather with a picture, drawing, or words of something they are thankful for on it. On thanksgiving day we take a picture of them in front of the turkey filled with feathers. I keep the feathers.
December 1st we put up a small christmas tree we call the Jesus and Me Christmas tree. Each day we put an ornament on that has a verse attached that goes with the ornament. For example, playdough-He is the potter I am the clay; Construction truck-He's still working on me, salt-We are the salt of the world.
I'm planning to come up with something similar for the other major holidays such as Valetines day and Easter
R.

I love family traditions. Here are a few of our favorite:

making sun cakes (small round lemon cakes) and having only candlelight on the winter solstice and talking about what we love about darkness and what we love about light

Monday night is family movie night and Sunday night is family game night

Every time my husband who is a cyclist has an evening race we get to order pizza for dinner or we have "pick your can night"--this is a huge favorite, where you actually go to the grocery store and pick your can! (i.e. chicken soup, chili, ravioli--we eat very healthily and so this is a special kind of junky treat)

On my daughter's birthdays, I always tell the story of their birth

If you make sure your own traditions are fun and not too extravagant, they'll last and continue on.

Enjoy!

Christmas Eve everyone is allowed to open 1 present
Christmas Day we always get up early to open presents, I start "dinner" early so we actually eat it for lunch..
The whole family comes over so that we spend it together or we have our time and then make our rounds to the rest of the family.

We do the same for Thanksgiving- I usually cook early, we have our meal as a family- sometimes the family comes over to our house or we make our rounds to everyone's house.

My family used to always get together on 4th of July to celebrate and also to celebrate the anniversary of my Grandparents. We have stopped doing so since the death of my Grandpa 12 years ago and one of the traditions I miss the most is ice cream. Like I said, we got together on 4th of july so it was hot, and my grandpa would always make homemade ice cream. I know it sounds like a stupid thing to some people but saw that you like to cook, and I thought maybe it would be a good suggestion for you to maybe do on birthdays or any other time. It is really a fun thing and it is amazing what you can do with different flavors, or make healthy recipes using seasonal fruit etc. Hope this helps- sometimes its simple stuff like this that you remember the most when it comes to family tradition! -S

Hi, A., yes we have Monday night family night. We also have a couple of family traditions at Christmas. Every year, they take turns putting our angel on the tree. They also all have ornaments that they claim as their own to put on. We also have "Big Breakfast" on holidays (eggs, bacon, sausage, crescents, pancakes, etc.) For Christmas I get them each at least one video they've been wanting and we watch them one after another all day during Christmas. There is Easter egg coloring every year. St. Patty's day they always wear green in some form (very Irish). Mothers/Fathers day and birthdays everybody but the honoree clean the house and you get to choose your dinner and cake. The closest Sunday to their birthday, we make it their day, as well. They get the red "You are Special Today" plate that day as well as other special days such as Anniversaries, Atta Boy/Girl days. You get the idea (check on the internet for the plate). Some other traditions include one on one time with each child as often as our schedules can pull it off. My only daughter and I like to have "Mother/Daughter nights" where we go to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner or lunch, then shop for girl stuff and/or watch chick flicks on TV. With twins, you might try when they're older for one on one days. I've also heard of people who do "Welcome back from the 1st day of school" cookies or treats. That's all I can think of, but I commend you on trying to build traditions. Kids love em and actually will remind you once they're established. Kids love routines and stability. This helps out a lot. Hugs, Kat

This is ione we started when the older kids were little and we had no money, plus our in-laws were staying with us temporarily, so we had to work extra hard to show a bit of a line between the extended family and our immediate family, plus we had budget constraints.

To solve this, we had a movie night every week with just the kids and us up in our room. We popped popcorn and rented a movie for a couple of dollars and that was it, but it continues today.

Now we are expecting our sixth and the tradition continues, although now we have added pizza to that and sometimes swimming in our pool now that we have one. It can be as elaborate or simple as you like. Honestly simple is better, and you aren't burdened with the cost of a movie theater or the stress of managing small children in the theater. It's just much more relaxed for everyone, you can pause when you need to, take restroom breaks, or fall asleep early if you want.

The point is that it is time for you and your family to do something inexpensive and fun at the same time, and it builds an identity and a tradition, too. We love it! :)

This is one i got from a coworker, and now i've started. every year at christmas they get a family gift of a game, even now when your kids are young, that way you build up your game collection little by little and have family game time when they are older. I loved that idea, made things more affordable. :o)

I remember that my mom used to take me to the Brooklyn Museum of Natural History after every eye doctor appointment.

