How to Start a New Family Tradition

Often we come into our marriages, or de-facto relationships, with our bags packed full of family traditions. We expect to carry on with what we have always done, but in many cases new family traditions are wanting to emerge. This is natural and actually very exciting.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Communication skills.

1. Communicate: Spend some time with your partner. Talk about what family traditions took place in each of your families. What did you like/dislike about them?

2. Share: Did you have any ideas for family traditions that you wanted in your family, but weren't ever instigated? If so, share them with your partner. Open your heart a little bit.

3. Listen: Partners at this point need to be attentively listening. Be open to the ideas. Discuss the possibility of instigating this new tradition into your family. If you have concerns, talk them through with your spouse.

4. Let go: Are there any traditions from either families that you both want to let fall off?

5. Move Forward: Decide to implement the new tradition. If there are past traditions from your familys that you want to drop, then do so. You have the freedom to dissolve past traditions and create new ones to suit your own family model.

Tips & Warnings

• Be open to one another's ideas.
• Respect one another's past traditions.
• Be honest about if you want that type of tradition in your new family.
• Be reasonable.
• Be sensitive to each others hearts.