How to Start a Mother's Day Tradition

Traditions nurture the connections between family members and their future generations. Whether you are celebrating a holiday, birthday or Mother's Day, take the time to start - or simply carry on - these special customs. It could make the difference in how well your family gets along and keep them together for years to come.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Scrapbook
• Photo mounting squares
• Family recipes
• Journal

1. Give your family a common sense of identity by starting a Mother's Day tradition. As the matriarch of the family, your mom is of such vital importance and relevance to all your family members. When a family tradition is centered on your mom, it effectively creates a feeling of belonging among your siblings.
2. Provide a predictable experience from year to year. Holding a special gathering at a family member's home or at the same restaurant each Mother's Day will create a feeling of safety and security within the family. It also gives family members something to look forward to that is stable in a sometimes hectic, changing world.
3. Reserve a spot for a Mother's Day brunch or dinner at a traditional restaurant that you frequented growing up. The bonds have already formed in this locale and you can enhance newfound experiences when you revisit such places. Ask for the same table each time you make the reservation so that the tradition will become familiar.
4. Cook up some baked goods or other foods that represent your family heritage and nationality. When you prepare and enjoy traditional foods, you reinforce happy family memories and the comforts of home. Choose at least one dish and serve it every Mother's Day. If it's a dessert recipe, wrap it with decorative paper and tie an instruction tag on it so that your siblings will be able to carry on the tradition within their own families.
5. Formulate some new traditions for Mother's Day. Set a goal you want to accomplish with the new ritual. Design a few activities that can widen the tradition and take care to come up with meaningful suggestions. You can start out small so as not to overwhelm your loved ones with too vast a list of goals. For example, begin a family journal and encourage everyone to write a memory or anecdote about your mother inside the book.

Tips & Warnings

• Start a traditional Mother's Day memory book. Buy a quality, hardcover scrapbook at a craft store, along with some photo mounting squares. After each Mother's Day, add photos and memorabilia to build upon this family keepsake.