Since my family has all small children we cover the table with a plastic table cloth, give the kids glue and glitter and let them go to town! Yes there is a bit of a mess ivolved but it's so worth it. They learn how to work together plus get to hang their own ornaments on the tree so they can admire their masterpieces! We have adult traditions if you're interested, I can share some really good family recipies (especially one called Blarneystones, they are so in demand now that we sell them like tamales at Christmas!)
Good luck and don't hesitate to send me a message, I am all about the kids and traditions. Also, my mom takes me to Sedona every Mother's Day with my daughter. If you are short on funds (like we were this year) rates are very reasonable and you can take your children there to swim, eat and enjoy family. I also think family is what you make it...I have friends I consider family and we split the cost of the room when we go which reeeeeeealy helps since I'm a full time nursing student. Good luck!

my sons are 31 and 18. the last one just let for college and i am so lonely, as is he. this tradition costs nothing ahd has huge rewards. although we have had to change is as the boys have left the house. it started whey i had to wake them up in the morning. alayws made it a point to get up a few minutes early. i would kiss them awake. and i would cuddle with them for a few minutes and talk about plans or expectations for the day. and no one, even if they are having a bad day or are angry, leaves the house without a hug and a kiss. sometimes just that kiss would break the anger barriers. and at night when they are tucked in, yes, i still tucked my yougest son in bed up until the time he left for college, cuddle for a few mintues and talk about the day. refuse to accept answers such as "fine" when you ask about their day. since theboys are gone, my youngest calls every evening to say good night. most evenings anyway. and we talk about the day and plans for the next. my oldest son calls every sunday.

Hi A.,
This is something that is near and dear to my heart. When I was growing up, we never had any traditions. So now that I am a mom I love to have traditions to pass along to my kids. Best part is, they love it and look forward to them. So here are a couple that are simple and just fun.

On Christmas morning I always bake Monkey Bread for breakfast. So easy, you can put it in the oven and let it cook while you open presents with the kids.

On birthdays, we always have a cake. I will make it for them now that they are a little older, but when young I get them a special one of their favorite characters from the bakery. For dinner on birthday night, that person gets to choose a place to go out to eat or if they really want me to cook them something instead then they choose that. The fun part about going out to eat is that I love to tell the waitstaff that there is a birthday person and have them come and sing to them. The kids say they don't like it, but they smile and giggle the whole way through. At this point they know I am going to do it and still they enjoy it. It makes that person feel very special.

My last thing is, take lots of pictures all the time. No matter what you are doing. I have literally thousands of pictures. They love to sit with me and look back at them and see how they have grown and all the things that they have done. They will have them forever and be able to show their kids and do the same with them.

Hope this helps some :)

Something my parents did with us, and I am continuing with my only child is each year each child under 18 gets an ornament for the christmas tree.
Another christmas tradition is where my parents would string a ribbon or something across the top of the stairs with a list of instructions (along the lines of... NO waking anyone else up!! get dressed. brush teeth/hair. put away (# of our age) items. wait until (7am or whatever time). Line up with (youngest or rotating ages) first. Touch only your socking, no peeking/touching other things.) I'm sure this started out of my parent's exhausted desperation one year but we all looked forward to the list after that!!!
Also, we had soup (we called it cabbage soup but I've seen a similar recipe called Weight Watchers Veg Soup) on Christmas Day. Good balance to the candy & nuts & fruit & all else we ate on Christmas day.

Something I read on here was for hot summer days when it's 100+ to have sundaes for dinner (only do this about once a month!) I've been thinking about this but I think I would do it more as a waffle/crepe/pancake dinner on those sundays we are looking for a quick dinner to make, and have "fluff" we dont normally get otherwise like whip cream, candy syrup & sprinkles, etc.

My son loved the "Friendship Stew" they made in Kindergarten last year for 100th day - each kid brought a can of veggies or something and all of that was added into a crockpot and left to simmer all morning. He mentioned it the other day when I was looking at the upcoming school year calendar - so we may adopt that tradition.

We have family movie nights every so often - my son loves to get to eat in the family room (with a sheet or something laid down) and we'll have pizza & root beer and a family movie (not expensive if you cook frozen pizza bought on sale, check out movies from the library, etc.)

1. Christmas Eve we wrap the last of the presents while watching the Christmas Story marathon on TV. Then it's off to midnight mass.

2. From her first birthday on I always spent a little extra and bought my daughter a nice piece of jewelry. Now that she's 16 she has some really nice things rather than some broken toy she wouldn't even remember.

3. For every "mind laxative" book my daughter reads she must also read a classic. As a result of this policy she is way ahead of some of her classmates in her English classes.

4. Sunday night is family night. We get take out (every one gets a turn picking their favorite food and movie) sit on the floor by the TV and enjoy a relaxing evening together.

5. Every year we do at least one Diamondbacks game, one Coyotes game, one Cardinals game and a Sun Devil's football game. (We're not much for basketball)

6. Each year we buy our daughter a new Christmas ornament so that when she's ready for a home of her own she'll have a nice collection to bring with her.

7. This is a little late for you but when I was pregnant with my daughter I kept a couple of journals about the pregnancy and then for part of her baby years. I plan to give it to her on a day when she needs to hear how special she is and how much I wanted her in my life.

8. Thanksgiving weekend is when the Christmas decorations go up. We have a blast pulling everything out of the garage and going through it all to set it up. (Eat leftover turkey and stuffing and we watch Trains, Planes and Automobiles.)

Thanks for asking about this stuff. Thinking about all that we do together reminds me how much I love my family. Hope these help.